American Jewry, through 125 federations and welfare funds, distributed $15,169,803 for relief and reconstruction in 1936 — almost three-quarters of it for local causes and something less than 15 per cent for causes outside the community.
The statistics were made public by the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds in a chart published in the February issue of Notes and News, the council’s periodical.
The funds for local causes, totalling $11,119,093, or 73.3 per cent were broken down as follows: 30.5 per cent for medical care, 29.4 per cent for family welfare, 18.6 per cent for orphan homes and other services to children, 15.4 per cent for educational, cultural and recreational activities, 3.3 per cent for care of the aged and 2.1 per cent for job placement and vocational guidance work.
The $2,083,198 or 13.6 per cent of the total, distributed for outside causes includes $1,491,361 for overseas relief and reconstruction — 56.1 per cent of it to Europe and 43.9 per cent to Palestine.
Welfare funds contributed $445,665 to activities in five fields which are national in scope, including 34.5 per cent for educational and cultural, work, 29.1 per cent for national hospitals and tubercular care, 17 per cent for protection of Jewish civil and political rights and the campaign against prejudice and discrimination, 8 per cent for immigrant-aid and 11.4 per cent for coordination and research.
The smallest proportion of the non-local expenditures by the 125 federations and welfare funds was that contributed for regional work. Of the $136,469 disbursed for regional activities, 63.1 per cent was for child care, 25.3 per cent for care of the aged, and 11.6 per cent for educational and cultural work. Administration and fund-raising costs were $1,419,507, or 9.4 per cent of the total disbursements of the 125 agencies. The remaining 3.7 per cent of the entire outlay, or $548,008, was used for repayment of loans, special funds and other financial arrangements.
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