Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION IS TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF JEWISH UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS SO THAT THEY MAY ENRICH THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND THE WORLD.
- Income
- $1.7 million
- Spending
- $1.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 10.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 65%
- Employees
- 27
- Highest pay
- $149,504, executive di
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 10.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 38% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 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: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 18 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
7 of 7Has a 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 (5)
- $278,618 spent. FLORIDA HILLELS POLAND FELLOWSHIP SEVENTY STUDENTS FROM THROUGHOUT FLORIDA TRAVELED TO POLAND FOR A 7-DAY HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE INCLUDING VISITS TO AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU, TREBLINKA, MAJDANEK, THE WARSAW GHETTO, A SHTETL, AND YESHIVAT CHACHMEI LUBLIN WHERE DAF YOMI (DAILY PAGE) STUDY OF TALMUD WAS CONCEIVED. THE TRIP IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A FOUNDATION FOR STUDENTS TO EDUCATE AND INSPIRE OTHERS WHEN THEY RETURN, BOTH ON CAMPUS AND IN THEIR HOME COMMUNITIES.
- $119,390 spent. SHABBAT SERVICES AND DINNER FOLLOWING A TIME-HONORED TRADITION, STUDENTS ON CAMPUS CELEBRATE SHABBAT, THE JEWISH SABBATH, EACH WEEK WHICH BEGINS AT SUNDOWN ON FRIDAY NIGHT. SHABBAT PRAYER SERVICES ARE FOLLOWED BY A COMMUNAL SHABBAT DINNER WHICH TOGETHER OFFER STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT ASIDE THE CHALLENGES OF THE WEEK AND FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND RENEWAL, WHILE STRENGTHENING THEIR SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION TO THEIR PEERS. AS MANY AS 170 STUDENTS GATHERED ON ANY ONE SHABBAT. MORE THAN 3,800 SHABBAT AND HOLIDAY DINNERS WERE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS DURING THE SCHOOL TERM.
- $77,117 spent. COHORT BASED LEARNING FELLOWSHIPS THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS TOTALING 90 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN 10-, 6- AND 4- WEEK EXPERIENTIAL, CONVERSATIONAL SEMINARS FOR STUDENTS WHO WISH TO DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR CONNECTION TO JUDAISM WHILE CULTIVATING EMPATHY FOR A WORLD FULL OF COMPLEX HUMAN EXPERIENCES. THROUGH THE PRISM OF ANCIENT JEWISH TEXTS, "JEWISH LEARNING" FELLOWS ADDRESS LIFES BIGGEST QUESTIONS, DRAWING ON THE LIFE EXPERIENCES AND INTUITION OF STUDENTS TO EXPLORE WHAT JEWISH TRADITION HAS TO SAY ABOUT CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. "KOL YISRAEL" IS FOR STUDENTS TO EXPLORE BIG IDEAS AND QUESTIONS REGARDING ISRAEL. EMPLOYING AN INQUIRY-CENTERED MODEL, STUDENTS EXPLORE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND VIEWS FROM THE ISRAELI LANDSCAPE WHILE UTILIZING UNIVERSAL VALUES. THIS COHORT ENABLES LEARNERS TO ENCOUNTER OTHERS PERSPECTIVES IN A GENUINE WAY WHILE ALSO AUTHENTICALLY BRINGING THEIR OWN VOICES TO THE CONVERSATION. "FOUR THE MOMENT" IS AN ACCESSIBLE, DOWN-TO- EARTH APPROACH TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN DEEPENING CONNECTIONS TO THE JEWISH SABBATH THROUGH A HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCE. THE EMPHASIS IS BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS, CULMINATING WITH AN ONCAMPUS COMMUNAL DINNER EXPERIENCE DESIGNED AND LED BY THE COHORT. COHORT BASED LEARNING FELLOWSHIPS THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS