Our Funding Process

Each year, the Jewish Federation raises money through the Community Campaign, from which funds are allocated to local, national and international partner agencies doing work in the areas of human need, Jewish education, Jewish identity and community building and World Jewry.

We evaluate the Jewish community’s needs and priorities—and organizational funding requests—through an open, community-involved process lead by our Planning and Allocations Committee (PAC). The committee is comprised of dozens of diverse Jewish community members and leaders from the greater Seattle area.

PAC uses the Dwaffler process to evaluate proposals and needs—an objective methodology to review, discuss and determine allocations based upon the attributes PAC and our partner agencies developed together. This methodology creates objectivity and transparency, and therefore lends even greater credibility to PAC’s allocations process.  

A series of attributes guides the PAC members in their decision-making process. The list of attributes appears below in priority order:

•    The agency’s fulfills its mission by meeting critical needs in its specific niche.

•    The agency’s mission furthers the mission of the Federation.

•    The agency works in partnership with the Federation and other Jewish communal institutions.

•    The agency serves the most vulnerable/ disadvantaged or under-served in local or overseas communities.

•    The agency demonstrates strong fiduciary management.

•    The agency’s financial reliance on the Federation allocation is significant; without it, the agency would not be able to meet community needs.

•    The agency has a substantial Jewish content to its program.

•    The agency serves a significant Jewish population.

•    The agency demonstrates a commitment to excellence and improvement.

•    The agency strengthens the involvement of its constituency in the greater local Jewish community.

•    The agency has an active, engaged volunteer board, including a board development leadership ladder.

•    The agency takes risks or undertakes innovative projects.

•    The agency fosters an environment that supports professional recruitment/staff development opportunities.

For more information, or to volunteer on the PAC committee, please contact Amy Wasser-Simpson at 206 774-2212 or AmyWS@JewishInSeattle.org.