United Philanthropy Forum

United Philanthropy Forum
Name	United Philanthropy Forum
Type	Network
Founded	2001
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Focus	Philanthropy, Jewish communal support

United Philanthropy Forum is a national network that connects regional Jewish philanthropic organizations and Jewish federations across the United States, linking efforts with philanthropic strategy, community planning, and grantmaking. The organization works at the intersection of national service providers, regional foundations, and local Jewish Federations to coordinate resources, leadership development, and communal responses to social needs. It convenes stakeholders from metropolitan centers such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago alongside regional partners in cities like Atlanta, Boston, and Miami to align priorities and share best practices.

History

The network traces origins to collaborations among legacy bodies including the Jewish Federations of North America, regional Federation movements, and national organizations such as the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Council on Foundations. Early convenings involved leaders from institutions like the Skirball Center, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the American Jewish Committee to respond to demographic shifts identified by researchers at the Pew Research Center and planners from the Harvard Kennedy School. In the 2000s the group incorporated lessons from philanthropic innovators including the Gates Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Carnegie Corporation to professionalize network services. Key milestones included strategic alignments with regional entities in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Detroit and programmatic collaborations influenced by reports from the Brookings Institution and the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Mission and Activities

The network’s mission emphasizes strengthening Jewish communal life by supporting philanthropy infrastructure, leadership pipelines similar to programs at the Aspen Institute and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and by amplifying collective grantmaking like initiatives seen at the Open Society Foundations and the Kresge Foundation. Activities range from convenings modeled after seminars at the Institute for Advanced Study and the Rockefeller Foundation to technical assistance influenced by standards from the Council on Foundations and the National Council of Nonprofits. It sponsors professional development akin to fellowships at the Clinton Global Initiative and provides capacity building paralleling work by the Annenberg Foundation and the Lilly Endowment.

Organizational Structure

Governance mirrors nonprofit boards found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Red Cross, with executive leadership and committees that coordinate with chief executives of regional Jewish Federations and philanthropic officers from entities like the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and the Wexner Foundation. The staff operates program units reminiscent of teams at the United Way and the YMCA for operations, learning, and policy engagement. Advisory councils include representation comparable to trustees from the Museum of Modern Art, scholars from Brandeis University, and experts associated with the RAND Corporation.

Member Organizations

Member network participants include regional federations and community foundations such as the UJA-Federation of New York, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the Jewish Federation of Greater Boston, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. Other affiliates mirror philanthropic bodies like the Schusterman Foundation, the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the Levin Family Foundation, and local entities in Cleveland, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Cleveland Foundation-style institutions. Collaboration extends to national partners including the American Jewish World Service, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Funding and Financials

Revenue streams reflect a mix of membership dues, philanthropic grants, and program fees similar to financial models used by the Urban Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts. Major philanthropic supporters have included family foundations and donors whose giving parallels the scale of gifts to the Guggenheim Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. Financial controls and audits follow standards advocated by the Government Accountability Office and accounting practices used by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, while grantmaking decisions often consider evaluations published by the RAND Corporation and impact frameworks promoted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Advocacy and Policy Work

The network engages in communal advocacy on issues affecting Jewish communities, interfacing with policy actors and coalitions similar to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the Anti-Defamation League. It coordinates responses to events alongside partners such as the Department of Homeland Security programmatic counterparts and civil society groups like the National Association of Social Workers and the Urban League. Policy briefs draw on research from the Pew Research Center, the Brookings Institution, and law analyses from the American Bar Association to inform communal positions.

Partnerships and Impact Evaluation

Partnerships include collaborations with academic centers such as Harvard University, Columbia University, Yale University, and Brandeis University for research and evaluation, and with philanthropic intermediaries like the Jewish Funders Network and the Philanthropy Roundtable. Impact evaluation practices are informed by methodology from the Institute for Community Research, program assessment frameworks used by the Annenberg Institute, and outcome measurement approaches advocated by the What Works Clearinghouse and the Urban Institute. Collective impact efforts align with cross-sector initiatives seen in partnerships between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and public health institutions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Category:Philanthropy organizations