Non-profit

Jewish Jumpstart (Jumpstart Labs)

Website:

Jewishjumpstart.org

Location:

Santa Monica, CA

Tax ID:

26-2173175

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $1,019,915
Expenses: $1,072,848
Assets: $555,984

Type:

Jewish grant maker

Founded:

2009

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Jewish Jumpstart is a left-of-center grantmaking organization that nonprofit groups seeking to advance its nondenominational and liberal view of Judaism through community engagement. 1 2 3

Background

Founded in 2008, Jewish Jumpstart, also known as Jumpstart Labs and Jumpstart JSLabs, is a left-of-center grant making organization that gives to organizations working to advocate for the Jewish community. It advocates for shifting Jewish people’s faith into a brand of nondenominational Judaism that encourages social activism. 4

In Jewish Jumpstart CEO and cofounder Joshua Avedon’s graduate thesis, he recommends affiliate synagogues draft and adopt a manifesto for a common, accepted ideological basis for the Jewish community he seeks to develop. He also states he seeks to “reinvent Judaism” through Jewish activism. Under his concept of reinvention, Avedon argues IKAR, another organization he cofounded with the same mission as Jewish Jumpstart, could combine multiple religions and ideologies to form a new religious group. 5

Jewish Jumpstart’s website also states that to be eligible for fiscal sponsorship, groups must share its values. 6 Among these values include having a “Jewish focus” with an entrepreneurial goal, having a liberal view on Judaism, and to be accepting of people of all beliefs. 7

Leadership

Joshua Avedon is a cofounder and the CEO of Jewish Jumpstart. He is a left-of-center Jewish activist, having also cofounded IKAR, a self-described nondenominational Jewish activist group, and serves as an advisor to various other Jewish groups. 8

In his master’s thesis, Avedon argues that the most effective way to increase commitment to Judaism by “less Jewishly educated Jews” is through “un-synagogue[s],” disconnecting Jewish religious practice from traditional synagogues. He also describes his background, stating he comes from “a distinguished line of atheists, socialists and even some anarchists.” 9

Funding

According to its 2019 tax returns, Jewish Jumpstart gave more than $945,000 in grants. Its largest grant was $413,000 to JLens, a left-of-center Jewish investment coalition that rates businesses on their alignment with Jewish values. 10 Among JLen’s stated criteria are environmentalist goals and opposition to Second Amendment rights. 11

Jewish Jumpstart also gave $162,000 to Emergency Supply Donor Group (ESDG), which describes itself as a fiscally sponsored project of Jewish Jumpstart. 12 ESDG was founded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to donate PPE equipment to medical workers. 13 14 Jewish Jumpstart also gave $107,000 to Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, a Jerusalem-based advocacy group that advocates for religious leaders to promote environmentalism. 15

References

  1. “Jumpstart.” Values. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://jewishjumpstart.org/values.
  2. “Fiscal Sponsorship.” Jumpstart Labs. January 18, 2022. http://jumpstartlabs.org/offering/fiscalsponsorship/.
  3. “About.” Jewish Jumpstart. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://jewishjumpstart.org/about.
  4. “About.” Jewish Jumpstart. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://jewishjumpstart.org/about.
  5. Avedon, Joshua. (2005). IKAR RISING: A Study of the First Year of a New Spiritual Community in Los Angeles. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.2325.5442.
  6. “Fiscal Sponsorship.” Jumpstart Labs. January 18, 2022. http://jumpstartlabs.org/offering/fiscalsponsorship/
  7. “Jumpstart.” Values. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://jewishjumpstart.org/values.
  8. [1] “Founders.” Jumpstart. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://jewishjumpstart.org/people/founders.
  9. Avedon, Joshua. (2005). IKAR RISING: A Study of the First Year of a New Spiritual Community in Los Angeles. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.2325.5442.
  10. Jewish Jumpstart. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2019. Schedule I, Part II.
  11.  “Society.” JLens. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://www.jlensnetwork.org/society.
  12. Jewish Jumpstart. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2019. Schedule I, Part II
  13. “Services.” Emergency Supply Donor Group. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://www.emergencysupplydonorgroup.org/who-we-are.
  14. “About.” Emergency Supply Donor Group. Accessed December 12, 2022. https://www.emergencysupplydonorgroup.org/about.
  15. “Channels of Action: The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development.” Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development. March 21, 2022. https://interfaithsustain.com/channels-of-action/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: June 1, 2009

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Jun Form 990 $1,019,915 $1,072,848 $555,984 $0 N $947,401 $72,514 $0 $101,431 PDF
    2019 Jun Form 990 $892,335 $764,246 $614,306 $5,389 N $793,902 $98,433 $0 $126,869 PDF
    2018 Jun Form 990 $956,564 $944,529 $481,203 $375 N $812,060 $144,504 $0 $102,080 PDF
    2017 Jun Form 990 $796,682 $439,745 $469,276 $483 N $743,469 $53,213 $0 $52,299 PDF
    2016 Jun Form 990 $393,400 $441,965 $136,651 $24,795 N $366,298 $27,102 $0 $90,931
    2015 Jun Form 990 $851,626 $860,219 $191,393 $30,972 N $767,122 $84,504 $0 $127,904 PDF
    2014 Jun Form 990 $1,369,502 $1,430,912 $190,225 $21,211 N $1,307,652 $0 $0 $270,261 PDF
    2013 Jun Form 990 $1,115,297 $988,075 $244,377 $13,953 N $1,081,231 $0 $0 $249,508 PDF
    2012 Jun Form 990 $592,945 $592,216 $111,170 $7,968 N $592,922 $0 $0 $268,535 PDF
    2011 Jun Form 990 $642,705 $594,415 $106,058 $3,585 N $642,634 $0 $0 $266,218 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Jewish Jumpstart (Jumpstart Labs)


    Santa Monica, CA