Champaign-urbana Jewish Federation, Inc.

What Champaign-urbana Jewish Federation, Inc. does

The Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation (CUJF) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1929 and headquartered at 503 E. John St., Champaign, Illinois. It serves as the central coordinating body for the Jewish community of the Champaign-Urbana region through three program pillars: Jewish Life and Learning (educational resources, PJ Library, Holocaust Education Center, community events across the lifespan), Support for the Vulnerable (information, referrals, and financial assistance via Jewish Family Services and the CHAI Seniors Program), and Community Giving (annual fundraising and fund allocation to local organizations and Jewish causes in Israel and worldwide). Supporting programs include the Committee Against Antisemitism, Chevra Kadisha burial society, camp scholarships, and Jewish Wellness Today.

Revenue is generated through annual campaign donations, PACE Funds (planned giving endowments with a $18,000 minimum contribution effective January 2024), designated endowments (including Holocaust Education, Gingold, Marco, and Nelson funds), and event and program fees such as PJ Library activities. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and engages the community through its website (cujf.org), direct mail, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), email newsletters, and in-person programming. CUJF is affiliated with The Jewish Federations of North America and collaborates with the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Endowment Foundation (CUJEF) on endowment activities.

There are no proprietary technology products or AI/ML capabilities associated with CUJF; the organization operates as a traditional community non-profit reliant on donor-funded programming, a Bloomerang donation CRM, and a Fedweb-hosted website rather than a technology-enabled service platform. It received the Candid Platinum Seal of transparency in 2025 and holds federal trademarks on the CUJF name and logos.

Name

Champaign-urbana Jewish Federation, Inc.

Legal name

Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation

Website

https://cujf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1929 that serves the Jewish community in Champaign, Illinois through education, social services, and federated community fundraising across the lifespan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

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 Campaign Donations: Annual charitable giving campaign supporting local educational programs, humanitarian services, and Jewish communities worldwide. Donors contribute annually to support the federation's mission.
2. PACE Funds (Planned Giving): Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowments that allow donors to create permanent funds endowing their annual campaign gift in perpetuity. Established through various vehicles including bequests, life insurance, IRA/pension plans, and charitable remainder trusts. Minimum contribution of $18,000 starting January 2024.
3. Designated Endowments: Donations to specific funds including Holocaust Education, Lilly and David Gingold Fund, Jack and Sadye Marco Fund, Harry Nelson Memorial Award Endowment, and other purpose-specific accounts.
4. Event and Program Fees: Fees collected for community events, activities, and programs such as PJ Library and other Jewish life and learning initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Champaign-urbana Jewish Federation (CUJF) operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit community federation serving the Jewish community in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. It delivers educational programs, social services, humanitarian assistance, and philanthropic fundraising, allocating funds to local Jewish organizations and supporting Jewish initiatives in Israel and worldwide. Its offerings span Jewish Life and Learning, Support for the Vulnerable, and Community Giving pillars, supplemented by programs such as PJ Library, Jewish Family Services, Holocaust Education Center, CHAI Seniors Program, and the CU Jewish Endowment Foundation.

