“Dreams are not so different from Deeds as some may think.
All the Deeds of men are only Dreams at first.
And in the end, their Deeds dissolve into Dreams”
Theodor Herzl
Defining Our Jewish Future “Building Bridges”
Guiding Principals
For approximately the last 70 years of Jewish communal life we have focused on rescue, survival, the tragedy of the Holocaust and the miracle of Israel. Survival was our sacred goal and fund raising to this end our predominant rite. And yet, it is clear that the era of “sacred survival” is now ending. Though we have a collective responsibility to continue to support world Jewry, a crisis has developed in our country that is challenging our Federations and our community. We are facing a lapse in a robust and seasoned base of strong Federation donors. Where, till recent years, most of our communities have had deep ties to Israel and world Jewry, and a strong relationship to local Jewish communal life, we must now seek ways to develop and strengthen that connection among new individuals. Our agenda, which must be compelling to those not currently supporting our efforts, is the path to the creation of a new generation of major donors.
Our Federations hold the responsibility for insuring Jewish literacy and creating a relevant Jewish consciousness in the lives of our community members. Through programming, education, social service delivery and the funding of local Jewish institutions, we form the basis for our shared communal experiences. If we expect our community members to find a connection in support of our Jewish future, then we must meet today’s needs in a changing Jewish community. Many in our communities are grappling for a meaningful Jewish life and seek to retrieve what historian Paula Hyman calls “a usable past”— one which we can transmit to the curious, the indifferent, the young, to ourselves — and indeed to our donors, so that we can keep or create a passion burning within.
The threat of existing donor losses will continue to mount and donor retention will become (if not a current threat) a pervasive risk to the very base of support with which we rely annually, for the development and maintenance of local community services and programs. Perhaps more serious though is a real threat to the Jewish community outside the North American Jewish community, where each of our Federations contribute through allocations based on a fair share responsibility
Cultivating Donors
In recent years there has been diminishing interest in allocations by many Federations to Israel and for other overseas needs, yet directed giving by local donors through Not-for-Profits, Jewish and secular, has increased. We also recognize that for many (but not all) Federations, this fact has driven our funding agenda to keep donors discretionary dollars local, building a strong communal infrastructure through programming, supporting local Jewish services, Jewish education, summer camping, our Synagogues and by supporting other key local Jewish organizations. Our mantra should continue to be, “We don’t just raise dollars, we raise up Jewish life and build community,” but each of our Federations should extend our geographic boundaries to develop a relationship with Jewish communities around the world. Through the power of relationship development we can demonstrate to our local institutions, to our children and future generations, that we are part of a larger worldwide Jewish community. The needs of our Jewish community overseas have not diminished; the needs are different, yet indisputable and our global connection to world Jewry is the very safety net that holds the key to our combined future.
Our donors are more discriminating today then they have been in the past. Some prospective and inveterate donors are not fully aware of the evolution our Jewish communities have experienced. They require cultivation, inculcation and involvement in our organized Jewish community today and in planning for the future, to strengthen their commitment to our Federation’s purpose. This process is time consuming and requires relationship building in a combined effort between the lay and professional leadership within each community. The effort of educating our community as to who we are, who we serve, how our role is evolving, the manner in which we meet community challenges and the priorities we advocate will require time, patience, mutual respect and diligence.
As our major donor base becomes increasingly diverse, we must strive to stay abreast of their priorities. The approach for soliciting major donors in support of annual donations is today similar to the approach one would employ in endowment development. Each contact made is an ideal opportunity to learn of their priorities—the needs being (or not) met, and their expectations of the future. Our major donors will help to define our local funding agenda! It is also an ideal opportunity to educate them and inspire their support. Both parties will be secure in the knowledge that open communications will enhance community life as we make allocations, which address the issues raised.
Our most significant donors are very interested in having direct relationships, locally and overseas, with needs and causes they can touch, and that touch the lives of others. Most of our donors are compelled to support our Federations agenda when they can make a direct impact on people and places. Locally, directed giving through our Federations, the Foundation or charitable giving to specific local Jewish organizations and Synagogues demonstrates the power of relationship based giving. Through a more “hands on approach” in supporting Jewish needs overseas, SNEC and Partnership 2000, and the work of the JDC and JAFI, are proven vehicles which can be most compelling to major donors, and ways in which they can demonstrate their connection through the power of relationship based giving.
As we accept our personal responsibility, we must work together as a team for the greater good—which is greater than any one of us, or any one institution. No one of us can complete even one task alone. We must always keep in mind—in the front of our minds—that we are an alliance of individual and organizational Jews whose support and compassion directly contributes to the raising of dollars, raising up Jewish life, the rekindling of Jewish identity, and the connecting of Jews to one another.