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Join Jewish California

Membership Information for California's Statewide Jewish Coalition

Jewish California (formerly JPAC) brings together more than 40 leading Jewish community organizations to advocate in Sacramento on behalf of the Jewish community’s concerns and broadly shared values.

 

Our member organizations collectively serve hundreds of thousands of Californians and represent the interests of the state’s 1.2 million Jews.

Together, we form the largest statewide coalition of Jewish organizations in the nation.

Since 2022, Jewish California has successfully advocated for more than $450 million in state funding for critical community priorities, including creating and expanding the nonprofit security grant program, rebuilding Jewish summer camps destroyed by wildfires, expanding Holocaust education institutions, and securing vital human services for the most vulnerable individuals.

 

We have helped pass landmark legislation to counter antisemitism and hate – including AB 715, a first-in-the-nation law addressing antisemitism in K-12 schools – while advancing policies that expand access to mental health care, reduce poverty and hunger, and support immigrants and older adults. And we led the advocacy effort to remove antisemitic content from the state’s ethnic studies curriculum.

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Jewish California operates as a statewide advocacy coalition.

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Rather than individual organizations advocating alone, the coalition allows the Jewish community to coordinate strategy, align priorities, and speak with a unified voice in Sacramento.

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Through this model, member organizations:

  • Shape the coalition’s legislative agenda

  • Amplify their priorities through statewide advocacy

  • Share expertise and strategy with peer organizations

  • Mobilize advocates across California

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This collaborative structure gives our community greater strength than any single organization could achieve alone.
 

Membership Benefits

General Members

General Members play a central role in guiding the coalition’s strategy and policy priorities.

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Benefits include all Affiliate Member benefits and:

  • Voting on annual policy agenda

  • Voting on the organization's annual budget, determining its strategic direction

  • Participation in at least two General Membership meetings, including a full-day hands-on and networking experience, and one full Coalition Meeting annually

  • Eligibility to serve on Coalition Committees

  • Eligibility to rotate onto the Jewish California Board of Directors

  • Additional leadership and enhanced engagement opportunities with state lawmakers and leaders

Affiliate Members

Affiliate Members participate in coalition activities and remain connected to statewide advocacy efforts.

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Benefits include:

  • Recommending legislative priorities for inclusion in policy agenda

  • Opportunities to engage in advocacy efforts

  • Access to coalition briefings and updates

  • Participation in exclusive programming and shared learning opportunities

  • Participation in one in-person Coalition Meeting annually, prior to Capitol Summit

  • Eligibility to serve on Coalition Councils and Task Forces

  • Connection to statewide Jewish community leadership

  • Claiming shared credit for legislative & advocacy successes of the Jewish California coalition​

Membership & Governance

Jewish California currently includes more than 40 organizations representing diverse sectors of the Jewish community.

 

See our full member list here →

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Use the sections below to explore the different levels of membership and see the organizations participating at each level.

  • The Jewish California Board of Directors is responsible for guiding the organization’s strategic direction and governance.

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    The Board includes permanent representatives from five Foundational Organizations, along with four rotating seats held by General Member organizations serving two year terms. This structure ensures both stability and broad participation in coalition leadership.

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    Foundational Organizations (Permanent Board Members)

    1. JCRC Bay Area

    2. Jewish Family & Children's Services of San Francisco

    3. Jewish Family Service LA

    4. Jewish Federation Bay Area

    5. Jewish Federation Los Angeles

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    Rotating Board Members (Board Term 2026-27)

    1. JFCS East Bay

    2. Jewish Family Service Silicon Valley

    3. Hadassah

    4. American Jewish Committee

  • General Members participate actively in coalition strategy and governance. In addition to voting on the annual budget and policy priorities, General Members are eligible to rotate onto the Board of Directors.

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    To ensure balanced representation across the coalition, two social service organizations and two non-social service organizations rotate onto the Board for two-year terms. Rotations occur in order of seniority within the coalition.

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    When an organization completes its Board term – or chooses to decline Board participation – it returns to the end of the rotation and may be invited again in the future. Below are the General Member organizations eligible for Board service, listed by category and in order of rotation.
     

