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Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life

EIN 52-6066696 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood78 out of 100GovernanceFair66 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

To enrich the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world.

Income
$654,821
Spending
$518,815
Spent on programs
58%
Reserves
4.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 98%
Employees
4
Volunteers
25
Highest pay
$143,064, 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: 78 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 4% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 21% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 22% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    58% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 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

Fair: 66 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    16 of 16 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (3)
  1. $126,456 spent. Sabbath and Holiday Programming: Hillel works with students to create meaningful Sabbath and holiday experiences. An average of 50+ students participate in Sabbath programming each week, and more than 700 unique students participated in Sabbath and holiday programming over the course of the year. Highlights this year included our pre- Rosh Hashanah Apple Fest on the Quad; Shabbat Across AU, through which 20 different dinners happened around and off campus; and the expansion of "Shabbat moments" at Friday evening theater rehearsals and performances.
  2. $67,610 spent. Jewish Learning: Nearly 100 students participated in semester-long learning fellowships that explored topics such as Life's Big Questions and Ancient Wisdom for Modern Wellbeing, all through the lens of Jewish tradition and thought. Dozens more students participated in one-off educational events.
  3. $107,972 spent. Engagement Initiatives: Hillel facilitates a wide range of programming designed to engage students with the campus Jewish community, and members of the Hillel staff spend time each day building one-on-one relationships with students to help them find pathways to involvement. This year, Hillel staff had 995 individual coffee chats with students. Through Hillel's programming and engagement initiatives, the organization reached 1719 AU students during the 2024-25 academic year.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1966.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.