2025-10-28T09:12:24+00:00 2024-12-31 440160260 Forvis Mazars LLP 135 West 50th Street New York NY 10020 990 2024-01-01 130623590 The Forward Association Inc FORW 2128898200 125 Maiden Lane Floor 8 New York NY 10038 RACHEL FISHMAN FEDDERSEN CEO 2128898200 2025-10-28 true Tamar Plotzker P02047230 2128127000 2025-10-28 2024 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z RACHEL FISHMAN FEDDERSEN 125 Maiden Lane Floor 8 New York NY 10038 6785842 false X WWW.FORWARD.COM X 1901 NY STRENGTHEN ENGAGEMENT WITH JEWISH IDEAS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA AND PUBLIC EVENTS 14 14 44 18 340427 0 7187645 6296281 1292643 340427 6553 17989 210056 3732 8696897 6658429 0 0 4364001 4487803 93354 89575 870775 2239054 2038303 6696409 6615681 2000488 42748 3811965 3892689 490194 528170 3321771 3364519 THE FORWARD'S MISSION IS TO STRENGTHEN ENGAGEMENT WITH JEWISH IDEAS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH A VARIETY OF MEDIA, AND IN PUBLIC EVENTS. IT CARRIES OUT THIS MISSION BY PUBLISHING COMMENTARY ON CURRENT ISSUES AND THE ARTS, IN ENGLISH AND YIDDISH, THAT MEET THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF PUBLIC SERVICE IN JOURNALISM AND CULTURAL EXPRESSION. IT FURTHERS THIS MISSION THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS THAT ENGAGE DEEPLY WITH THE HISTORY, RANGE AND VARIETY OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH EXPERIENCE. false false 4844702 The largest program of the Forward Assocation is its website and associated digital properties, including newsletters, videos and social media programs. It reaches approximately 1.4 million readers a month via the internet at Forward.com and other websites. The quality of its journalism has been recognized with numerous awards for news and cultural coverage, editorials, and digital innovation. 328193 YIDDISH MEDIA DIVISION: THE SECOND MAJOR PROGRAM OF THE FORWARD ASSOCIATION IS ITS YIDDISH PUBLICATION, FORVERTS. UPDATED REGULARLY ONLINE, IT IS ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING PUBLICATIONS IN YIDDISH IN THE WORLD AND PROVIDES AN INDISPENSABLE SERVICE TO ITS READERS THROUGH ITS COVERAGE OF YIDDISH CULTURE AS WELL AS NEWS FROM ISRAEL, THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD. THE WEBSITE INCLUDES DOZENS OF VIDEO FEATURES. FORVERTS REACHES AROUND 20,000 READERS MONTHLY VIA THE INTERNET AT FORWARD.COM/YIDDISH. 5172895 true true false false false false false true false false true false false true false false false true false false false false false true true false false false false true false false false false false false false false false false true false false false false true true true false false true X 105 0 true 44 true true true true CA false false false false false false false false false false X 14 14 false false false false true true false true true false false false true true true true true true true true false false CA FL GA AL HI IL KS KY MD MA MI MN MS NH NJ NM NY NC ND OR PA RI SC TN UT VA AR WV WI X SOCHIETA MOTH 2128898200 125 MAIDEN LANE FLOOR 8 NEW YORK NY 10038 Alan Silberstein Chair 4.0 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Howard Swibel Director-At-Large/Secretary 2.0 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Jacob Morowitz Director/Investment Policy Committee Chair 1.0 1.0 X X 0 0 0 James Feldman Vice Chair/Nominating Committee Chair 2.0 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Jeff Gottlieb thru 111224 Secretary 2.0 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Samuel Norich Development Committee Chair 6.0 2.0 X X 0 0 0 Yeheskel Dattner Treasurer 1.0 1.0 X X 0 0 0 Cheryl Fishbein Director-At-Large 1.0 X 0 0 0 Dennis Levitt from 111224 Director-At-Large 1.0 X 0 0 0 Don Kimelman Director-At-Large 1.0 X 0 0 0 Edward Blank thru 111224 Director-At-Large 1.0 X 0 0 0 Joel Brown Audit Committee Chair/Director-At-Large 2.0 X 0 0 0 Julie Stone from 111224 Director-At-Large 1.0 X 0 0 0 Ken Bob thru 111224 Director-At-Large 3.0 X 0 0 0 Lisa Portnoy from 111224 Director-At-Large 1.0 X 0 0 0 