Boys Town Jerusalem Foundation of America

Mission: The Boys Town Jerusalem Foundation of America (BTJFA), www.boystownjerusalem.org raises funds for the development of a comprehensive education program for disadvantaged boys, mainly at the large campus in Israel. Founded in 1949 in response to the Holocaust, and dedicated to providing an outstanding education for Israeli children, regardless of race, class or socio-economic background, Boys Town Jerusalem is a residential school located within Israel's pre-1967 borders. It encompasses grades 7-12 and a two year College of Applied Engineering. The curriculum, which is monitored and approved by Israel's Ministry of Education, combines the timeless values of the Jewish heritage and advanced technology, while inspiring students to serve the State of Israel, as both soldiers and responsible citizens.

Financial Efficiency Evaluation:
According to Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org/),
America’s leading charity evaluator, BTJFA has an overall rating of
2 stars (four stars is the highest rating.) Charity Navigator provides
the followingbreakdown of BTJFA based on 990 tax returns through
2006:
Overall Rating: 2 stars **
Organizational Efficiency: Efficiency Rating 1 star*
Program Expenses: 69.4%
Administrative Expenses: 12.2%
Fundraising Expenses: 18.3%
Fundraising Efficiency: $0.35

(BTJFA spends $0.35 to raise $1.)
Organizational Capacity: Capacity Rating 3 stars ***
Primary Revenue Growth: -7.9%
Program Expenses Growth: 10.8%
Working Capital Ratio (years): 4.60
(BTJFA can sustain itself for 4.60 years without
generating new revenue.)
Organizational Capacity refers to an organization’s ability
to sustain itself over time. Charities that exhibit consistent
revenue and expenses growth are more likely to sustain its
programs and services over the long haul.

BTJFA has net assets of 34,737,996. Compensation for its
Executive Vice President, Rabbi Ronald L. Gray, was $265,000 which represents 4.15% of expenses. For comparison purposes, compensation for the President of the American Jewish World Service, Ruth Messinger, was $191,000 which represents 0.79% of expenses.
t position of management, and therefore who would normally be responsible for carrying out the mission of the charity and leading the organization on a day-to-day basis.)

Recent News: 1) Tons of Help for Rosh Hashana: The entire student body of Boys Town Jerusalem volunteered to pack 2000 boxes of food for pre-holiday distribution to needy families in the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv regions. Among the students packing boxes were 20 recently arrived immigrants from Ethiopia, who are living in the Boys Town dormitories and studying in a special program designed to help them integrate into Israeli life.

2) Helping Sderot Boys Celebrate Their Bar Mitzvahs:
13-year-old Sderot resident Rafael Elbaz celebrated his
Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem recently, the second such occasion
hosted by Boys Town Jerusalem. To aid Sderot’s embattled
population, Boys Town Jerusalem has been inviting families
from the war torn city to celebrate their Bar Mitzvah simchah
at the school’s Bayit Vegan campus. Boys Town provides a
festive meal, plus musical entertainment by the students and faculty, free of charge.

Recommendations:
1) In order to earn a higher rating from Charity Navigator,
BTJFA needs to spend more of its revenue on its program
expenses, disadvantaged boys of Israel, and less on
administration and fundraising.
2) BTFA has a good working capital ratio (4.60 years).
Publicizing this fact may help its fundraising efforts.

Next Week’s Blog: Jewish Community Center in Manhattan