2024-05-15T10:58:13-07:00 2023-06-30 821639491 RLN US LLP 60 E 42nd St Ste 1201 New York NY 10165 990 2022-07-01 363673594 Project Kesher PROJ 3125109589 2660 Broadway 16 New York NY 10025 Karyn Gershon CEO 2024-05-15 true Karyn Gershon 999009999 true Roland Nezaj P01525353 2125486210 0 AAL1 IAL1 FAL1 2022 2023-04-26 12:10:37Z Karyn Gershon 2660 Broadway 16 New York NY 10025 2194520 false X www.projectkesher.org X 1989 IL Project Keshers mission is to build Jewish community and advance civil society bydeveloping and empowering women leaders. 17 17 6 27 0 2803464 2137348 0 316 0 250 57172 2804030 2194520 1277587 1617067 0 462544 536703 0 350641 274089 263509 2014220 2417279 789810 -222759 1385384 1190925 5000 33300 1380384 1157625 See Schedule O false false 1876127 See Schedule O 1876127 true false false false false false false false false false true false false false false true true false false false true true false false true false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 8 0 true 6 true false false false false false false false 0 false false false false false false false X 17 17 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true false false IL NY X Karyn G Gershon 3125109589 2660 Broadway 16 New York NY 10025 Karyn Gershon CEO 40.00 0.00 X 192521 0 0 Megan McLean Director 40.00 0.00 X 76410 0 0 Shira Pruce Director 40.00 0.00 X 69219 0 0 Samantha Tieger Director 40.00 0.00 X 61465 0 0 Michelle Stack CDO 40.00 0.00 X 40833 0 0 Roz Blanck Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Jennifer Daniels Secretary 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Sheila Friedland Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Barbara Glickstein Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Sheila Lambert Chairman 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Elisabeth Lerner Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Shari Lusskin Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Beth Mann Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Kate Epstein Mankoff Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Rabbi Karen Perolman Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Arleen Priest Treasurer 2.00 0.00 X X 0 0 0 Deborah Roberts Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Eunice Ward Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 Janet Winter Director 2.00 0.00 X 0 0 0 440448 1 false true false 0 603657 1533691 2137348 0 0 0 0 0 0 603657 0 0 0 Other Income 900099 57172 57172 57172 2194520 57172 0 0 1617067 1617067 0 441873 176716 74886 190271 0 0 0 0 94830 37925 16071 40834 0 0 52370 52370 0 0 0 32718 32718 0 7365 2735 1685 2945 0 0 0 2908 1163 493 1252 0 0 54 54 0 3300 3300 3035 1214 514 1307 Event Expense 114032 114032 US Programming-Intl Seminars 38917 38917 Licenses and Fees 3590 3590 Postage and Shipping 3346 336 3010 1874 1874 2417279 1876127 190511 350641 385391 395348 769193 595577 212500 200000 0 0 0 0 0 15000 0 16500 16500 3300 0 0 0 0 0 0 1385384 1190925 5000 33300 5000 33300 X 463640 653118 916744 504507 1380384 1157625 1385384 1190925 -222759 X false false false X 1165326 1241768 1235785 2803464 2137348 8583691 0 0 1165326 1241768 1235785 2803464 2137348 8583691 0 8583691 157 316 473 0 18266 417 4458 250 57172 80563 8664727 0.99060 0.69520 X 16500 16500 X 2194520 2194520 2194520 2417279 2417279 2417279 Part X : FIN48 Footnote Part X - FASB ASC 740 FootnoteProject Kesher does not believe its financial statements include any material, uncertain tax positions. Tax filings for periods ending June 30, 2019 and later are subject to examination by applicable taxing authorities. true Russia and Neighboring States 0 0 Grants to Jewish Orgs Education 1369970 Middle East 0 0 Grants to Jewish Orgs Education 247097 1617067 1617067 Middle East Education 247097 Transfers Russia and Neig Education 1369970 Transfers 2 false false false false false false X false Virtual Event 603657 603657 603657 603657 X X false false false false false false false false false Karyn Gershon CEO 192521 192521 Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b No review was or will be conducted. