Jewish Federation Of The Berkshires Inc

What Jewish Federation Of The Berkshires Inc does

The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1948 and headquartered at 196 South Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It serves as the central coordinating body for the Berkshire County Jewish community, mobilizing donors and volunteers to deliver programs across three mission areas: caring for those in need (kosher hot lunch program serving 550+ seniors, food and fuel assistance, social services), sustaining Jewish community life (educational programming, holiday celebrations, the Berkshire Jewish Voice newspaper reaching 5,000+ readers, community calendar), and nurturing a Jewish future (PJ Library children's book program, camp and Israel travel scholarships). It is affiliated with Jewish Federations of North America, which channels portions of campaign proceeds to international Jewish humanitarian programs reaching approximately 180,000 Jews in poverty across the former Soviet Union and globally, plus disaster relief and antisemitism-response initiatives.

The organization operates through an Annual Community Campaign (with a $1,000+ leadership donor tier), legacy giving, and a subsidiary Jewish Women's Foundation of the Berkshires (founded 2009, 200+ members paying $750/year, having granted $400,000+ to local nonprofits cumulatively and $138,500 across 28 grants in 2025-26). Distribution relies on direct community engagement, volunteer networks (Tikkun Olam Volunteer Network), community events, email newsletters via Constant Contact, a Facebook presence, and the federations' own website at jewishberkshires.org. Technology is limited to standard nonprofit SaaS tools (Constant Contact, Google Analytics, RegFox for event registration); no proprietary platform, mobile app, or API exists.

Leadership is headed by Executive Director Dara Kaufman, who also serves on the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combatting Antisemitism. Other named staff include Jill Goldstein (Community Social Worker), Heidi Katz (Volunteer Coordinator), Rabbi Daveen Litwin, and Kathi Todd. Strategic partnerships include the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (PJ Library national administrator), Jewish Federations of North America, Berkshire United Way (food access collaboration, 2025), Knesset Israel synagogue, and the Non-Profit Center of the Berkshires. The organization has no subsidiaries beyond JWF, no parent company, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed in available sources.

Name

Jewish Federation Of The Berkshires Inc

Legal name

Jewish Federation of the Berkshires

Website

https://jewishberkshires.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1948 that serves as the central coordinating body for Jewish community life in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It runs annual fundraising campaigns, kosher senior meal programs, PJ Library, and a subsidiary Jewish Women's Foundation, while channeling funds to local, Israeli, and global Jewish humanitarian programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Community philanthropy
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Jewish social services
• Senior support programs
• Community grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsfield

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. Annual Community Campaign: Annual fundraising campaign addressing pressing needs of the Jewish Community. The campaign supports shelter, meals, medicine delivery, and programs across the Berkshires, Israel, and global Jewish communities. Minimum leadership donor contribution is $1,000+ per household.
2. Donor Contributions: Individual donations from community members supporting various programs including emergency assistance, kosher meals, scholarships, and community programming.
3. Jewish Women's Foundation Membership: Annual membership contributions of $750 per member supporting the foundation's grants program to local nonprofit organizations addressing basic needs, self-sufficiency, and youth empowerment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Jewish Federation of the Berkshires is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit federation that raises funds through an annual community campaign and allocates those resources to local Jewish agencies and direct-service programs. It operates or funds programs including kosher Meals on Wheels for seniors, emergency financial assistance, Jewish education and engagement programming, community-wide events, and the Jewish Women's Foundation of the Berkshires.

Product overview

The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community programs and services centered on three mission areas: caring for those in need, sustaining Jewish community life, and nurturing a Jewish future. The core offerings include the Annual Community Campaign for fundraising, Legacy Giving for planned philanthropy, and the Tikkun Olam Volunteer Network for community service. Family engagement is supported through PJ Library (free Jewish children's books) and camp/Israel travel scholarships. Direct services include a Kosher Hot Lunch Program for seniors and Food and Fuel Assistance for those facing hardship. The Jewish Women's Foundation, a sub-brand under Federation auspices, provides grants to local nonprofits. The Federation also publishes the Berkshire Jewish Voice newspaper, maintains a community calendar, offers anti-Semitism reporting resources, security services, and a Mobile Museum of Tolerance educational program. A searchable Community Directory helps residents connect with local synagogues and organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kosher Meals on Wheels
• Annual Community Campaign
• Jewish Women's Foundation of the Berkshires
• Emergency Financial Assistance
• Jewish Education and Engagement Programming
• Community-Wide Events
• Partner Agency Allocations

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 550+ aging seniors with meals, services, and visits annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Berkshire United WayminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Federation collaborated with Berkshire United Way on county-wide food access efforts. Donors encouraged to support Food Access in Berkshire County through United Way's donation page.
• Jewish Federations of North AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with the national Jewish Federations of North America network, providing connections to Jewish communities across North America, Israel, and around the world. The Federation funds innovative programs through this network that combat poverty, fight anti-Semitism, connect people to Jewish heritage and Israel, reignite Judaism, and provide disaster relief.
• Harold Grinspoon FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Harold Grinspoon Foundation administers the PJ Library program nationally. The Jewish Federation of the Berkshires coordinates local PJ Library book subscriptions in compliance with all grant and reporting requirements from the Foundation.
• Knesset IsraelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal synagogue partner hosting community events including Israeli dancing, Aggadah study sessions, and Shabbat programming. Rabbi Pam Wax serves as Director of Adult Education and Programming.
• Non-Profit Center (NPC) of the BerkshiresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish Women's Foundation recently became a member of the NPC of the Berkshires, seeking partnerships with other area funders to maximize impact of grants and volunteer initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund (San Francisco): West Coast Jewish federation offering parallel annual campaign, legacy giving, grants to local nonprofits, and senior services under the same JFNA federation model.
• Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta: Mid-sized regional Jewish federation with comparable annual campaign structure, women's foundation programming, and senior/community service offerings. Strong direct peer along mission and operating model.
• Combined Jewish Philanthropies (Boston): Regional Jewish federation serving Greater Boston with analogous annual campaigns, grantmaking, and community programming. Comparable organizational model though at significantly larger scale and with more urban donor base.
• Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey: Regional Jewish federation with similar community-driven GTM, annual campaigns, and portfolio of social services, education programs, and grantmaking through affiliated foundations.
• Jewish Family & Children's Services (JFCS): Jewish social services organization providing kosher meals, case management, and senior support programs to community members. Comparable direct-service and social-work offerings for Jewish families.

Broad incumbents

• UJA-Federation of New York: Largest Jewish federation in North America running annual campaign, senior services, and Jewish education programs. Operates the same JFNA-affiliated model as the Berkshires Federation but at national scale.
• Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA): National umbrella organization of which Jewish Federation of the Berkshires is an affiliate. Sets shared standards, allocates national/international funds, and coordinates disaster response and Israel programming across member federations.

Emerging players

• The Foundation for Jewish Culture: Smaller-scale Jewish grantmaking and cultural-support organization with comparable focus on sustaining Jewish identity and community programming through philanthropy.

Others

• Harold Grinspoon Foundation: National operator of the PJ Library program that the Berkshires Federation implements locally. Functions as a key strategic partner and program administrator rather than a direct competitor, but defines much of the Federation's youth engagement offering.

Regional players

• Berkshire United Way: Regional community-impact nonprofit serving Berkshire County with overlapping donor base and similar emergency food/fuel assistance programs. The Federation actively collaborates with United Way on county-wide food access efforts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JewishBerkshires
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jewish-federation-of-the-berkshires-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Jewish Federation Of The Berkshires Inc