Charleston Jewish Federation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of the Charleston Jewish Federation is to build, secure and sustain Jewish life in Charleston, Israel, and around the world.
- Income
- $1.8 million
- Spending
- $1.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 4.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 95
- Highest pay
- $176,000, chief executive officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 17 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 December 31, 2024, 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 (4)
- $739,028 spent. Jewish Education and Jewish Life Charleston Jewish Federation supports agencies and initiatives to cultivate Jewish life and Jewish education locally and worldwide. REMEMBER Program for Holocaust Education and Genocide Awareness The Remember Program connects the greater Charleston community to the lessons of the Holocaust and provides resources to help ensure that we never forget. Through our Speaker's Bureau, we reach thousands of students and community members each year with stories of survival and resilience. Oftentimes a speaker will participate in a daffodil planting through our partnership with the Daffodil Project, a worldwide initiative to plant 1.5 million daffodils in memory of the 1.5 million children murdered in the Holocaust. Through the REMEMBER Program, we connect local teachers with opportunities to learn, travel, and connect with each other. In this way, we ensure best practices when teaching this highly sensitive topic. In partnership with the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust, we present at teacher trainings and share resources. Remember Project In 2019, CJF professionals met with the heads of social studies curriculum in local school districts, and the overwhelming message we heard from them was, "If the students want it to happen, it'll happen." With this in mind, we created the Remember Project. In its 5th year, we have reached over 100 students in 20 local schools. Throughout the year, the students can work together to promote Holocaust education and genocide awareness. They also become ambassadors against hate through ADL trainings. Due to this initiative, we have seen an increase in schools taking advantage of the REMEMBER program resources. Proclamations In moving ceremonies during city and county council meetings, proclamations are read each year to commemorate the Holocaust. Yom HaShoah Each year, for Holocaust Remembrance Day, we bring the community together to honor and remember the victims of the Holocaust. During this meaningful ceremony, names of victims of the Holocaust with local ties to Charleston are read, and our rabbinical leadership leads us in prayers, and we recommit to telling the important and horrific stories of the Holocaust. Charleston Jewish Voice OnlineFormerly a printed quarterly publication, the digital Jewish Voice is sent to the e-mail inboxes of thousands of community members. The digital format allows us to provide timely news items and events from our partner organizations to the community. We encourage community members to share their stories with the greater Charleston Jewish community through the Jewish Voice. Securing our Jewish Institutions and Jewish Community and Combating Antisemitism Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Charleston The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Charleston's mission is to educate and advocate on issues of importance to the organized Jewish community based on consensus, civility, and a commitment to living Jewish values in the pursuit of justice. By joining the leaders of the Jewish organizations of our community, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Charleston provides an amplified and unified voice of the greater Charleston Jewish community on critical issues in the public sphere. Through this public advocacy, along with ongoing government affairs work, collaborative efforts to reduce food insecurity, and coalition building, we are building bridges that enhance cooperation and mutual understanding between the Jewish community and our neighbors. ADL Partnership The Director of Educational Initiatives is in a collaborative partnership with the ADL. This position allows us to bring ADL educational curriculum, resources, and support into our schools and community, offering ADL support and resources. The creation of this position represents the Charleston Jewish Federation's commitment to addressing the alarming rise in antisemitism right here in our community. With support from the ADL, our SCN Regional Security Advisor, and law enforcement, we work for the entire Jewish community. Community Security Secure Community Network (SCN) Partnership- SCN Regional Security Advisor works with all our Jewish institutions to create and manage a comprehensive security program. Whichever Jewish organizations our community members visit, they should be secure in the knowledge that best practices are in place for all potentialities: fire, medical emergency, weather, and worst- case scenarios, such as violent attacks. Our partnership aims to provide educational and support services and create a network among institutions to ensure best practices regarding security at what SCN refers to as "Centers of Jewish Life." Enhancing and Deepening our Community's Commitment to Jewish PhilanthropyAnnual Community Campaign and Allocations The Annual Community Campaign enables