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 No documents available to the public. Form 990, Part III, Line 1 - Organization Mission MissionProject Keshers mission is to build Jewish community and advance civil society bydeveloping and empowering women leaders.VisionProject Kesher will expand and deepen a sustainable, global network of women leaderswho are steeped in Jewish values and work to improve the quality of their lives andtheir societies.ValuesThe values that drive Project Kesher today and into the future are based on:Judaisma deep commitment to tzedek, the pursuit of social justice; gemilut chasadim,loving kindness; the truth that all people are BtzelemElohim, created in the image of G-d; an embrace of Klal Yisroel, Jewish peoplehood; and a belief that Jewish education and learning should inform all of our activities.Feminisma deep commitment to gender equality; a recognition of womens unique ability to nurture and educate one another and empower ourselves; a recognition that womens philanthropy can address the issues women prioritize.Pluralisma deep commitment to foster religious and ethnic understanding; a respectfor the individual, for different expressions of Judaism, perspectives and cultures;and a willingness to build on these differences and act as a catalyst for theirintegration in the larger community. Form 990, Part III, Line 4a - Program Service Accomplishments Project Kesher (PK) continued to invest in the empowerment of women and girls and supported grassroots networks of Jewish women leaders in Belarus, Israel, and Ukraine as they advocated for Jewish life, the advancement of womens rights and promotion of civil society. Due to Russias escalated war in Ukraine and US sanctions, PK no longer operated in Russia.Founded in 1989, PK helped incorporate affiliated, independent nonprofit organizations in Belarus, Israel, and Ukraine. In partnership for over 30 years, PK raises resources, cultivates relationships, and generates awareness for the organizations and women in our network. Annual flagship programs have included Womens Leadership Training, Jewish education and holiday celebrations, and health advocacy. With 28 years experience and a fully operational team in Ukraine, Project Kesher Ukraine (PKU) was able to shift and respond when Russia escalated the war in February 2022. PKU has firsthand knowledge of the humanitarian and mental health needs of women in Ukraine because its longtime activists are in Ukraine and have extensive experience with this demographic. Through trusted wartime partners and historic allies, PKU leaders know where food and supplies are needed in the larger society and ensure that they get deliveries. Due to the fact that PK, PKU, and our partners are small and enormously flexible, these organizations can respond to communities with less than 48 hours notice.Some of PK and PKUs accomplishments in this fiscal year included:-Coordinated and helped underwrite 9,000 evacuations;-Distributed 351 cash grants to displaced women totaling more than $110,000 and worked with recipients on evacuation plans;-Purchased and distributed with partners: -300 generators, hundreds of power banks and flashlights for warming and food distribution centers including synagogues/JCCs and a hospital in Kyiv https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/24/world/europe/ukraine-power-outages-hospitals.html; -600,000 pounds of food; -5,500 menstrual cups and launched a social media campaign to make cups more mainstream in Ukraine; and -1,000 Plan B kits for women in the war zone and 500 dignity kits for women in the military and in IDP camps.-Underwrote a Workshop on preventing & responding to Conflict-related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Ukraine;-Launched: - a womens mental health initiative called Survivors Truth. Facilitators are trained to help women frame their narratives as tales of resilience and heroism; - In partnership with Dr. Kristen Ali Eglinton of the Footage Foundation, FEMSMS, a text messaging initiative (with 98% positive feedback) to provide compassionate communication to women during wartime which will be featured at the UN in March. PK provided funding and PKU content; and - 24 shows on womens health issues on Ukrainian public radio.- Beta tested a mental health app, TraumaBrace, recommended by the global womens mental health team at Columbia University. 99% of the 200 women tested concluded that they did not have PTSD but were simply living through war, allowing us to identify those with greatest need;- Made 50 grants (out of 127 applicants) to women owned small Ukrainian businesses;-Gave 10 women full scholarships for advanced IT training in Ukraine;-Created a website for women refugees providing vetted information for key countries on how to get benefits and support (100s of visitors/week;-Provided an online Visiting Moms initiative and a Telegram channel that supported hundreds of pregnant women daily navigating the war with content from professionals;-Conducted over 500 online programs on: -English for women in Ukraine and refugees; - Jewish holiday celebrations and Rosh Chodesh in Ukrainian; - how to talk to children about war and handle panic attacks through breathing and meditation; - how to prepare your home for the war; and - 16 Days to End Violence Against Women-Translated key Jewish prayers and services into Ukrainian, as well as the first Ukrainian language haggadah. Israeli Operations:With the influx of approximately 100,000 immigrants from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, the scope of Project Kesher Israels (PKIs) work grew exponentially. In addition, women in PKIs demographic faced particular challenges and the LGBTQ community was being denied the benefits it needed to survive in Israel. These problems were highlighted in two articles. https://www.timesofisrael.com/raped-abused-exploited-ukrainian-women-seeking-refuge-in-israel-find-no-haven/. