Hillel at the University of Washington

What Hillel at the University of Washington does

Hillel at the University of Washington (Hillel UW) is a non-profit Jewish student organization headquartered at 4745 17th Ave NE in Seattle, Washington, serving the University of Washington community for over 85 years. The organization operates as a local chapter of Hillel International, the world's largest Jewish student organization with a network of more than 550 campus chapters, and serves Jewish undergraduate and graduate students, young adults, alumni, and the broader Seattle Jewish community through a portfolio spanning Shabbat and holiday observance, Jewish learning, Israel programming (Birthright, Mishelanu, Perspectives Trip), social justice advocacy, arts and culture, social events, and health & wellness services. Service delivery is anchored in-person at the Seattle facility and via campus-based outreach; there is no proprietary technology platform.

Core offerings include pastoral care from Rabbi Lauren Kurland, confidential counseling with licensed counselor Orliyah Finnegan, religious accommodations guidance under Washington State law, antisemitism response through Director of Campus Affairs Sigal, and scholarship administration (Berol-Shindell Scholarship, Hebrew Free Loan Association referrals, Leadership 1000, Rashkov Scholarship). Professional staff of approximately 11 people includes an Executive Director (Hannah Sherman), Rabbi, Director of Campus Affairs, Director of Advancement (Anna Brown), Assistant Director (Ellie), and licensed counselor, supported by student leadership boards.

Hillel UW's business model is donation-driven. The majority of programming is free for students, with nominal fees on a small number of events (e.g., $12 Shabboat cruise, $18 Zamru Ensemble concert, $10 DIY Shabbat meal reimbursement). Other revenue streams include facility rentals, scholarship administration, and co-sponsorship partnerships with Congregation Beth Shalom, Temple De Hirsch Sinai, Kavana Cooperative, Jewish Family Service, and others. Long-term financial sustainability is pursued through the 'Promise of a New Generation' endowment campaign and the LIFE & LEGACY planned giving program in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. As a private non-profit under Hillel International, Hillel UW does not disclose revenue and has no equity funding structure.

Name

Hillel at the University of Washington

Legal name

Hillel UW

Website

https://hilleluw.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hillel at the University of Washington is a non-profit Jewish student organization serving the UW campus in Seattle under Hillel International, offering Shabbat, holiday, Israel, social justice, learning, counseling, and scholarship programming to Jewish undergraduates and the broader Seattle Jewish community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewish Student Community Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDALAHAF

Cultural, Identity & Inclusion Programs

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Student Activities, Clubs & Campus Life

Keywords

• Jewish student services
• Campus religious programming
• Community pastoral care
• Israel education programs
• Jewish cultural events

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Hillel UW relies primarily on donations from individuals, families, alumni, and institutional donors to fund programming, operations, and scholarships. The organization runs a 'Promise of a New Generation' endowment campaign and a LIFE & LEGACY planned giving program to secure long-term financial sustainability.
2. Scholarship and Financial Aid Administration: Hillel UW administers the Berol-Shindell partial tuition scholarship for Jewish undergraduates in financial need at UW, and facilitates access to the Hebrew Free Loan Association interest-free student loan program, as well as Hillel International scholarships and the Leadership 1000 Scholarship.
3. Facility Rentals: Hillel UW generates revenue by renting its facilities (including spaces for events, meetings, and community use) to individuals and organizations. The organization also has a café space (Café LeVine) and The Gym available for use.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hillel UW is a non-profit Jewish student organization that delivers a comprehensive portfolio of in-person programs on the University of Washington campus, including Shabbat and holiday observance, Jewish learning, Israel programming (Birthright, Mishelanu, Perspectives Trip), social events, social justice programming, arts and culture events, travel programs, and health and wellness support. It also provides confidential counseling with a licensed counselor, pastoral care from a Rabbi, scholarships and interest-free loan administration, antisemitism reporting support, and a young adult community (Jconnect) for alumni.

Product overview

Hillel at the University of Washington is a single, unified community organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of Jewish life programs for undergraduate students and young adults. The core offerings span religious observance (Shabbat & Holiday Programs), social community (Social Events & Parties, Mah Jongg Programs), cultural education (Israel Programs, Travel, Arts & Culture), spiritual development (Jewish Learning), advocacy (Social Justice), and health & wellness support. These programs are complemented by financial assistance (Scholarships & Financial Aid) and counseling services, while Jconnect extends community to young adults post-graduation. The organization operates as a traditional nonprofit with no modular technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shabbat & Holiday Programs Weekly Shabbat services and blessings, holiday celebrations including 85+ years of Passover traditions, prayer circles, and B-Mitzvah preparation for Jewish UW students.
• Israel Programs
• Jewish Learning
• Social Events
• Social Justice Programs
• Arts & Culture Programming
• Travel with Hillel UW
• Health & Wellness Programming
• Mah Jongg Programs
• Scholarships & Financial Aid
• Counseling Services
• Jconnect Young Adult Community
• LIFE & LEGACY Planned Giving

