Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago

Background

The Jewish United Fund (JUF) allocates fundraising to local affiliates of the Jewish Federation within the city of Chicago. ³ The Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago (JUF/Federation or JUF/JF) claims to be among the United States’ largest humanitarian groups, providing “essential health and human services” for people in Chicago, Israel and internationally. The group claims to be “inspired by Jewish values.” ¹

Federal Advocacy

Immigration

JUF/Federation advocates a “refugee policy that balances” national security concerns with the United States being a “safe harbor for those fleeing persecution.” ⁴ The group advocates services that facilitate refugees becoming independent, as well as “a pathway to legal permanent status and eventual citizenship” for children who arrived in the United States illegally following efforts by the first Trump administration to end the Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2017. JUF opposes policies that limit legal immigrants’ access to health and human services. ⁴

Disabilities

JUF/Federation supports integrating mental health care and general medical care, as well as funding for the reauthorization of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Mental Health Services Block Grant. ⁴

Supporting Nonprofit Work

The group opposes lobbying restrictions on nonprofits and limits on nonprofit operations, fundraising and governance. It also opposes changes to the “Johnson Amendment,” which bans religious institutions and public charities from supporting or opposing candidates for elected office. ⁴

Additionally, JUF/Federation opposed the Obamacare-proposed health insurance excise tax on employers, also known as the “Cadillac Tax.” ⁴

Support for Israel

JUF/Federation asserts support for Israel should continue to be a “bipartisan issue” and supports “direct, bilateral negotiations” between Israel and the Palestinian Authority leading to a two-state solution. The group opposes Iran becoming a nuclear power and opposes the anti-Israel boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. ⁴

Local Policy Initiatives

JUF/Federation provides services to residents of the Chicago metropolitan area regardless of religion and claims to have assisted over 500,000 in 2018.  ⁵

JUF/Federation’s local policy efforts are categorized as: Health, human services and education; local security, particularly combating antisemitism “and other forms of hate”; community development; and “other issues […] of concern to the Jewish community” including immigration, refugee resettlement and combatting sex trafficking. ⁶

Financials

JUF/Federation reported a revenue of $169,077,828 and expenses of $209,066,688 for a deficit of $39,988,860 in the fiscal year 2022. ⁷

JUF/Federation has primarily funded local synagogues and local, national and international Jewish organizations. It has also funded several secular groups. The President and Fellows of Harvard College, also known as the Harvard Corporation, the governing body of Harvard University, received $549,058; Better Government Association received $225,600, Planned Parenthood of Illinois received $106,090, and the Arabella Advisors-managed Hopewell Fund received $15,000. ⁷

Additionally, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund received $12,660, Environmental Defense Fund received $11,000 and Alliance for Middle East Peace received $10,000. ⁷

Leadership

Lonnie Nasatir was president of the JUF/Federation board of directors as of early July 2025. Before JUF, Nasatir worked as the Anti-Defamation League’s Regional Director of the Greater Chicago/Upper Midwest area, which encompasses six states. ⁸