UJA-Federation Of New York Raises Record-Breaking $249 Million In 2017-2018 Campaign Year

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Jul 26, 2018, 16:04 ET

NEW YORK, July 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- UJA-Federation of New York raised a record-breaking $249.3 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, an increase of $11.2 million from the previous year. In addition to raising $156.1 million for its annual campaign, UJA raised $55.8 million in planned giving and endowments, and $37.4 million for capital projects and special initiatives, including disaster relief in the wake of the 2017 hurricanes.

"UJA-Federation is the backbone of the Jewish community, and our fundraising results are a testament to the vital work we enable - caring for the most vulnerable, inspiring a passion for Jewish life in the next generation, and ensuring the state of Israel as a strong and vibrant homeland for all Jews," said Eric S. Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation. "This year, the power of UJA's network to respond quickly during crisis was also on full display, bringing together nonprofit partners and volunteers to arrange 29 flights and a cargo ship that delivered 100,000 pounds of humanitarian aid for Houston, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean."

Last year, to mark its centennial year, UJA successfully launched three major capital initiatives focused on fighting poverty, transforming Jewish day camp, and ensuring Jerusalem's future as a vibrant and thriving city. In addition, UJA helped forge new connections between Israeli and American Jews, supported synagogues and day schools, introduced state of the art digital choice food pantries, cared for increasingly frail Holocaust survivors, and launched the volunteer platform Time for Good, which helped mobilize over 20,000 volunteers in our area.

Jeffrey A. Schoenfeld, president of UJA-Federation, remarked on the fundraising successes and the service challenges ahead. "The magnitude of worthy requests that line up at UJA's doorstep every year is almost unimaginable. Just this past year presented us with natural and man-made challenges, from the rise of intolerance and anti-Semitism, to continued economic uncertainty that impacts the most vulnerable in our community. UJA and our incomparable nonprofit partners rose to meet these challenges, and in the coming year we aim to go even further. We're investing in workforce development, anti-poverty 'hubs' with wrap-around service provision, and relief and recovery for people struggling to rebuild lives after disasters. I am grateful for every single dollar that enables this life-saving work."

UJA-Federation's annual campaign remains the single largest philanthropic effort by any local community anywhere in the world. The 2018 general campaign co-chairs are Alisa F. Levin and David L. Moore. Mark Medin serves as UJA-Federation executive vice president of Financial Resource Development responsible for all fundraising efforts.

About UJA-Federation of New York

For more than 100 years, UJA-Federation has brought New Yorkers together to solve some of the most pressing problems facing our community. Through UJA-Federation, more than 50,000 donors impact the issues that matter most to them, pooling their resources to care for Jews everywhere and New Yorkers of all backgrounds, respond to crises close to home and far away, and shape our Jewish future. Working with a network of hundreds of nonprofits, UJA-Federation extends its reach from New York to Israel to nearly 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year. For more information on how to donate or volunteer, please visit our website at www.ujafedny.org.

SOURCE UJA-Federation of New York