JELF (Jewish Educational Loan Fund)

Name

JELF (Jewish Educational Loan Fund)

Legal name

Jewish Educational Loan Fund

Website

https://jelf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education Lending

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Loan Programs & Servicers (Public/Nonprofit) (EDADAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Interest-free student loans
• Nonprofit education lending
• Jewish student funding
• Gap financing college
• Community-based lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, JELF funds its interest-free loans primarily through donations from individuals, Jewish Federations, foundations, and community organizations. The organization raises funds through annual events, major donor campaigns, and planned giving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

JELF (Jewish Educational Loan Fund) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides 0% interest loans to Jewish students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or vocational education at U.S.-accredited institutions. The loans cover tuition, room and board, textbooks, and approved educational expenses as 'last dollar' funding after federal and state aid are applied. Operations are funded through donations, Jewish Federation contributions, and dedicated endowments, and the organization serves a five-state region in the southeastern United States.

Product overview

JELF (Jewish Educational Loan Fund) operates as a single, unified nonprofit lending platform providing 0% interest loans exclusively to Jewish students in a five-state region (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia). The core offering consists of interest-free student loans that cover tuition, room and board, textbooks, and approved educational expenses for undergraduate, graduate, and vocational programs at U.S.-accredited institutions. Supporting the main lending product are several integrated modules including a student application portal, loan repayment services with ACH functionality, comprehensive financial aid resources, a scholarship directory with 155+ external opportunities, the Judith and Aaron Alembik Endowment for children of clergy, 529 college savings plan guidance, an alumni engagement program with 1,200+ members, and dedicated portals for cosigners and board members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 0% Interest Student Loans Interest-free loans for Jewish students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or vocational education at U.S.-accredited institutions. Loans cover tuition, room and board, textbooks, and other approved educational expenses as last-dollar gap funding after federal aid is applied. Requires a U.S.-based cosigner and full-time enrollment.
• Clergy Children Loan Program (Judith and Aaron Alembik Endowment)

Quantifiable outcome

• $26M+ loaned to 500+ students since 1961 with 99% repayment rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charleston Jewish FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation serving the Charleston area that partners with JELF to support Jewish students in South Carolina.
• Columbia Jewish FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation in Columbia, SC area partnering with JELF for student support.
• Greater Miami Jewish FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Jewish Federation in Miami area supporting JELF's mission in South Florida.
• Greensboro Jewish FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation in Greensboro, NC serving local Jewish community students.
• Jewish Community Federation of RichmondcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Community Federation serving Richmond, Virginia area with JELF partnership.
• Jewish Council of North Central FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Council serving North Central Florida students in partnership with JELF.
• Jewish Federation of Broward CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation in Broward County, Florida supporting JELF programs.
• Jewish Federation of Columbus, GAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Jewish Federation in Columbus, Georgia partnering with JELF.
• Jewish Federation of Florida's Gulf CoastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation serving Florida's Gulf Coast region.
• Jewish Federation of Greater AtlantacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Jewish Federation in Atlanta - JELF's home base - providing significant partnership support.
• Jewish Federation of Greater CharlottecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation serving Charlotte, North Carolina area.
• Jewish Federation of Greater NaplescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation in Naples, Florida region.
• Jewish Federation of Greater RaleighcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation serving the Raleigh, North Carolina area.
• Jewish Federation of Macon & Middle GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Jewish Federation serving Macon and Middle Georgia areas.
• Jewish Federation of Palm Beach CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation in Palm Beach County, Florida.
• Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation serving South Palm Beach County area.
• Jewish For Good - Durham, NCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish organization in Durham, North Carolina partnering with JELF.
• Savannah Jewish FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Federation serving Savannah, Georgia area.
• Tampa JCCs & FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Community Center and Federation organization in Tampa, Florida.
• United Jewish Federation of TidewatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Jewish Federation serving the Tidewater area of Virginia.
• International Association of Jewish Free Loans (IAJFL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational umbrella organization connecting Jewish free loan programs worldwide. JELF refers students outside its five-state region to other IAJFL member agencies.
• BBYOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish youth organization through which students like Shaayna S. learned about JELF. Used for outreach and referral of potential applicants.
• HillelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish student organization on college campuses. Multiple Hillel-chapter students are JELF recipients; organization helps spread awareness.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA): State nonprofit authority providing education loans and planning resources to Massachusetts residents. Compares to JELF as a regionally scoped, mission-driven education finance provider, though MEFA serves a broader (non-faith-based) population and offers a different product mix.

Others

• Hillel International: Largest Jewish campus organization in the world, with which JELF explicitly partners for outreach and referrals. Comparable as a Jewish-focused education support organization serving overlapping students, though Hillel is not a lender and is much larger in scale.
• B'nai B'rith International: Historic Jewish service organization whose District #5 originally founded the Hebrew Orphans' Home, the predecessor of JELF. Connected via shared institutional history and overlapping mission of serving Jewish community welfare, including education.
• The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta: JELF's home federation and primary regional partner. Functions as both a donor and a top-of-funnel referral channel for JELF applicants in the Atlanta region, making it a structurally important relationship rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• International Association of Jewish Free Loans (IAJFL): Umbrella organization connecting Jewish free loan programs worldwide, of which JELF is an active member and partner. Operates as the network/institutional peer that JELF leverages for cross-region referrals of Jewish students outside its five-state footprint.
• Hebrew Free Loan of Philadelphia: Philadelphia-based Jewish interest-free loan fund with education lending as a core product. Highly comparable to JELF in community structure, fund sources, and zero-interest education loan offerings for Jewish families.
• Hebrew Free Loan of Greater Chicago: Chicago-area Jewish interest-free loan fund offering 0% loans for education and other needs. Operates on a nearly identical model to JELF — community-funded, faith-based, last-dollar education lending — but serves a different metropolitan geography.
• Hebrew Free Loan Society (New York): The flagship Jewish interest-free loan organization in the U.S., providing zero-interest loans including for education to Jewish clients in the New York region. Directly comparable to JELF in mission, structure (501(c)(3)), and product design, with a much larger scale and broader loan categories.
• Hebrew Free Loan Association of San Diego: San Diego-area Jewish free loan organization providing interest-free loans for education and other purposes. Directly comparable to JELF in target population, zero-interest structure, and nonprofit community-funded model.
• Jewish Free Loan Association (Los Angeles): Los Angeles-based Jewish interest-free loan agency providing interest-free loans including for higher education expenses. Directly comparable in mission, target population, and structure; serves a large West Coast Jewish community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jelf_loans

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JELF (Jewish Educational Loan Fund)