Jewish Federations of North America

Definition: The Jewish Federations of North America, formerly United Jewish Communities, is a non-profit, Washington, D.C.-based organization that represents 157 Jewish federations and 400 communities across the United States. The federations raise money and distribute it to social welfare and educational needs in the United States, Israel and other countries.

According to the federation's 2008 annual report, the United Jewish Communities/Federation system in 2007 "held $15 billion in endowment assets and made $1.5 billion in disbursements, with the majority to Jewish organizations. Contributions to endowment funds reached a record high of $2.6 billion and the combined revenue of endowments, the Annual Campaign and supplemental overseas giving reached $3.7 billion."

In 2008, the federations' funding abroad focused on Israel's Negev Desert, Falas Mura and Ethiopian Israelis and the unmet needs of Holocaust survivors in Israel.

While not overtly political, the federations' community branches operate as powerful local pressure groups on behalf of Israel by advocating for pro-Israeli viewpoints through local media, making it an effective grassroots engine of pro-Israel lobbying.