JFREJ membership dues are on a sliding scale, guided by our commitment to inclusion and equity. Our values-based dues structure allows us to maintain a financially stable JFREJ, while ensuring that finances are never a barrier to membership. Dues are self-selected and we hope that choosing your level on the sliding scale offers you a moment to reflect about your giving capacity. For those who can give more, we encourage you to commit at a level that is significant for you.

When possible, we ask people to make monthly recurring gifts. This allows us greater flexibility and stability and ensures that your dues will never lapse!

❋ Introductory = $5/month, $54/year. If this is your first time paying JFREJ dues, you are welcome to join at the introductory level to see how it feels to be a part of building JFREJ as a dues paying member. After your first year, we will invite you to look at the sliding scale again and reflect on what level you could give as your monthly or annual dues.

❋ Not enough to meet my basic needs = a donation of anything over $3 makes you a JFREJ member

❋ Enough to meet my basic needs, not much more = $5/month, $54/year

❋ Enough to meet my basic needs and some discretionary income = $10/month, $100/year

❋ I have discretionary income, savings, investments etc = $36/month, $400/year

❋ I have discretionary income, saving, investment, passive income, inheritance = >$100/month, >$1000/year. If you self-identity at this level, we encourage you to reach out to JFREJ’s Deputy Director at shifra@jfrej.org who can help make a personalized giving plan for your JFREJ giving.

Why is it important to be a dues-paying member of JFREJ?

JFREJ is powered by our membership-dues. In fact, individual giving accounts for 80% of JFREJ’s budget. We refuse to rely on big foundations and institutional grants, which come with their own priorities and redlines, in order to fund our work.
JFREJ’s dues-membership model is a lot like a union. Your dues demonstrate your investment. JFREJ is powered by our members in all that we do, from our organizing campaigns to our fundraising.
We believe that we are more powerful when we move collectively and pool our money, time, and talents in order to sustain and build JFREJ.

What do my dues fund?

For 36 years, JFREJ has organized Jewish New Yorkers to fight alongside our neighbors and allies for New York City’s progressive future. We are the largest Jewish organization with a grassroots membership working on advancing a progressive agenda in coalition across all lines of difference, in the city with the largest Jewish population worldwide. You can learn more about our history and accomplishments here.
JFREJ’s budget in 2026 is around $2.3 million. This is our largest budget yet and we are scaling up in all ways in order to seize the opportunities we’ve created, and defend against the threats we face. Nearly 80% of our expenses are personnel related because our greatest resource is our people. Operations account for around 10% of our budget and the remaining 10% goes towards our programming.

Do I choose how much I should give?

How much you give is always your choice. You will never be asked to justify the amount, but we encourage you to reflect and be intentional with this choice.
All JFREJ members have an equal voice in our decision making. We do not grant special privileges or access to people who give larger amounts of money.
While all of our members have an equal voice, each of us has access to a very different set of resources. If you have a lot more to give, we ask you to consider giving at a higher level.
Members can also consider their level of commitment to JFREJ in deciding how much to give. If JFREJ is an especially important political home for you, you may be willing to stretch and give at a more generous level. Of course, this may ebb and flow over time.
We affirm that a single number like income rarely tells the full story of your financial circumstances. Our circumstances, identities, needs, obligations, and family backgrounds all structure our experience of money.
If you’d like, you can use this as a productive moment to reflect on how you approach your membership and giving in general. For example, some people like to aim to give away 5% or 10% of their overall income. How much money is that for you? Consider setting an overall goal that feels meaningful for you and then adjust your recurring contributions accordingly in order to meet that goal.

What is Jewish about paying dues under a sliding scale model? *With gratitude to Rabbi Toba Spitzer for these words of Torah*

According to Jewish tradition, human beings can only be fulfilled through relationships with others. The Torah teaches that the holiest form of community is formed by a brit (a covenant) in which individuals enter into sacred relationships with one another and with the Source of Life. Anchored within a web of mutual obligation, members share a commitment to the wellbeing of the community and its values, and to one another.
Over the past 2,000 years, Jewish communities have wrestled with the issue of how to pay for communal necessities. Jewish communities have survived by creating systems of taxation to fund common goods.
While the wealthier members of the community were expected to take on a larger portion of the financial burden, even the poorest members of the community were given the opportunity to contribute something, thereby maintaining their dignity and affirming the value of giving.
The Talmud teaches that a new person in a community is given time to settle in, and is not immediately accountable for all the levies of that community. In accordance with this teaching, the JFREJ sliding scale includes a category for “introductory” dues.

What is the difference between membership dues, Mazals sponsorships and one time donations?

JFREJ hosts a fundraiser once a year called “The Mazals” and we periodically reach out for one-time gifts at important fundraising moments. You may also choose to give in a one-off way, in addition to recurring dues. Any amount you give counts towards your “membership dues” and we invite you to consider stretching for additional one-time gifts and Mazals sponsorships.

Will I get different “perks” if I give higher dues?

The answer is NO! One of our core values at JFREJ is that we recognize everyone has experience and skills to contribute to our movement. We also recognize all the ways that people give to JFREJ – their time, expertise, and their money. No one is more valued at JFREJ than anyone else and we intentionally do not give benefits or special access to people who are able to give at higher levels.

I have feedback about this model. What should I do?

We are rolling out this model as part of our 36th anniversary to recommit to keeping JFREJ powerful, accessible, and sustainable for the years to come. If you have any feedback, please reach out to shifra@jfrej.org.

What if I want to change my dues amount (now or in the future) or edit my information on file with JFREJ (name or address)?

Go to JFREJ.org/portal and enter your email to access your information. No account or password is required. The decision you are making now about dues is not permanent and you can change your dues at any time –no additional conversation required.