donors to invest in Jewish communities in the greater Charleston area, in Israel, and in 70 countries worldwide. With oversight from the Charleston Jewish Federation Board of Directors, funds from the Community Campaign are allocated strategically and annually to CJF's initiatives, our international partners (the JDC and the Jewish Agency for Israel), and local Jewish agencies. All local Jewish agencies are invited to apply each year for an allocation. Applicants must demonstrate a need for a program or initiative that will impact Jewish lives and align with at least one core priority of the Charleston Jewish Federation. Community Campaigns, which occur in every Jewish community in the Federation network, allow Jewish Federations of North America to touch more Jewish lives than any other organizational network. Life and Legacy The Charleston Jewish Federation partners with The Harold Grinspoon Foundation's LIFE & LEGACY Initiative to facilitate a community-wide planned giving program for the Charleston Jewish Community. The program provides training and resources to Jewish agencies in Charleston to secure after-lifetime
- $215,165 spent. Creating a Community of Shared Responsibility: Vulnerable Populations As Jews, we are responsible for taking care of our entire community, including its most vulnerable members. From caring for local Jewish community needs through the Kosher Food Pantry to caring for Jewish refugees in Ukraine, we help ensure that no one is left behind. This year, our Israel and Overseas Committee has made generous allocations to the JDC and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
- $302,622 spent. Engaging the Next GenerationYoung Jewish Charleston (YJC) Young Jewish Charleston provides a space for adults in their 20s and 30s to connect socially and professionally, thus cultivating a close sense of fellowship and enhancing the inherently familial nature of the Charleston Jewish community. Whether you are an established Charlestonian or have just moved to town, YJC embraces all young Jewish adults. Young Jewish Charleston accepts and appreciates the involvement of interfaith and intercultural couples, maintaining a firm ideology of inclusion amongst Charleston's Jewish population. Events and activities hosted in the past have included happy hours, Shabbat dinners, beach days, tikkun olam (repair the World) events, and learning sessions with our local rabbis. Every gathering of YJC is designed for young adults to form valuable friendships and feel at home around their peers. PJ Library The PJ Library is a unique program that encourages Jewish families with young children to explore Jewish literature. Families do not have to be affiliated or any specific branch of Judaism. All families, so long as they choose to raise their children with some Jewish education, are eligible. Each month, PJ Library sends an age-appropriate Jewish content book or gift to enrolled children from birth to age nine. After they turn nine, they can enroll in PJ Our Way, the next chapter in the PJ experience. Created by The Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), PJ Library is funded by the Charleston Jewish Federation, local philanthropists, and HGF. Our local PJ chapter also provides opportunities for families to explore their Jewishness through various experiences - virtual and in person, individual and group. Shalom Baby Shalom Baby is designed to help Charleston families (affiliated, non- affiliated, and interfaith) celebrate the arrival of their Jewish newborns and welcome them to the Jewish Community through gift baskets, playgroups, social events, holiday celebrations, and resource guides. These events help parents connect with others, find local resources, and navigate parenthood.
- $149,555 spent. Strengthening Our Connection to Israel and Jewish Peoplehood Israel Engagement Initiative There is no place in the world more meaningful for the Jewish people than Israel. While the ancient land of Israel has always been home to the Jews, since 1948, the modern State of Israel has completely transformed what it means to be a Jew. Because of the State of Israel, Jews have a national Identity, wherever they live. Here at the Charleston Jewish Federation, we believe that Israel is one of the most effective ways to connect North American Jews of all ages to their heritage, and thereby strengthen our connections to the local Jewish community and the worldwide Jewish community. We also know that Israelis get more involved, more connected, and more aware of their Jewish identity when they have relationships with Jews outside of Israel.Partnership 2GetherPartnership 2Gether (P2G) creates relationships between the people of the Hadera-Eiron region in Israel, 11 Southeastern US communities, and the newest addition to the Partnership, Prague. Here in Charleston, that hasmanifested itself in peer-to-peer programs for young leaders, customized touring and home hospitality in the region for Charlestonians who visit Israel, and educational programming to connect teachers and students. Thanks to this partnership, the future of Charleston's relationship with Israel is stronger than ever.Israel Emergency Campaign & support for Israel during these challenging times.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, 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 December 2024.
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 January 1952.
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.