Product overview

Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation is a non-profit organization that serves as a central hub for the local Jewish community, offering a portfolio of programs and services organized around three core pillars: Jewish Life and Learning (educational resources and community events), Support for the Vulnerable (assistance for community members in need), and Community Giving (fundraising and allocation to local and global Jewish organizations). The organization operates supplementary programs including PJ Library (children's literature), Jewish Family Services (family support), Holocaust Education Center, CHAI Seniors Program, Committee Against Antisemitism, Chevra Kadisha (burial society), Camp Scholarships, and PACE Funds (planned giving endowments). The CU Jewish Endowment Foundation (CUJEF) manages endowment funds supporting these initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jewish Life and Learning Educational resources and community events designed to engage the diverse Jewish community across different interests, backgrounds, and ages throughout the life span.
• Support for the Vulnerable Services providing information, referrals, and financial assistance to community members in need during vulnerable times, reflecting Jewish values of caring for the needy.
• Community Giving Central fundraising and fund allocation mechanism supporting local organizations, Jewish organizations in Israel, and initiatives worldwide.
• PJ Library Program providing Jewish children's literature and resources to families in the community.
• Jewish Family Services Comprehensive family support services including counseling, resource directory, wellness programs, and training offerings.
• Holocaust Education Center Educational center dedicated to Holocaust education and remembrance in the community.
• CHAI Seniors Program Program specifically designed to serve and support senior members of the Jewish community.
• Committee Against Antisemitism Initiative dedicated to combating antisemitism in the community, including SCN (Secure Community Network) information.
• Chevra Kadisha (Burial Society) Traditional Jewish burial society providing respectful burial services for community members.
• Camp Scholarship Application Financial assistance program helping community members afford Jewish summer camp experiences.
• PACE Funds (Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowments) Planned giving vehicle enabling donors to create permanent endowment funds sustaining their annual campaign gifts in perpetuity, with a minimum contribution of $18,000 starting January 2024.
• CUJEF (CU Jewish Endowment Foundation) Endowment foundation dedicated to enhancing quality of Jewish life by sponsoring community programs as designated by its funds.
• Annual Campaign Annual charitable giving campaign supporting local educational programs, humanitarian services, and Jewish communities worldwide. Donors contribute annually to support the federation's mission.
• Holocaust Education Designated Endowments Donations to specific funds including Holocaust Education, Lilly and David Gingold Fund, Jack and Sadye Marco Fund, Harry Nelson Memorial Award Endowment, and other purpose-specific accounts.

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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Jewish Federations of North AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUJF is affiliated with The Jewish Federations of North America, sharing information and coordinating on Jewish community initiatives, fundraising campaigns, and news about activities. The partnership enables CUJF to stay connected with national Jewish federation movements and participate in collective efforts to support Jews locally and globally.
• Champaign-Urbana Jewish Endowment Foundation (CUJEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUJEF is the endowment arm of the federation, dedicated to enhancing the quality of Jewish life through sponsored programs designated by its funds. CUJF and CUJEF work together on planned giving and endowment activities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Jewish Federation of Cleveland: Mid-size Jewish federation with analogous annual campaign, planned giving, and life-cycle programming — comparable in service mix and federated funding model.
• Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey: Regional Jewish federation providing comparable community programming, social services, and annual campaign fundraising in a similar mid-size Jewish community.
• Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta: Regional Jewish federation operating annual campaigns, social services, and Holocaust education programs — directly comparable federated giving and programming structure.
• Jewish Federation of Greater Portland: Regional Jewish federation serving the Portland metro area with similar community programming, annual campaigns, and endowment structures. Most comparable in scale and operating model to CUJF.
• Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas: Regional Jewish federation operating a similar portfolio of education, social services, and community giving programs. Directly comparable in mission and revenue model.
• Jewish Federation of San Diego County: County-level Jewish federation with comparable community service, fundraising, and Holocaust education programs — close peer on program mix and community scope.

Broad incumbents

• Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia: Larger regional Jewish federation with overlapping community programming, fundraising, and social services — operates the same federated model but at materially greater scale.
• Jewish United Fund (JUF) Chicago: Largest Jewish federation in the Midwest serving Chicago and surrounding areas. Operates the same community giving, social services, and Israel-allocating model as CUJF but at vastly greater scale.
• Combined Jewish Philanthropies: Major Boston-area Jewish federation running the same annual campaign, planned giving, and community service portfolio — a much larger incumbent in the federated giving model.
• Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund (San Francisco): Bay Area Jewish federation combining community services with a large affiliated endowment fund — closely mirrors the CUJF/CUJEF structure but at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChampaignUrbanaJewishFederation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cujf
• Instagraminstagram.com/cujewishfederation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Champaign-urbana Jewish Federation, Inc.