Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds records

Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds was established in 1932 by the Jewish Federations in 15 U.S. cities; this new organization absorbed the work and functions of two predecessor organizations: the Bureau of Jewish Social Research (founded in 1919, as a merger of the Bureau of Jewish Philanthropic Research, the Field Bureau of the National Conference of Jewish Social Service, and the Bureau of Information and Statistics of the American Jewish Committee; it conducted studies of stats regarding various Jewish communities), and the National Appeals Information Service (founded 1927, by 41 Jewish Federations).

With the organization of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, the functions previously performed by the predecessor organizations were extended to include community planning for local Jewish services, and mutual aid to Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds in conducting local fund-raising campaigns.

The Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds published annual reports regarding developments in specific fields, budget digests dealing with individual national and overseas agencies, and reports dealing with budgeting, campaigning, public welfare, public relations, and business management services.

At the time of the Council's founding, in 1932, there were fewer than 70 active Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds; by 1995, Jewish Federations affiliated with the Council operated in 190 headquarter-cities, serving thousands of communities, and raised about $800 million in annual campaigns, with about 95% of the Jewish population of the U.S. resided in federated communities.

In 1967, the Israel Emergency Fund--organized the week preceding the Six-Day War--raised hundreds of millions of dollars through associated Jewish Federations. The idea of a second line to the annual campaign was used again in the Yom Kippur War, and with the resettlement of Soviet, Ethiopians, and Argentinian Jews.

Federations are the principal sources of financial support for the UJA, HIAS, the NJWB, and community relations agencies outside New York City. They also provide substantial financial support to about 50 other national and international agencies. In addition, each local Federation supports local welfare services (family, child care, aged care, refugee care), Jewish hospitals, community centers, camps, youth services, Jewish education, and local community relations.

Federations allocated less than 30% of their funds for national and overseas agencies in 1932; by 1995, overseas agencies were receiving 38.7% of Federation funds; national agencies were receiving 1%; and local agencies and Federation administration were receiving 55%. The remaining 5% is due to shrinkage.

In response to compaints from local Federations regarding: greater financial accountability and transparency, and redundant services and bureaucracies, the Council was merged with the United Jewish Appeal and United Israel Appeal in 1999, to form the United Jewish Communities.