Founded in 2003, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada’s (IFCJC) mission is to promote better relations and understanding between Christians and Jews. The charity encourages greater cooperation between the two communities on issues of shared biblical concern and supports Jews in crises. IFCJC is the Canadian chapter of International Fellowship of Christians and Jews that has chapters in the US, Israel and South Korea. It was founded in 1983 by Orthodox Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein (1951-2019) who grew up in Ottawa. On her father's death, Yael Eckstein became IFCJ's president.

IFCJC has three key programs: Guardians of Israel, Isaiah 58, and On Wings of Eagles. IFCJC spent $2.1m (29% of 2018 program costs) on the Guardians of Israel program, running sub-programs Feeding the Hungry, which supports 30 soup kitchens; Helping Children; Dental Care; and Holocaust Survivors to help victims in Israel. IFCJC spent $2.8m (39% of 2018 program costs) on its Isaiah 58 program, which helps Jewish orphans and elderly in the former Soviet Union. This program provides food, medical care, winter care, biblically-based education and vocational training, and a safe place to live for abandoned Jewish children. The On Wings of Eagles program ($2.1m, 29% of 2018 program costs), helps Jews immigrate to Israel. 

IFCJC's annual T3010 filing with the CRA reports $4.1m transferred to Kenen L'Yedidut in Israel (the Israeli chapter of IFCJ) and $2.5m to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Centre in Russia. It also reports granting $241k in 2018 and $1.3m in 2017 to Canadian Foundation for Education & Welfare of Jews in Toronto, Ontario, as well as $135k in 2018 and $165k in 2017 to The Jerusalem Foundation of Canada Inc in Westmount, Quebec. Charity Intelligence cannot reconcile this grant funding with IFCJC's program spending reported in its audited financial statements.

In November 2019 IFCJ cancelled its building of a $60 million outreach centre in Jerusalem for visiting evangelical Christians. Instead, IFCJ says it will focus on helping Jews in poverty and aliyah (promoting Jewish immigration) rather than tourism. Online comments raise the issue of the over US$750,000 salary paid to IFCJ's President which all chapters of IFCJ contribute towards, including ICFJ Canada. 

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews of Canada is a Large charity with $10.7m in donations in 2018. Administrative costs are 8% of revenues (excluding investment income) and fundraising costs are 24% of donations. For every dollar donated, 68 cents go towards IFCJC’s programs, which is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. The charity has funding reserves of $783k, resulting in a program cost coverage ratio of 11%. This means that the charity can cover less than 2 months of annual program costs using its existing reserves. 

IFCJC reports using external fundraisers in 2018, paying $108k to raise $88k, meaning that the external fundraisers cost $1.24 for every dollar raised.

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

Updated on June 28, 2019 by Caroline McKenna. 

Donors can contact IFCJ through its toll-free number 1.888.988.4325

Sources:

Marcy Oster "International Fellowship of Christians and Jews cancels plans for Jerusalem outreach centre", Cleveland Jewish News, November 6, 2019

Comments on Marcy Oster, "After death of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, daughter inherits billion-dollar charity: Yael Eckstein takes over her father's mission as head of International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, raises $130 million a year, mostly from evangelical Christians". The Times of Israel, February 27, 2019