Marcy Syms Compensation Committee Chair 1.0 X 0 0 0 Marge Magner Budget Committee Chair 2.5 X 0 0 0 Ronnie Zolin thru 111224 Audit Committee Chair 1.0 X 0 0 0 Rachel Fishman Feddersen CEO 40.0 1.0 X 365640 0 49962 Sochieta Moth VP Finance 40.0 1.0 X 235082 0 3741 Jay Ehrlich Senior VP Operations 40.0 X 245560 0 48571 Jodi Rudoren Editor in Chief 40.0 X 316505 0 48994 Lisa Lepson VP Development 40.0 X 218966 0 56297 Adam Langer Managing Editor 40.0 X 124059 0 46010 Cheuk Mui Controller 40.0 X 137884 0 17865 Lauren Markoe Editor 40.0 X 129112 0 15293 1772808 0 286733 8 false true false MacHelp NYC LLC 81 Prospect Street Brooklyn NY 11201 IT Services 254105 Marilynn Jacobs Consulting LLC 71 Mountainview Road Milburn NJ 07041 Marketing Consultant 156099 2 37628 1448000 4810653 128385 6296281 Media Revenue 513110 340427 340427 0 0 0 0 340427 7796 7796 4420 4420 0 0 128385 118192 10193 0 10193 10193 6563 37628 9221 -2658 -2658 MISCELLANEOUS 1970 1970 0 0 0 0 1970 6658429 0 340427 21721 X 1539635 1180999 121552 237084 2322157 1781244 183331 357582 24293 18634 1918 3741 340481 261171 26880 52430 261237 200386 20624 40227 44121 10812 18388 14921 53550 53550 89575 89575 1150049 1138254 11795 0 23905 21059 2846 255629 185783 49606 20240 105514 99741 5773 113937 88652 7964 17321 62752 38945 10010 13797 15454 9476 4167 1811 16341 13206 1601 1534 96604 78938 17666 Photos 44336 44336 Uncollectible Pledges 50000 50000 Misc Expenses 6111 1259 4852 0 0 0 0 6615681 5172895 572011 870775 262047 740444 1183825 374370 608849 626013 77995 62340 0 0 0 102542 109815 629016 591707 45439 37309 3030 3030 4065 4065 0 1524173 1935303 3811965 3892689 488742 528170 1452 0 0 0 490194 528170 X 2836771 2765040 485000 599479 3321771 3364519 3811965 3892689 42748 0 X false true true false X 4047931 4928136 5776162 7187645 6296281 28236155 636996 700757 943604 970949 0 3252306 0 0 0 4684927 5628893 6719766 8158594 6296281 31488461 766351 1050974 567609 1011480 599380 3995794 0 0 0 0 0 0 766351 1050974 567609 1011480 599380 3995794 27492667 6461 9052 4896 8228 12216 40853 0 0 0 0 0 0 6461 9052 4896 8228 12216 40853 0 0 0 0 0 0 2251 5205 13376 209227 8533 238592 4693639 5643150 6738038 8376049 6317030 31767906 0.86542 0.8116 0 0.0014 X Schedule A, Part III, Line 12 Other Income DESCRIPTION - MISC. INCOME, COLUMN A - 306.0, COLUMN B - 1272.0, COLUMN C - 10376.0, COLUMN D - 6600.0, COLUMN E - 1970.0, COLUMN F - 20524.0; DESCRIPTION - SPECIAL EVENT INCOME, COLUMN A - 1945.0, COLUMN B - 3933.0, COLUMN C - 3000.0, COLUMN D - 6171.0, COLUMN E - 6563.0, COLUMN F - 21612.0; DESCRIPTION - INSURANCE PROCEEDS, COLUMN A - , COLUMN B - , COLUMN C - , COLUMN D - 196456.0, COLUMN E - , COLUMN F - 196456.0; RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED X false 629016 591707 37309 37309 Due from Forward Fund 1935303 1935303 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Schedule D, Part III, Line 4 Collections of art - description of collections THE FORWARD ASSOCIATION HAS DEVOTED SUBSTANTIAL EFFORT AND FUNDS FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS TO THE ARCHIVAL DESCRIPTION AND CONSERVATION OF ONE OF THE LARGEST COLLECTIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS DOCUMENTING THE HISTORY OF JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, EASTERN EUROPE AND ISRAEL, SPANNING THE ENTIRE 20TH CENTURY. THE YIDDISH FORWARD, OR FORVERTS, PUBLISHED AS A DAILY NEWSPAPER FROM 1897 TO 1983, AS A WEEKLY UNTIL FEBRUARY OF 2012, A BIWEEKLY UNTIL APRIL 2016, A MONTHLY AS OF APRIL 2016, AND FULLY DIGITAL BEGINNING IN EARLY 2019, HAS ALWAYS FEATURED ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMMISSIONED FOR ITS PAGES. THE PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION IS GLOBAL IN SCOPE BUT IS ESPECIALLY RICH IN ITS EMPHASIS ON 20TH CENTURY JEWISH HISTORY, NEW YORK IMMIGRANT HISTORY, AND JEWISH COMMUNAL LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD AMASSED BY THE FORVERTS EDITORS PAID PARTICULAR ATTENTION IN ITS EARLY DECADES TO CLASS STRIFE, STRIKES AND UNIONS, AND THEN BROADENED ITS