Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CJL PARTNERS WITH STUDENTS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PRINCETON COMMUNITY TO SUSTAIN AND GROW A WELCOMING, MULTI-FACETED AND PLURALISTIC JEWISH COMMUNITY THAT IS FULLY-INTEGRATED INTO THE FABRIC OF CAMPUS LIFE AND WHICH PROVIDES PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL JEWISH EXPERIENCES FOR EVERY STUDENT. FY24 WAS AN ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING YEAR FOR THE CJL AND JEWISH STUDENTS AT PRINCETON IN THE WAKE OF THE HORRIFIC OCTOBER 7, 2023 HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL. THE CJL PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN PROVIDING A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR, INVESTING INCREASED RESOURCES FOR PROGRAMS THAT FOCUSED HEAVILY ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS WITH THE GOAL OF SUPPORTING EVERY JEWISH STUDENT ON CAMPUS IN THE MANY AND CHANGING WAYS NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR.
- Income
- $2.3 million
- Spending
- $1.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 51%
- Reserves
- 6.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 79%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 27
- Highest pay
- $235,826, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 86 out of 100.
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 24% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1551% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 93 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2520 of 20 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (6)
- $223,286 spent. CJL'S TRIPS TO ISRAEL RESUMED AFTER A ONE-YEAR PAUSE FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER 7TH HAMAS ATTACKS. 19 STUDENTS AND 1 STAFF MEMBER PARTICIPATED IN A WINTER BREAK 2025 LEARNING SEMINAR AT THE SHALOM HARTMAN INSTITUTE. OUR DELEGATION THE LARGEST OF ANY U.S. CAMPUS ATTENDED THIS PROGRAM ENGAGED DEEPLY WITH THE MORAL AND SPIRITUAL QUESTIONS FACING ISRAEL AND WORLD JEWRY DURING THIS CHALLENGING TIME. CJL'S ANNUAL SPRING LEADERSHIP TRIP TOOK 22 STUDENTS AND 2 STAFF TO PERU, WHERE PARTICIPANTS HAD THE CHANCE TO EXPLORE JEWISH LIFE IN A DIFFERENT CULTURAL SETTING AND REFLECT ON WHAT IT MEANS TO LEAD AND TO SERVE IN DIVERSE GLOBAL CONTEXTS.
- $194,464 spent. CJL SHABBAT DINNERS CONTINUED TO BE ONE OF THE CJL'S SIGNATURE PROGRAMS. SHABBAT DINNERS ARE AN IMPORTANT EXPERIENCE FOR THE CJL'S RELIGIOUSLY OBSERVANT STUDENTS AND ARE A WEEKLY OPPORTUNITY FOR JEWISH STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER. IN FY25, DESPITE SOME CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY THE RENOVATION OF THE KOSHER DINING OPERATIONS, LIVELY SHABBAT DINNERS WERE PARTICULARLY ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT JEWISH STUDENTS FELT A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT AT A TIME WHEN THEY NEEDED IT MOST.
- $131,061 spent. HOLIDAY OBSERVANCES - THE CELEBRATION OF JEWISH HOLIDAYS IS A CORE PROGRAMMING PRIORITY OF CJL. THE CENTERPIECE OF THESE OBSERVANCES IS THE JEWISH HIGH HOLIDAYS, HELD IN THE FALL WHICH USHER IN THE JEWISH NEW YEAR. CJL CONDUCTS MULTIPLE RELIGIOUS SERVICES AND FESTIVE HOLIDAY MEALS DURING THE HIGH HOLIDAY SEASON THAT INCLUDES ROSH HASHANAH, YOM KIPPUR AND SUKKOT. THESE ACTIVITIES REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT INVOLVEMENT OF OUR RABBIS AS WELL AS MANY LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR STUDENT LEADERS. SECOND TO THE HIGH HOLIDAY SEASON IS EXTENSIVE HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING AT PASSOVER INCLUDING STUDENT AND STAFF- LED HOLIDAY MEALS (SEDERS) AND THEMED EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE 8-DAY HOLIDAY OBSERVANCE. ADDITIONAL CJL HOLIDAY PROGRAMS LED BY STAFF AND STUDENTS ARE HELD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
- $130,866 spent. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IS A CORNERSTONE OF THE CJL'S MISSION, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON ONE-TO-ONE PEER ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. WITH THE ONGOING ISRAEL-GAZA WAR, THE CJL FOCUSED ON ACTIVITIES BUILDING CONNECTIONS AND FOSTERING A SAFE, WARM AND RESILIENT COMMUNITY FOR JEWISH STUDENTS ON CAMPUS. IN FY25, OUR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT INTERNS CONNECTED WITH 90% OF ALL IDENTIFIED JEWISH UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT PRINCETON THROUGH COFFEE MEETINGS, STUDY BREAKS, AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES HELD AT CJL AND AROUND THE PRINCETON CAMPUS. A NEW STUDENT AFFINITY GROUP, PRINCETON ISRAEL COMMUNITY (PIC), WAS FORMED TO PROVIDE ISRAELI UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO CELEBRATE THEIR HERITAGE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO CAMPUS LIFE. THE BAYIT PROGRAM FOR JEWISH GRADUATE STUDENTS ATTRACTED MORE THAN 50 STUDENTS THROUGH MONTHLY SHABBAT DINNERS AND SOCIAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
- $56,415 spent. IN FY25, 115 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN JEWISH LEARNING EXPERIENCES AT THE CJL. OUR POPULAR LUNCH AND LEARN SESSIONS WEEKLY WITH CJL RABBINIC STAFF ENGAGED DOZENS OF STUDENTS DURING THE YEAR TO ENGAGE IN SMALL-GROUP TORAH TEXT STUDY. CJL'S AWARD-WINNING EDUCATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS (JLF) ENABLED STUDENTS TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO TOPICS THAT MATTER TO THEM THROUGH A JEWISH LENS. SIX FELLOWSHIPS, RANGING FROM 4-8 WEEKS LONG, EXPLORED TOPICS SUCH AS JEWISH IDENTITY, INTRODUCTION TO JEWISH PRAYER, AND ISRAEL'S HISTORY, CULTURE AND PEOPLE. THESE EXPERIENCES ARE HIGHLY RATED AND CONTINUE TO ENABLE STUDENTS TO INTEGRATE JUDAISM AND THEIR ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL INTERESTS.
- $127,103 spent. GENERAL COMMUNITY BUILDING - THE CJL BUILDING IS A POPULAR HANG-OUT SPACE FOR JEWISH STUDENTS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS. THE DIVERSE RANGE OF PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, COUPLED WITH THE COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION AND OPENNESS LEADS TO A NEVER-ENDING STREAM OF STUDENTS BOTH JEWISH AND NOT JEWISH ENJOYING VISITING CJL AND ESTABLISHING IT AS THEIR "HOME AWAY FROM HOME" AT PRINCETON.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Worth knowing.
Not individually listed by the IRS as eligible, which is usual for local chapters covered by a parent organization's exemption. The master file records contributions to it as deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.