TOTALING 90 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN 10-, 6- AND 4- WEEK EXPERIENTIAL, CONVERSATIONAL SEMINARS FOR STUDENTS WHO WISH TO DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR CONNECTION TO JUDAISM WHILE CULTIVATING EMPATHY FOR A WORLD FULL OF COMPLEX HUMAN EXPERIENCES. THROUGH THE PRISM OF ANCIENT JEWISH TEXTS, "JEWISH LEARNING" FELLOWS ADDRESS LIFES BIGGEST QUESTIONS, DRAWING ON THE LIFE EXPERIENCES AND INTUITION OF STUDENTS TO EXPLORE WHAT JEWISH TRADITION HAS TO SAY ABOUT CONTEMPORARY ISSUES. "KOL YISRAEL" IS FOR STUDENTS TO EXPLORE BIG IDEAS AND QUESTIONS REGARDING ISRAEL. EMPLOYING AN INQUIRY-CENTERED MODEL, STUDENTS EXPLORE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND VIEWS FROM THE ISRAELI LANDSCAPE WHILE UTILIZING UNIVERSAL VALUES. THIS COHORT ENABLES LEARNERS TO ENCOUNTER OTHERS PERSPECTIVES IN A GENUINE WAY WHILE ALSO AUTHENTICALLY BRINGING THEIR OWN VOICES TO THE CONVERSATION. "FOUR THE MOMENT" IS AN ACCESSIBLE, DOWN-TO- EARTH APPROACH TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN DEEPENING CONNECTIONS TO THE JEWISH SABBATH THROUGH A HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCE. THE EMPHASIS IS BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS, CULMINATING WITH AN ONCAMPUS COMMUNAL DINNER EXPERIENCE DESIGNED AND LED BY THE COHORT.
- $882,049 spent. INCLUDING THE THREE LARGEST PROGRAMS BY EXPENDITURE, THERE ARE 14 PROGRAM CATEGORIES WITH A TOTAL OF 52 PROGRAMS. THEY INCLUDE ORIENTATION PROGRAMS IN BOTH SPRING AND FALL, COHORT BASED LEARNING, AN ANNUAL SIGNATURE EVENT, EXTERNAL EVENT ATTENDANCE, AN ASSORTMENT OF PROGRAMS CONCEIVED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE STUDENT BOARD, GRADUATION, HOLOCAUST AWARENESS, MICRO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, JEWISH EDUCATION AND RITUAL, ONE-ON-ONE ENGAGEMENT, GRADUATE STUDENT PROGRAMS, STUDENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, JEWISH HOLIDAYS OBSERVANCES, PROGRAMMING RELATED TO ISRAEL AND ISRAELI CULTURE, VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL PROGRAMS INCLUDING A TRIP TO ISRAEL FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT JEWISH, FIRST TIME TRAVEL TO ISRAEL FOR STUDENTS PLUS EXTENDED INTERNSHIPS IN ISRAEL, CALLED ONWARD ISRAEL, FOR A NUMBER OF THOSE STUDENTS. A NUMBER OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE ORGANIZED AND DMINISTERED BY UM HILLEL WHILE THE FUNDING IS HANDLED BY AND THROUGH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
- INCLUDING THE THREE LARGEST PROGRAMS BY EXPENDITURE, THERE ARE 14 PROGRAM CATEGORIES WITH A TOTAL OF 52 PROGRAMS. THEY INCLUDE ORIENTATION PROGRAMS IN BOTH SPRING AND FALL, COHORT BASED LEARNING, AN ANNUAL SIGNATURE EVENT, EXTERNAL EVENT ATTENDANCE, AN ASSORTMENT OF PROGRAMS CONCEIVED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE STUDENT BOARD, GRADUATION, HOLOCAUST AWARENESS, MICRO COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, JEWISH EDUCATION AND RITUAL, ONE-ON-ONE ENGAGEMENT, GRADUATE STUDENT PROGRAMS, STUDENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, JEWISH HOLIDAYS OBSERVANCES, PROGRAMMING RELATED TO ISRAEL AND ISRAELI CULTURE, VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL PROGRAMS INCLUDING A TRIP TO ISRAEL FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT JEWISH, FIRST TIME TRAVEL TO ISRAEL FOR STUDENTS PLUS EXTENDED INTERNSHIPS IN ISRAEL, CALLED ONWARD ISRAEL, FOR A NUMBER OF THOSE STUDENTS. A NUMBER OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE ORGANIZED AND DMINISTERED BY UM HILLEL WHILE THE FUNDING IS HANDLED BY AND THROUGH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
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.