    Social Service Rotational List

    1. JFCS East Bay (Board 2026-27)​

    2. Jewish Family Service Silicon Valley (Board 2026-27)

    3. Jewish Vocational Service SF

    4. HIAS

    5. JFCS Long Beach and Orange County

    6. Jewish Family Service of San Diego (Board 2024-25)

    7. ETTA (Board 2024-25)

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    Non-Social Service Rotational List

    1. Hadassah (Board 2026-27)

    2. American Jewish Committee (Board 2026-27)

    3. Jewish Center for Justice

    4. Holocaust Museum LA

    5. Jewish Council for Public Affairs

    6. Simon Wiesenthal Center & Museum of Tolerance

    7. Jewish Federation of Orange County

    8. Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara

    9. Jewish Silicon Valley (Board 2024-25)

    10. Anti-Defamation League (Board 2024-25)

    11. Jewish Federation San Diego

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    Affiliate Members participate in coalition programming and advocacy while remaining connected to Jewish California’s statewide work.

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    Affiliate Members do not participate in coalition governance but are important partners in elevating key priorities and strengthening the impact of our shared advocacy.


    See all Jewish California (including Affiliate) Members →

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Membership Responsibilities

Jewish California is a collaborative coalition. Membership comes with responsibilities that help ensure the coalition’s collective success.

Responsibilities of All Members

Pay Annual Membership Dues

Dues are tiered based on membership level and organizational size. They are adjusted annually based on inflation and due at the end of Q1. Find the Dues Schedule below.

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Designate Representatives

Each member organization appoints up to two representatives (professional or lay) who serve as liaisons between the organization and Jewish California.

 

These representatives:

  • Receive coalition communications

  • Participate in relevant meetings and briefings

  • Coordinate advocacy engagement between their organization and the coalition

 

Support Coalition Advocacy

Members help advance the coalition’s policy priorities by:

  • Signing coalition letters and advocacy materials

  • Engaging in key legislative campaigns

  • Mobilizing community members when advocacy opportunities arise

 

Promote Coalition Events

Members are encouraged to recruit participation in key coalition programs, including:

  • Capitol Summit - a two-day affair in Sacramento filled with learning, networking, and direct lobbying

  • Days of Action, legislative receptions, virtual advocacy briefings, candidate forums, and more

Strong participation strengthens the coalition’s influence with policymakers.

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Strengthen the Coalition

Members help grow Jewish California by:

  • Sponsoring events and connecting the organization with prospective donors

  • Recruiting new member organizations

  • Sharing coalition initiatives with their networks

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Shared Credit for Coalition Work

Jewish California’s accomplishments reflect the collective work of the coalition. Member organizations are encouraged to share and celebrate coalition achievements with their communities and stakeholders – a major membership benefit.

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When doing so, organizations should describe these accomplishments as work achieved “in partnership with Jewish California (formerly JPAC).”

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This reinforces the coalition’s collaborative model and ensures that our shared advocacy continues to be recognized as a collective effort.

Additional Responsibilities of General Members

In addition to the responsibilities above, General Members:
 

Vote on Policy Priorities and Annual Budget
Come prepared to cast votes on behalf of your organization.

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Participate in General Membership Meetings
Jewish California hosts at least two annual General Membership meetings, typically:

  • A Spring meeting on Zoom for 1-2 hours – to approve the policy agenda.

  • An all day, in-person Fall meeting, rotating through different parts of the state each year. In addition to setting annual goals and approving the budget, we offer a hands-on and networking experience.
     

Participate in coalition governance as appropriate

When serving on the board or committees, engage thoughtfully and fully.

Dues Schedule

Membership dues are determined based on an organization’s annual operating budget.

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Dues are adjusted annually based on CPI. These are 2026 dues.
 

Board Member

Organizations serving on the Board of Directors increase their contribution by 75% during their two-year board term.

General Member

BUDGET:

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ANNUAL DUES:

Under $5M

 

 $3,177

$5M-$10M
 

 $5,295

Over $15M

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 $10,591

Affiliate Member

BUDGET:

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ANNUAL DUES:

Under $1M

 

 $530

$1M-$5M
 

 $1,059

Over $5M

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 $2,118

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How to Apply

Organizations interested in joining Jewish California are invited to begin the membership process.

Membership Process

  1. Submit the membership application (20-30 minutes)

  2. Participate in a brief interview with the Membership Committee

  3. Membership Committee vote

  4. Board vote for final approval

 
The process typically takes 2-3 months.

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