Forward Assoc INC: FY2020 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 13-0623590)

Rachel Fishman Feddersen’s $366K as CEO is at the 98th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3924 $1–10M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

Name	FY2024	FY2023	FY2022	FY2021	FY2020
Rachel Fishman Feddersen	$365,640	$330,353	$335,250	$319,619	$308,820
Jodi Rudoren	$316,505	$266,876	$267,020	$251,019	$222,645
Jay Ehrlich	$245,560	$227,307	$225,422	$217,161	$218,550
Sochieta Moth	$235,082	—	—	—	—
Lisa Lepson	$218,966	$194,593	$202,733	$199,795	$201,384
Alan Bendich	—	—	$200,353	$194,863	$189,333
Robert Eshman	—	—	—	$141,113	—
Cheuk Mui	$137,884	$133,810	$129,941	$128,696	$127,521

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Forward Assoc INC executive salaries →

On this list? Claim this org

Something off? Claim to add context

Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Promotes Jewish ideas and community through media and public events.

Questions for Forward Assoc INC

Tap to ask. Forward Assoc INC sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Forward Assoc INC answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

Know this org? Add your story

2 programs · $4.1M · in their own filed words · FY2020

01

The largest program of the forward assocation is its website and associated digital properties, including newsletters, videos and social media programs. It reaches approximately 1.5 million readers a month via the internet at FORWARD.COM.

$3.7Mprogram expense

02

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…

$363Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record

Grants received · FY2024

Forward Fund INCFY2024$1.4M

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFY2024$597K

Horace W Goldsmith FoundationFY2024$350K

Atran Foundation INCFY2024$120K

Raymond James Charitable Endowment FundFY2024$101K

Vanguard Charitable Endowment ProgramFY2024$66K

The Omega FoundationFY2024$61K

Jewish Funders NetworkFY2024$60K

Total grants receivedfrom 35 funders$3.1M

See all 35 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

Download 990

from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$5.0M

Ln 12

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.0M

Fees for servicesLn 2g$980K

Money outPt IX

$5.3M

Ln 25

Programscol B$4.1M

Managementcol C$486K

Fundraisingcol D$738K

Owns and owesPt X

$254K

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$372K

Total assetsLn 16$1.8M

LiabilitiesLn 26$1.5M

PeoplePt VI, VII

22

listed · VII A

PaidVII A8

Voting boardVI 1a14

IndependentVI 1b14

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.0M

Fundraising eventsLn 1c$256K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$980K

Total revenueLn 12$5.0M

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$249K

SavingsLn 2$123K

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$372K

InvestmentsLn 11–13$8K

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$104K

Other assetsLn 15$607K

Total assetsLn 16$1.8M

LiabilitiesLn 26$1.5M

Net assetsLn 32$254K

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 553

VolunteersI 613

Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember

Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes

Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes

Records policyVI 14Yes

3Year over year

Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B

Line	Start FY20	End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$516K	$372K
InvestmentsLn 11–13	$40K	$8K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$55K	$104K
Total assetsLn 16	$1.5M	$1.8M
LiabilitiesLn 26	$897K	$1.5M
Net assetsLn 32	$573K	$254K

4Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$807K	$627K	$49K	$131K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$2.2M	$1.7M	$137K	$364K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8	$28K	$22K	$2K	$5K
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$344K	$267K	$21K	$56K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$212K	$165K	$13K	$34K
Legal feesLn 11b	$48K	$20K	$15K	$14K
Accounting feesLn 11c	$36K		$36K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g	$854K	$750K	$39K	$65K
Advertising and promotionLn 12	$56K	$42K		$14K
Office expensesLn 13	$309K	$157K	$98K	$54K
Information technologyLn 14	$100K	$99K	$2K
OccupancyLn 16	$81K	$57K	$25K
TravelLn 17	$14K	$6K	$6K	$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19	$7K	$2K	$6K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22	$22K	$6K	$15K	$281
InsuranceLn 23	$63K	$41K	$22K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$43K	$42K	$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25	$5.3M	$4.1M	$486K	$738K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2024 Latest	$6.7M	$6.6M	$43K	$3.4M	990 PDF
FY2023	$8.7M	$6.7M	$2.0M	$3.3M	990 PDF
FY2022	$7.1M	$6.2M	$860K	$1.3M	990 PDF
FY2021	$6.0M	$5.8M	$207K	$461K	990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing	$5.0M	$5.3M	−$318K	$254K	990 PDF

More to add? Claim this org

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations

See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $4,957,225 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $4,873,860$4,047,931

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,188,395$980,059

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $5,720$0

I-11 Other revenuePrior year $15,912−$70,765

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $6,083,887$4,957,225

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0

I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $3,776,324$3,640,188

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $24,112$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,792,474$1,634,645

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $5,592,910$5,274,833

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $490,977−$317,608

Part VI · Governance 14 of 14 board members independent, no flags

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body14

VI-1b Independent voting members14

VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo

VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes

VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes

VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes

VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $4,957,225 across 9 lines filed

VIII-1c Fundraising events$256,449

VIII-1d Related organizations$1,500,000

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$2,291,482

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$4,047,931

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $636,996 · Unrelated business $343,063$980,059

VIII-5 RoyaltiesExcluded from tax $6,461$6,461

VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$77,532−$77,532

VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $306$306

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $637,302 · Unrelated business $343,063 · Excluded from tax −$71,071$4,957,225

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $5,274,833 across 17 lines filed

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $627,416 · Management $49,035 · Fundraising $130,617$807,068

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,748,515 · Management $136,653 · Fundraising $364,010$2,249,178

IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $21,973 · Management $1,717 · Fundraising $4,574$28,264

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $267,123 · Management $20,878 · Fundraising $55,611$343,612

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $164,861 · Management $12,884 · Fundraising $34,321$212,066

IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $19,793 · Management $14,723 · Fundraising $13,911$48,427

IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $36,000$36,000

IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $750,170 · Management $38,871 · Fundraising $65,040$854,081

IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $42,332 · Fundraising $13,508$55,840

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $157,130 · Management $98,266 · Fundraising $53,572$308,968

IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $98,827 · Management $1,531$100,358

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $56,653 · Management $24,634$81,287

IX-17 TravelPrograms $5,568 · Management $6,464 · Fundraising $2,412$14,444

IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $1,676 · Management $5,687$7,363

IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $5,866 · Management $15,370 · Fundraising $281$21,517

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $41,130 · Management $22,147$63,277

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $41,593 · Management $1,490$43,083

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $4,050,626 · Management $486,350 · Fundraising $737,857$5,274,833

Part X · Balance sheet $1,778,782 assets, 18 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $472,810$248,890

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $43,026$122,954

X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $212,971$278,263

X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $181,457$276,172

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $106,730$134,002

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $55,484$103,619

X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $36,074$3,871

X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $4,065$4,065

X-15 Other assetsStart of year $357,237$606,946

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,469,854$1,778,782

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $414,314$359,770

X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $482,446$568,791

X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payable$596,202

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $896,760$1,524,763

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $533,094$183,384

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $40,000$70,635

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $573,094$254,019

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,469,854$1,778,782

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $254,019 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$4,957,225

XI-2 Total expenses$5,274,833

XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$317,608

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$573,094

XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$1,467

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$254,019

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

Your org? Add context

Made it to the end? Claim this org

Forward Assoc INC FY2020 filing

Before you give

Is it real?

Where the money goes

Who runs it and what they're paid