FOCUS TO JEWISH WORKING CLASS PARTICIPATION IN THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC LIFE OF URBAN AMERICA. IT CHRONICLED THE 1930S MOBILIZATION AGAINST FASCISM, THE WARTIME HOME FRONT EFFORTS, THE VICTORIES WON BY SOVIET AND WESTERN ARMIES, THE DESPERATION OF THE REMNANTS OF EUROPEAN JEWRY IN THE IMMEDIATE POSTWAR YEARS TO RECONNECT WITH RELATIVES IN THE US, AND TO EMIGRATE TO THE US OR TO ISRAEL. THE FORVERTS GAVE ITS MOSTLY POOR AND WORKING CLASS READERSHIP A WINDOW ON A WIDER WORLD AND HELPED TO ARTICULATE AND CRYSTALLIZE THE LIBERAL ETHOS OF AMERICAN JEWS WHICH HAS CHARACTERIZED OUR COMMUNITY EVER SINCE. IT WAS A NEWSPAPER ABOUT YIDDISH AS MUCH AS IT WAS A NEWSPAPER IN YIDDISH: IN TEXT AND IMAGE, IT HAS DEPICTED THE VAST RECORD OF YIDDISH ART AND LITERATURE, IN MORE DETAIL AND OVER A WIDER CHRONOLOGICAL AND GEOGRAPHIC SPAN THAN ANY OTHER PERIODICAL. AND YET, BY THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THIS LARGE AND UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION WAS HARDLY KNOWN BEYOND THE CONFINES OF THE FORVERTS' OWN STAFF. IN 1998 THE FORWARD ASSOCIATION HIRED ARCHIVAL STAFF TO IDENTIFY, CATALOGUE AND CONSERVE ITS HOLDINGS. WE NOW KNOW THAT IT CONTAINS GLASS NEGATIVES, METAL AND CARDBOARD PLATES, BOUND ROTOGRAVURE VOLUMES, AND OVER 40,000 GELATIN SILVER PHOTOS DERIVED FROM THE ORIGINAL PRINTING PROCESS OF OUR NEWSPAPER. IN THE PAST 24 YEARS WE HAVE CREATED A COMPUTERIZED DATABASE WITH ITEM-LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS OF THREE-QUARTERS OF THE IMAGES IN THE COLLECTION, AND WE HAVE STORED THE PROCESSED IMAGES IN ACID-FREE ENVELOPES SUITABLE FOR ARCHIVAL STORAGE. SINCE 2009 THE ARCHIVES HAVE BEEN HOUSED IN A TEMPERATURE-AND-HUMIDITY-CONTROLLED, PROTECTED SPACE TO ENSURE THEIR SAFETY. X X X X X true Kenneth Cohen 81 Clarken Drive West Orange NJ 07052 Outreach and Solicitation of Donors false 0 5000 -5000 Plan A Advisors 30 Usonia Road Pleastantville NY 10570 Fundraising Advisory Services false 5000 15000 -10000 Linked Philantropic Strategies 1802 Avenue M Suite 305 Brooklyn NY 11230 Fundraising Advisory Services false 0 15780 -15780 Altruicity 7755 Stanway Place E Boca Raton FL 33433 Fundraising Advisory Services false 250000 26195 223805 Lauren Di Silvio Heinz DBA LD 15 Fox Hunt Lane Cold Spring Harbor NY 11724 Grant Narrative Writing false 1095000 27600 1067400 1350000 89575 1260425 CA FL GA AL HI IL KS KY MD MA MI MN MS NH NJ NM NY NC ND OR PA RI SC TN UT VA AR WV WI Yiddish Event 44191 37628 6563 9221 0 0 44191 37628 6563 9221 9221 -2658 X X X X true false false false false false false true false Rachel Fishman Feddersen CEO 330640 0 35000 0 0 0 6821 0 43141 0 415602 0 0 0 Sochieta Moth VP Finance 215082 0 20000 0 0 0 2463 0 1278 0 238823 0 0 0 Jodi Rudoren Editor in Chief 276505 0 40000 0 0 0 5738 0 43256 0 365499 0 0 0 Jay Ehrlich Senior VP Operations 220560 0 25000 0 0 0 4634 0 43937 0 294131 0 0 0 Lisa Lepson VP Development 200966 0 18000 0 0 0 4370 0 51927 0 275263 0 0 0 Adam Langer Managing Editor 124059 0 0 0 0 0 2700 0 43310 0 170069 0 0 0 Cheuk Mui Controller 137884 0 0 0 0 0 2760 0 15105 0 155749 0 0 0 Schedule J, Part I, Line 4a Severance or change-of-control payment ONE INDIVIDUAL RECEIVED SEVERANCE PAYMENTS AND THE AMOUNTS ARE REPORTED ON FORM 990. DUE TO CONFIDENTIALITY CONCERNS, THE NAME OF THE INDIVIDUAL IS NOT DISCLOSED. THE DETAILED INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO THE IRS UPON REQUEST. Schedule J, Part I, Line 7 Non-fixed payments CERTAIN EXECUTIVES RECEIVED DISCRETIONARY BONUSES RECOMMENDED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD CHAIR. THIS IS DONE ANNUALLY. 