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-01-10/ty-article-magazine/.premium/lgbtq-couples-fleeing-russia-for-israel-find-new-struggles-ahead-of-them/00000185-9bcc-d749-a5c5-bfce93410000 In the Haaretz article, PKI was literally working with every couple and group cited.PKI became known as an important source of information for new immigrants and a resource for funders who want to address their needs. PKI focused on helping ensure a successful personal and professional adjustment to living in Israel through programs that introduced immigrants to Israeli life while helping them cope with the impact of war, forced immigration and the enormous stresses/fears of change. PKIs 15 years of working with new immigrants and its expertise in introducing them to the cultural, legal, educational, feminist and progressive aspects of living in Israel, as well as its status as the foremost organization working with this demographic, positioned it to have an enormous impact at this moment in history. Some of the initiatives underway included.I.Working Group to Address the Needs of Ukrainian and Russian Women Immigrants in IsraelIn response to The Times of Israel article on the abuse of immigrant women from our demographic, PKI launched a working group in February 2023 staffed by an expert facilitator. The initial goals of the working group were to set forth a grassroots plan of action for addressing the issues raised in the article (social change strategies, possible joint activism, opportunities for collaboration, etc); attract support for the work; and collectively advocate for improved conditions. II.LGBTQ Immigrant NeedsPKI anticipated having 40-50 immigrants needing its programs providing Jewish education, emotional support and legal assistance. By the end of this fiscal year, more than 400 LGBTQ immigrants were enrolled in these programs. PKI put together a coalition including leading LGBTQ centers, social workers, health care providers, lawyers and activists to respond to the needs of this community.III.UlpanFor 2022-23, PKI budgeted for one ulpan class and ended the fiscal year with 5 active classes (total 115 participants). Note: for a variety of reasons often related to their citizenship status/paperwork, many immigrants cannot access government funded ulpan groups. IV.New PKI GroupsPKI developed groups throughout Israel where Russian-speaking immigrants gather to learn about living in Israel and find support. Five PKI groups organically emerged in Modiin, Haifa, Ashdod, Ramat Gan and Dimona as a result of the influx of new immigrants. Each group required a coordinator to help the immigrants navigate Israeli bureaucracy, learn about benefits/banking/ resources, etc. The groups conducted a series of tracks including day trips to key cities - like Jerusalem and Tel Aviv where they saw important sites, learned the history and learned about Israeli culture, business and politics. Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b - Form 990 Review Process The auditor provided a draft of the form 990 to the management and finance committeewho provided edits to the auditor. A copy of the 990 was sent to the board and theform filed with the IRS. Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c - Explanation of Monitoring and Enforceme The organization has a board approved conflicts of interest policy. Each boardmember must fill out an annual declaration stating they had no conflicts oridentifying the nature of their interested party transactions. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a - Compensation Review & Approval Process Each year, the finance committee reviews comparable salaries based on a recognizedstudy and reviews the performance of the CEO to determine if the existing salaryfalls within these ranges. The CEO conducts the same process with the two seniorstaff members. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19 - Other Organization Documents Publicly Av Governing documents are available upon request.