Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston Texas
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston is to develop and strengthen Jewish identity, foster Jewish values, and enrich the Jewish community and the greater community.
- Income
- $23.7 million
- Spending
- $26.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- 0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 74%
- Employees
- 777
- Volunteers
- 1,065
- Highest pay
- $382,228, ceo thru 12/25
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 49 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (religion, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.9 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 19% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 12% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (religion, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2541 of 41 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 May 31, 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 (4)
- $11.6 million spent. Center for Children and Families: The Center for Children and Families provides programming for children of all ages, from infants through teenagers. The Center provides early childhood education for children ages six weeks through five years in two locations, the Bertha Alyce Early Childhood School in southwest Houston and the Ellen Boniuk Early Childhood School in west Houston. The Karol Musher STARS Early Childhood Intervention Program promotes the growth and individual potential of preschoolers with disabilities and developmental delays. 250 children were enrolled in these programs. See Schedule O The Center also offers summer camp opportunities including art, culinary, dance, gymnastics, sports, tennis, theater and much more. The camp program supported the social-emotional growth of over 1,500 children and teens as they formed friendships, gained independence, and built confidence. The Center provides an all-inclusive after-school program that includes transportation from school, supervision, and an afternoon of fun and friends. It is a program for children to unwind with lots of games and books, homework/study time, open playtime in the state-of-the-art gymnastics center and playground, and a game room to relax and be with friends. The Center also offers a variety of sports classes and art programs including children's dance and theater classes. In addition, hundreds of families participated in family engagement programs last year including organized play dates, community events, holiday celebrations, and wellness activities. The Center offers a variety of social and educational programs for middle school and high school aged teens as well. Approximately 500 teens participate annually in programs including Houston Connect 68 events, J-Serve community service days, JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest where hundreds of teen athletes and artists meet and compete, and leadership programs such as Target Team Leadership and J-Teen Philanthropy Initiative.
- $5.0 million spent. Center for Health and Recreation: The Center operates comprehensive recreational facilities that support physical wellness, skill development, and healthy lifestyles for individuals and families of all ages. The Center's Fitness Center is equipped with modern cardiovascular and strength-training equipment and offers a full range of group exercise classes, personal training services, and health and wellness workshops focused on fitness education, injury prevention, nutrition, and overall well-being. The aquatics program provides swim instruction for children to develop water safety skills and swimming confidence, as well as classes for adults focused on flexibility, balance, and overall fitness. See Schedule OThe Center also offers a structured youth swim team that promotes competitive swimming, athletic development, and sportsmanship. Dedicated lap lanes are available for swimmers, along with ample recreational pool space for families and adults.The Center houses a large, fully equipped gymnastics facility that offers programming ranging from recreational preschool classes to competitive gymnastics teams. The tennis center offers 6 indoor courts in addition to outdoor tennis and pickleball courts, and offers instruction, classes, clinics, and competitive leagues for participants of all ages and skill levels. Adult members utilize the courts year-round for league play, instructional programming, and recreational use. In addition, the Center's sports and recreation programs include hosting the Meyerland Soccer community league, youth sports programming, and a competitive adult basketball league, providing structured opportunities for physical activity, skill development, and community engagement.
- $2.9 million spent. Center for Community Services: The Center for Community Services provides assistance to thousands of disabled persons, homebound and isolated seniors, hospice patients, and veterans in Harris County and 18 additional counties in Southeast Texas. The Center administers three AmeriCorps Seniors programs: Harris County Foster Grandparent Program, Harris County Senior Companion Program and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Southeast Texas (RSVP). The Center also sponsors a Meals on Wheels and a senior transportation program known as J Ride, which serves Southwest Houston. See Schedule OThe 69 Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent volunteers provided over 55,000 hours of service to community organizations in the form of mentoring at-risk youth, providing companionship to isolated seniors as well as respite for their caregivers.During the year, 647 RSVP volunteers provided 68,000 hours of service across an 18-county service area. RSVP volunteer efforts focused on providing Healty Futures services for older adults. These include respite services, nutrition/food support, companionship, transportation, disaster preparedness education to the public, and education to prevent Medicare fraud. The Meals on Wheels program successfully delivered over 104,000 meals to adults age 60+ living in southwest Houston. The JCC Meals on Wheels program is the fourth largest provider of hot meals in Harris County and served approximately 690 seniors in our community last year. Meals were delivered by 300 volunteers in addition to paid drivers. Hot meals are provided daily, and additional frozen meals are provided in advance of holiday closures. Shelf-stable meals are provided annually, so clients are prepared in case of emergency closures due to inclement weather. Supplemental weekend meals are provided as funding allows. By receiving food at home, the clients are able to maintain nutritional health, receive daily contact with another human being thereby decreasing isolation, and maintain a sense of independence and dignity, thereby delaying nursing home care. The J Ride program provides safe, reliable, non-emergency transportation for adults aged 60+ and adults with disabilities. J Ride was created in collaboration with Jewish Family Service, Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, and Goldberg B'nai B'rith Towers. In addition, the Center provides a variety of social, educational, and fitness activities for adults over age 60.
- $1.2 million spent. Center for Jewish Living and Learning: The Center is committed to creating a vibrant and welcoming environment that encourages people to lead engaged Jewish lives of meaning and purpose. The Center is a destination for Jewish experiences and connection for people of all ages, from infants to adults. Learners participate in adult Jewish education through the Melton & More program as well as other lectures and programs annually. The Center also offers many cultural art experiences including the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book & Arts festival, the Houston Jewish Film Festival, theater productions, and a family performing arts series. Thousands of individuals attend these wonderful and enriching events annually.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 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? 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 May 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 November 1949.
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.
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