International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada is 4-star rated, financially transparent charity. It has an above average score in results reporting and its overhead costs are outside of Ci’s reasonable range. International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada has $1.6m in reserve funds which can cover two months of annual program costs.

Founded in 2003, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada (IFCJC) aims to promote better relations and understanding between Christians and Jews. IFCJC is the Canadian chapter of International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, founded in 1983 by Orthodox Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein (1951-2019). On her father's death, Yael Eckstein became IFCJC's president.

IFCJC's programs provide humanitarian care and aid to Israel and Jewish people worldwide. IFCJC has three main programs: Guardians of Israel, Isaiah 58, and On Wings of Eagles. 

Guardians of Israel – 46% of program spending 

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada reports 20% of Israelis in Israel live below the poverty line. This is one in three for children. Through the Guardians of Israel program, IFCJC provides food, clothing, and other essentials for people in need in Israel. In F2022, the charity distributed 632,520 hot meals in 22 soup kitchens in Israel. It also provided 730 backpacks and school supplies to children and provided 196,326 hours of home care to elderly people. In addition, it distributed food cards and food packages to 1,800 elderly people in Israel.

Isaiah 58 – 34% of program spending

The charity states that 56,000 Holocaust survivors live in the former Soviet Union (FSU). It adds that 50% of Jewish children in the FSU live under the poverty line. The Isaiah 58 program gives food, medical care, companionship, and other assistance to Jews in the FSU. The charity reports that it performed 23 emergency surgeries and medical treatments for children in the FSU. It also provided blankets to 3,039 elderly people with survival items such as food, blankets and clothing. 

On Wings of Eagles – 20% of program spending

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews explains that many Jews feel threatened by anti-Semitism in their livelihoods. The charity adds that one in three eastern Europeans have anti-Semitic attitudes. Through the On Wings of Eagles program, IFCJC rescues Jews from rising anti-Semitism and poverty by helping them immigrate to Israel. The charity reports that it helped 1,174 Jewish refugees immigrate to Israel in F2022.

IFCJC's F2022 T3010 filing with the CRA reports domestic and international grants that Charity Intelligence cannot reconcile with IFCJC's spending reported in its audited financial statements. These include $6.2m transferred to Keren L'Yedidut in Israel (the Israeli chapter of IFCJ), $1.9m to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Centre in Russia and $720k to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Ukraine. It also granted $135k to The Jerusalem Foundation of Canada Inc. and $100k to the Canadian Foundation for Education and Welfare of Jews of the CIS.

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada received $14.4m in donations in F2022, compared with $13.2m in F2021 and $11.6m in F2020. Administrative costs are 9% of revenues (less investment income), and fundraising costs are 29% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 37%. For every dollar donated, 63 cents go to the cause, which is outside of Ci's reasonable range for overhead spending. 

IFCJC has $1.6m in reserve funds, which can cover 16% or two months of its annual program costs, indicating a need for funding.

IFCJC reports using external fundraisers, paying $133k to raise $776k in F2022. This means the charity paid $0.17 for each dollar raised by external fundraisers.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 14, 2023 by Victoria Allder