KU Hillel

What KU Hillel does

KU Hillel is the constituent Hillel organization serving Jewish students at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, founded in 1959 and operating as a 100% community-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the Hillel International umbrella. The organization delivers a comprehensive programming portfolio spanning weekly Shabbat and Jewish holiday observances (including the flagship Rock Chalk Shabbat annual gathering), Jewish Learning Fellowships (Jewish Flavors, Question Everything, Stronger Than You Know, Beren Leadership Series), free licensed therapy services delivered through a partnership with Jewish Family Services KC, Birthright Israel and Poland/Israel leadership travel, wellness programming, career and leadership internships, parent care packages, a chicken soup hotline, and antisemitism response resources linked to Campus4All and KU's Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. Operations are anchored at 1121 Indiana St, Suite C in the HERE apartments, steps from the KU campus, with building hours Monday-Friday 10 AM-6 PM and a small professional staff of approximately 5-10 led by Executive Director Ethan Helfand.

The business model is donation-driven across multiple streams: individual giving with tiered program allocations ($18 Shabbat dinner, $36 mezuzah, $54 holiday experiences, $72 wellness, $108 therapy hour, $180 Shabbat kits), signature fundraising events (Women's Hoops Classic, Rock Chalk Shabbat), the Jayhawk Family Circle giving society, planned/legacy gifts via bequests and charitable trusts, and corporate/individual sponsorships. All student-facing programming is free, reflecting the nonprofit's mission and donor-subsidized model. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors including Alicia Klein (President), Stephanie Kavanaugh (VP Community Engagement), and Shannon Maker (VP/Secretary), and is currently executing the Hineni capital campaign to expand permanent facilities.

Name

KU Hillel

Legal name

Hillel - The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life

Website

https://kuhillel.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KU Hillel is a 100% community-funded nonprofit serving Jewish students at the University of Kansas in Lawrence with Shabbat, holiday, leadership, travel, and therapy programming, funded via donations, events, and planned giving.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute tax-deductible gifts to support Jewish student programming. Specific donation amounts fund different programs: $18 for Shabbat dinner, $36 for mezuzah, $54 for holiday experiences, $72 for wellness programs, $108 for therapy hour, $180 for Shabbat dinner kits.
2. Event Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including Women's Hoops Classic (raised over $100,000 in 2025) and Rock Chalk Shabbat. These events welcome families, alumni, and community members to raise funds for Hillel programs.
3. Jayhawk Family Circle: Giving society that recognizes donors who support long-term sustainability of Jewish life at KU.
4. Planned Giving: Legacy gifts including bequests through wills, retirement plan beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, and charitable remainder trusts for long-term sustainability.
5. Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorships for Shabbat dinners, leadership trips, wellness programs, and other campus activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KU Hillel provides Jewish student programming and community engagement services at the University of Kansas, including weekly Shabbat and holiday experiences, Jewish Learning Fellowships, leadership development programs, free private therapy sessions, Birthright Israel trips, wellness programming, and the flagship Rock Chalk Shabbat and Women's Hoops Classic events. All student programming is offered free of charge, sustained entirely by community donations, planned giving, and event-based fundraising.

Product overview

KU Hillel offers a comprehensive suite of Jewish student programming and support services at the University of Kansas. The organization's portfolio centers on creating vibrant Jewish community through weekly Shabbat and holiday celebrations (including the flagship Rock Chalk Shabbat annual event), educational programming via Jewish Learning Fellowships, mental health support through therapy services in partnership with Jewish Family Services KC, and travel opportunities including Birthright Israel trips and leadership expeditions to Poland and Israel. Additional offerings include wellness programs, care packages, a chicken soup hotline, alumni communications via the Beyond the Nest newsletter, and a capital campaign (Hineni) to expand permanent facilities. The organization relies entirely on community funding through programs like the Jayhawk Family Circle giving society and signature fundraising events including Women's Hoops Classic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rock Chalk Shabbat: KU's largest Shabbat experience welcoming students, alumni, parents, community members for dinner and student-led services
• Women's Hoops Classic
• Jayhawk Family Circle
• Hineni

