The Jewish United Fund is a nonprofit based in Chicago, Illinois. The group is part of the Jewish Federation of Chicago. The group engages in advocacy on the federal level for U.S. support for Israel, expanded government-funded health care programs and social welfare programs, and more liberal immigration policies; opposes any restrictions on charitable giving; and for and against other legislation. 1
Background
The Jewish United Fund was established in 1900 and serves the Jewish community in Chicago and Israel. The group’s charitable giving in the U.S. is largely limited to the Chicagoland area but the group also gives in Israel and Ukraine. 2
Activities
Fighting Antisemitism
In May 2021, the Jewish United Fund sponsored a media blitz in the Chicago area to combat antisemitism. The campaign responded to a surge in antisemitism that came because of clashes between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas earlier in that month. The media blitz involved billboards, ads in the Sunday editions of both of Chicago’s major newspapers, television ads, and a social media campaign. The ad campaign targeted both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences. 3
Criticisms of the City of Chicago
In February 2024, the Jewish United Fund denounced Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) for casting the tiebreaking vote in favor of a resolution by the Chicago City Council calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in the wake of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The group denounced Johnson for pushing the “one-sided” resolution and for fanning the flames of antisemitism through the way he conducted the meeting. The group also denounced Johnson for supporting student protests where antisemitic chants “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which advocates of Israel argue is a call to annihilate the country without regard for consequences to its Jewish citizens, were shouted. 4
Criticism of Campus Protests
In May 2024, the Jewish United Fund criticized an agreement reached by anti-Israel student protesters at Northwestern University for not addressing the concerns of Jewish students and faculty who felt the university abandoned them. 5
Federal Advocacy
The Jewish United Fund advocates at the federal level in favor of U.S. support for Israel, expanded government-funded healthcare and social welfare programs, expanded immigration programs and legalization of some illegal immigrants, combating antisemitism and anti-Jewish terrorism, laws protecting tax and legal advantages for nonprofits, and hate crime laws, among other things. 1
Leadership
Lonnie Nasatir has been the Jewish Fund’s president since 2019. He was previously a regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, a left-of-center Jewish advocacy group. 6
Wendy C. Abrams is the chair of the board. 7
Financials
According to the Jewish United Fund’s 2023 tax returns, the group had $117,138,769 in revenue, $124,160,159 in expenses, and $238,101,811 in assets. 8
The group’s largest grant was $48,723,246 to the Jewish Federations of North America. The group’s second largest grant was $41,377,939 to the Jewish Federation of Chicago. Another grant of note was $7,000 to United Against Nuclear Iran. Most remaining grants are to Jewish groups and universities. 8
Criticism from anti-Israel Groups
In March 2017, the anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace-Chicago (JVP-Chicago) accused the Jewish United Fund of funding Islamophobia by funding two groups described by the controversial left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center as “anti-Muslim fearmongers”: Daniel Pipes’ Middle East Forum and Steven Emerson’s Investigative Project on Terrorism. JVP-Chicago also attacked the group for contributing to the right-of-center Donors Trust and receiving donations from Donors Trust affiliate Donors Capital Fund, which the left-of-center Center for American Progress called a “key funder of the Islamophobia network.” 9
References
- “Federal Public Policy @ Government Affairs.” JUF. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.juf.org/govt_affairs/Federal-Public-Policy.aspx.
- “Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago.” Inside Philanthropy. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidephilanthropy.com%2Ffind-a-grant%2Fgrants-j%2Fjewish-united-fund-of-metropolitan-chicago&d=4981286356466215&mkt=en-US&setlang=en-US&w=1Ft4YT2XjkbZOj5eaq6GKlr9h2tuzhjb.
- Holt, Faygie. “Jewish United Fund Uses Media, Advertising in Chicago to Fight Anti-Semitism.” Columbus Jewish News, June 14, 2021. https://www.columbusjewishnews.com/jns/jewish-united-fund-uses-media-advertising-in-chicago-to-fight-anti-semitism/article_d1345d0e-4db7-5700-a74f-d2dbdd9c5b16.html.
- Schulte, Sarah. “Jewish United Fund Denounces Mayor Johnson’s Tiebreaking Vote for Council’s Cease-Fire Resolution.” ABC7 Chicago, February 5, 2024. https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-city-council-ceasefire-resolution-israel-hamas-war/14389131/.
- Lee, Terrence. “Jewish United Fund Slams Northwestern’s Response to Campus Protests.” FOX 32 Chicago, May 2, 2024. https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/jewish-united-fund-slams-northwesterns-response-to-campus-protests.
- “Executive Leadership.” Jewish United Fund. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.juf.org/about_juf/About-JUF-Executive-Leadership.aspx.
- 2024-2025 Officers & Board of Directors of the Jewish united … Accessed November 18, 2024. https://jufwebfiles.org/pdf/about_juf/JUF-JF-Board_2024-2025.pdf
- “Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/362167034/202431349349304528/full.
- “Chicago to Jewish United Fund: ‘Defund Islamophobia.’” JVP, March 23, 2017. https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2017/03/23/jvp-chicago-jewish-united-fund-defund-islamophobia/.