Is Shabbos House funded by the University?
No, it is not. Shabbos House Chabad is an independent student center that has been serving UAlbany since 1976 but is not affiliated with or supported by UAlbany. Our affiliated student group: “Shabbos House Lchaim” is SA recognized and funded, and some programs and activities at Shabbos House are sponsored or co-sponsored by this student group, especially for the Jewish holidays.
Does National Chabad pay for Shabbos House?
Again, the answer is no. The Lubavitcher Rebbe set up the Chabad House system to be fiscally independent, with local (or in this case alumni and parent) funding and investment. Thanks to the Chabad on Campus International Foundation we now have access to many valuable resources and programs and limited funding on certain projects, and we are assisted in some ways by local Capital Chabad, but otherwise Shabbos House is financially on its own.
So who pays for all this?
You’re right, this level of programming, Shabbat and holiday meals and lots of activities does add up to a considerable budget (though we try hard to keep costs down and give our donors a lot of bang for their buck). The lion’s share of Shabbos House funding comes from donations by parents and alumni, with the remainder from faculty, friends and community, program grants, the local Jewish Federation of Northeastern NY, Capital Chabad and Chabad on Campus. Their support is deeply appreciated and encouraging, and most of all – enables Shabbos House to do what it does best!
Are donations to Shabbos House tax-deductible?
Shabbos House is a project of Albany-based Capital Chabad Centers, a religious non-profit 501(c)3 (Federal EIN#23-743-8519), and donations payable to “Shabbos House – Chabad Center” are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.
Is Shabbos House eligible for corporate matching contributions?
It depends on the company. Not all companies match employee contributions, and of those that do, some to do not match to religious non-profit organizations as we are. But many companies do match employee contributions to Shabbos House and it doubles (or at whatever ratio they match) your Mitzvah with little effort, and it really helps Shabbos House a lot.
What is the “Chai-Club”?
Donors set up a monthly donation amount, as little as $5 or $10 and as high as $54, $72 or $100. This automatically recurring giving helps create a stable, dependable cash-flow for Shabbos House, which can be modified, raised or lowered or discontinued at any time.
Can I give online? Do you accept credit-cards?
Yes and yes. See our shabboshouse.org/donate page to give securely via Paypal. It’s simpler via Paypal but you can use any credit card to contribute online via Paypal. We also accept credit-cards at Shabbos House. You can call or write us to set up a one-time or recurring donation.