Products and services

• Rock Chalk Shabbat KU Hillel's signature annual Shabbat experience bringing together students, alumni, families, and community members for a Friday evening of student-led services and communal dinner. Free for students and supported through sponsorships and a matching gift opportunity (up to $30,000).
• Women's Hoops Classic Annual spring fundraiser celebrating the KU women's basketball team and Jewish life at KU; raised over $100,000 in 2025 with 160+ attendees to support Jewish campus programming.
• Therapy Services Free, confidential therapy sessions with a Licensed Specialized Clinical Social Worker (Carla DeHetre, LCSW) delivered in partnership with Jewish Family Services KC; available to KU Jewish students at the Hillel building or virtually.
• Birthright Israel Trips Free 10-day trips to Israel for KU students, providing an opportunity to explore Jewish identity, connect with global Jewish life, and engage with peers from around the world.
• Jewish Learning Fellowships Weekly cohort-based educational series including Jewish Flavors (culinary classes on global Jewish cultures), Question Everything (text-based Jewish study), Stronger Than You Know (mental health training), and the Beren Leadership Series.
• Leadership Development Programs Leadership development offerings including internships in development, engagement, programming, and marketing; the Jewish Leadership Advocacy Fellowship; and the LFKUHillel student leadership program.
• Jayhawk Family Circle Giving society recognizing friends and family donors who provide ongoing financial support for Jewish life at the University of Kansas, sustaining long-term programming and operations.
• Shabbat and Holiday Programs Weekly Shabbat experiences (Shabbat dinners, services, bagel brunch, Midnight Oneg) and full holiday cycle observances for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, and Passover.
• Wellness Programs Wellness programming including Wellness Wednesdays, yoga, meditation, and painting sessions, particularly during academically or emotionally demanding periods such as the High Holy Days, midterms, and finals.
• Care Packages Holiday care package subscription service for Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, Passover, and other Jewish holidays, delivering curated packages to KU students on behalf of parents and families.
• Chicken Soup Hotline Student-support service that delivers homemade kosher chicken soup to KU Jewish students who are feeling unwell, available Monday-Friday during the academic year.
• Poland and Israel Leadership Trip Educational travel opportunity for student leaders to Poland and Israel, including Jewish history study in Poland and participation in the AJC Global Forum, deepening student leadership and Jewish historical understanding.
• Antisemitism Resources and Reporting Educational resources, reporting tools, and advocacy support for antisemitism incidents, including links to Campus4All reporting infrastructure, AJC education content, and KU Office of Civil Rights and Title IX formal-reporting pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• Triple the number of students visiting Hillel since moving to new location
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Jewish Family Services KCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide free private therapy sessions with a licensed therapist for KU Jewish students. Students can access hour-long therapy sessions at KU Hillel or virtually through this partnership with JFS KC.
• Campus4AllsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCampus4All provides antisemitism reporting infrastructure and educational resources. KU Hillel directs students to Campus4All for incident reporting and misinformation education about antisemitism and Israel.
• KU Office of Civil Rights and Title IXsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStudents directed to KU's Office of Civil Rights and Title IX for formal reporting of antisemitic incidents through the Campus4All reporting system.
• American Jewish Committee (AJC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Jewish Advocacy Fellowship program. JCRB|AJC facilitators provided educational sessions on antisemitism and conducted post-exhibit debriefs with students after Holocaust education programs.
• JCRB|AJCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-facilitated Jewish Advocacy Fellowship with Gavriela Geller and Sarah Markowitz providing antisemitism education programming.
• Repair the WorldsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerServe the Moment initiative created by Hillel International and Repair the World brings volunteer opportunities to KU Hillel students for community service in Lawrence.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chabad on Campus: Chabad's university outreach network operates parallel Jewish campus programming — Shabbat dinners, holiday events, Birthright, learning fellowships — directly competing for the same Jewish student audience on campuses nationwide.
• Hillel at UCLA: A flagship Hillel chapter serving Jewish students at a large public university, with comparable programming (Shabbat, learning, travel, leadership) and donor-funded nonprofit structure — directly comparable in mission and operating model.
• Hillel at GW (George Washington University): A peer Hillel chapter that shares donor networks with KU Hillel (referenced as Ethan Helfand's prior training ground and Ana Levy's Springboard Innovation Fellowship origin).
• Hillel at Harvard: A leading Hillel chapter offering comprehensive Jewish programming at a flagship university, serving as a benchmark for what a well-resourced campus Hillel can deliver.

Broad incumbents

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: A large faith-based campus organization offering religious community, leadership development, and small-group programming across U.S. universities — structurally analogous to Hillel but for Christian students.
• Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): One of the largest U.S. collegiate faith-based organizations, operating community, leadership, and missions programming on hundreds of campuses — a broad incumbent in the same faith-on-campus category.
• Hillel International: The parent organization and national umbrella for all campus Hillels, including KU Hillel. Sets programming standards, fundraising frameworks, and brand identity across the network.

Others

• Birthright Israel Foundation: An enabling partner that funds the free 10-day Israel trips KU Hillel offers to students — a key ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but tightly coupled to Hillel's programming.
• Repair the World: A Jewish service organization whose 'Serve the Moment' initiative partners with Hillel International and individual Hillel chapters to bring volunteer programming to students — an adjacent enabling organization.
• Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy: A Jewish day school in the Kansas City area that shares the regional Jewish communal ecosystem with KU Hillel — overlapping donor networks and overlapping staff alumni.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KansasHillel
• Instagraminstagram.com/KUHillel
• Xx.com/kuhillel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ku-hillel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 KU Hillel