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hillel InternationalcoreOthersHillel UW is a local campus chapter of Hillel International, the world's largest Jewish student organization. Hillel International provides Hillel UW with organizational infrastructure, branding, programming frameworks, scholarship funding, staff support, and access to the broader Hillel network of 550+ campus organizations.
• Jconnect SeattlecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJconnect Seattle is a platform for young Jewish adults (ages 21–39) in the Pacific Northwest. Hillel UW and Jconnect cross-promote events and programming, share community resources, and collaborate on events. Jconnect is also referenced as a pipeline for young adults to stay engaged with Jewish community after leaving Hillel UW.
• New Israel Fund (NIF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillel UW co-sponsored a conversation with Shira Ben-Sasson, Director of NIF Israel, titled 'Inside Israel's Fight for Democracy.' This event was held at Temple De Hirsch Sinai and open to the broader Seattle Jewish community.
• Resetting the TableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillel UW partnered with Resetting the Table to offer the 'Speaking Across Conflict' training program, facilitated by Elliot Leffler. This workshop teaches communication skills for discussing Israel and other passionate issues across lines of disagreement.
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Rothberg International School)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUW students who study abroad at the Rothberg International School of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem are eligible to receive a $3,000 Rashkov Scholarship applied to their RIS tuition. Hillel UW serves as the notification point for this scholarship.
• Congregation Beth Shalom, Temple De Hirsch Sinai, Kavana Cooperative (Co-sponsorship Partnership)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHillel UW co-sponsored the 'Inside Israel's Fight for Democracy' event with Congregation Beth Shalom, Temple De Hirsch Sinai, and Kavana Cooperative, extending reach beyond the university to the broader Seattle Jewish community.
• Multiple Seattle Jewish Community Organizations (Pride Shabbat Co-Sponsorship)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHillel UW served as a community partner for Pride Shabbat alongside over 20 other Seattle Jewish organizations including Bet Alef, Camp Solomon Schechter, Congregation Beth Shalom, Congregation Tikvah Chadashah, Herzl-Ner Tamid, Jconnect Seattle, JFS Seattle, Kol Ami, Moishe House Seattle, PJ Library, Stroum Jewish Community Center, and others.
• Camp Solomon SchechterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillel UW partners with Camp Solomon Schechter (in Tumwater, WA) to host the annual Mah Jongg Retreat, an adults-only weekend getaway for Hillel community members and mahj players from throughout the Northwest.
• Stroum Center for Jewish Studies (UW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillel UW co-sponsored the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies lecture series featuring Professor Rafael Neis. These are academic lectures held at UW campus venues and are noted as not Hillel UW events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Chabad on Campus International: Chabad on Campus is the national umbrella for Orthodox Chabad houses serving Jewish students at universities worldwide. It is a broad incumbent that competes for the same Jewish student audience across hundreds of campuses with a more religiously focused, less pluralistic offering than Hillel.
• Hillel International: Hillel International is Hillel UW's parent organization and the world's largest Jewish student organization with 550+ campus chapters. It is a broad incumbent providing infrastructure, branding, scholarship pipelines, and staff support to Hillel UW while setting strategic direction across the entire network.

Direct peers

• Chabad at the University of Washington: Chabad at UW is the closest local peer competing for the same Jewish student audience at the University of Washington. It offers overlapping services including Shabbat programming, Jewish learning, holiday events, and pastoral care, but with a more outreach-oriented Orthodox model versus Hillel UW's broad-denominational positioning.
• Hillel at Stanford: Stanford Hillel is another direct Hillel International campus chapter serving Jewish students at Stanford University. It operates a comparable programming model (religious, educational, Israel, social justice, counseling) and is funded through similar donation, endowment, and partnership mechanisms as Hillel UW.
• Hillel at UCLA: Hillel at UCLA is a direct peer — a fellow campus chapter of Hillel International serving Jewish undergraduate and graduate students at UCLA. It offers the same comprehensive portfolio of Shabbat, Israel, learning, social, and counseling programming that Hillel UW delivers at UW, making it the most structurally comparable peer.

Others

• Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle: Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle is a regional civic and grantmaking organization supporting the Seattle Jewish community. It is an adjacent peer that co-funds Hillel UW programs (LIFE & LEGACY, Zamru concerts) and competes for the same donor base, but does not directly serve Jewish students.
• Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru): Cru is a national interdenominational Christian campus ministry operating at hundreds of universities including UW. It is an adjacent peer in structure (religious student organization with paid staff, programming, and donor base) but serves a different faith community, making it relevant as a comparable operating model rather than a direct competitor.
• Stroum Jewish Community Center: Stroum JCC is a Seattle-area Jewish community center offering cultural, educational, and recreational programming. It is an adjacent peer that serves overlapping community members (families, young adults, alumni) but operates as a broader JCC rather than a campus-focused student organization.

Emerging players

• Moishe House Seattle: Moishe House is a national organization that seeds residential Jewish communities for young adults in their 20s and 30s. Moishe House Seattle is an emerging peer that overlaps with Hillel UW's Jconnect programming, addressing the same post-college Jewish engagement need through a different residential-based model.

Regional players

• Jconnect Seattle: Jconnect Seattle is a regional platform serving young Jewish adults ages 21-39 in the Pacific Northwest. It is a regional peer that directly partners with Hillel UW on cross-promotion and shares the same post-college engagement mission, but focuses exclusively on the young adult segment rather than campus programming.

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/huskyhillel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hillel-foundation-at-the-university-of-washington

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hillel at the University of Washington