3 128385 Other - SALES PRICE 0 false false false Schedule M, Part I Explanations of reporting method for number of contributions Securities - Publicly traded - THE NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTIONS ABOVE REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF DONORS OF PUBLICLY TRADED SECURITIES DURING THE YEAR. Form 990, Part VI, Line 6 Classes of members or stockholders THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE ASSOCIATION SHALL CONSIST OF THOSE MEMBERS WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN ELECTED TO MEMBERSHIP AND NOW ENJOY THAT STATUS, AND SUCH MEMBERS AS ARE ELECTED TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE FUTURE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BYLAWS. Form 990, Part VI, Line 7a Members or stockholders electing members of governing body THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PREPARES A SLATE OF CANDIDATES WHO ARE VOTED UPON BY THE ENTIRE ASSOCIATION AT A GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING. IF ELECTED, MEMBERS SERVE FOR AN INITIAL 6 YEAR TERM. THEY MAY THEN BE NOMINATED FOR ONE OR MORE ADDITIONAL 6 YEAR TERMS. THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE PREPARES A SLATE OF CANDIDATES FOR THE 4 OFFICERS, 8 COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND 4 AT-LARGE MEMBERS WHO COMPRISE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION VOTE TO ELECT THE OFFICERS AND THE BOARD. Form 990, Part VI, Line 11b Review of form 990 by governing body BEFORE THE FORM 990 WAS FILED WITH IRS, IT WAS FIRST REVIEWED BY MANAGEMENT, THEN DISTRIBUTED VIA EMAIL TO MEMBERS OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR REVIEW. THE MEMBERS COMMUNICATED ANY QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS TO MANAGEMENT. Form 990, Part VI, Line 12c Conflict of interest policy THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY IS DISTRIBUTED ANNUALLY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND KEY EMPLOYEES. EACH INDIVIDUAL IS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ANNUALLY THAT HE OR SHE HAS READ THE POLICY AND WHETHER HE OR SHE HAS ENGAGED IN AN ACTIVITY THAT WOULD POSE A CONFLICT. THESE REPORTS ARE REVIEWED BY THE BOARD. FURTHER, IF AN INDIVIDUAL BECOMES AWARE OF A CONFLICT PRIOR TO THE ANNUAL SUBMISSION OF HIS OR HER REPORT, THAT INDIVIDUAL IS REQUIRED TO IMMEDIATELY INFORM THE BOARD. IF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS IDENTIFIED, THAT PERSON SHALL REFRAIN FROM USING HIS OR HER PERSONAL INFLUENCE TO ENCOURAGE THE ASSOCIATION TO ENGAGE IN THOSE ACTIVITIES AND HE OR SHE WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN DELIBERATIONS RELATED TO THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15a Process to establish compensation of top management official THE CEO'S AND ALL EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION IS REVIEWED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE AFTER EXAMINING PERTINENT NOT FOR PROFIT COMPANIES. ONCE APPROVED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS VOTES ON THE PROPOSED CONTRACT (CONTRACT NOT APPLICABLE FOR REGULAR EMPLOYEES). THE PROCESS IS DONE ANNUALLY. Form 990, Part VI, Line 15b Process to establish compensation of other employees THE CEO/PUBLISHER'S AND ALL EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION IS REVIEWED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE AFTER EXAMINING PERTINENT NOT FOR PROFIT COMPANIES. ONCE APPROVED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS VOTES ON THE PROPOSED CONTRACT (CONTRACT NOT APPLICABLE FOR REGULAR EMPLOYEES). THE PROCESS IS DONE ANNUALLY. Form 990, Part VI, Line 19 Required documents available to the public THE ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS, CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Form 990, Part IX, Line 11g Other Fees Freelance writers - Total Expense: 293525, Program Service Expense: 293525, Management and General Expenses: , Fundraising Expenses: ; Other Professional Fees - Total Expense: 856524, Program Service Expense: 844729, Management and General Expenses: 11795, Fundraising Expenses: ; THE FORWARD FUND 125 MAIDEN LANE NEW YORK NY 10038 454590140 SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION NY 501(c)(3) Type I THE FORWARD ASSOCIATION INC true false false true false false false false false false false false false false true true false false false false FORWARD FUND INC C 1448000 CASH