New Academic Center for Philanthropy Unveiled

Philanthropy expert Joel Fleishman inaugurated the opening of the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy at the Heller School of Brandeis University with a standing-room only lecture calling for family foundations to become more transparent and accountable, while also crediting them with nurturing and empowering social change such as the environmental revolution, women’s rights, and the civil rights movement. Fleishman, a former trustee at Brandeis and professor of law and public policy at Duke University, praised the Sillerman Center for targeting family foundations, helping them become more effective, accountable, and strategic in their philanthropy. Sillerman said the inspiration for the center grew out of his Brandeis education during the tumultuous Vietnam era. “We became the... Continue Reading

The Age of Ambition

We feel very strongly about the New Generation of social entrepreneurs, their cutting edge projects, and the renaissance they are creating in our Jewish world. I guess we are not alone in our view of this generation. In Sunday’s New York Times, Nicholas D. Kristof wrote from the World Economic Forum in Davos: “But growing numbers of young people are leaping into the fray and doing the job themselves. These are the social entrepreneurs, the 21st-century answer to the student protesters of the 1960s, and they are some of the most interesting people here at the World Economic Forum (not only because they’re half the age of everyone else). Today the most remarkable young people are the social entrepreneurs, those who see a problem in society and roll up their sleeves to address it in new ways.... Continue Reading

Tips for Making the Dive into Social Networking

If you’re sitting at your computer hugging your organization’s mission statement, branding guide and/or special event brochure (the one that was approved by everyone in your office, your board, your babysitter, etc. etc.), it’s time to take a deep breath-this idea might scare you. It’s time to turn your message over to your constituents. That’s right: let your fundraisers spread the word for you, outside of your direct reach. People are most likely to donate to a cause if asked by someone they know. Unless you personally know everyone in your town, city, state, country, etc., you need to call in the big guns: your wired fundraisers. Wired fundraisers come in two varieties: passionate fundraisers who happen to use social networking (also known as Web 2.0) tools and people... Continue Reading

Building Bridges Through Music

The Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities at the University of Pennsylvania made history Tuesday night. With the launch of a new collaborative initiative called Bridging the Gap, these communities took a step toward building long-lasting working relationships within the Penn community. Through dialogue and cultural events, this program hopes to foster a sense of mutual understanding that “is often lacking in the world today,” said Mariam Ezz, Wharton senior and president of Penn Arab Student Society. “While there will always be a place for partisan events on campus, an initiative like Bridging the Gap will expose Jewish, Arab and Muslim students to a way of thinking that will foster compassion and mutual understanding,” added Ezz. “I found it ironic that we hope people in... Continue Reading

A New Endeavor in France

French Jewish organizations have joined together to expand private Jewish education in France. Seeded with 25m Euros, the new Fondation Gordin, created by the Fonds Social Juif Unifie (United Jewish Social Funds), the Foundation for Holocaust Remembrance, the Rothschild Foundation, the Sacta Rashi Fund and private donors, will focus on both refurbishing existing school buildings and constructing new ones. According to French Jewish businessman and philanthropist Pierre Besnainou, president of the United Social Funds, one-third of France ’s estimated 100,000 Jewish children study in Jewish private schools, another third in public schools and the last third in Christian private schools. Some one-half of private-educated Jewish children study in Christian schools because, Besnainou believes, the... Continue Reading

Missing Dialogue

It’s sleeting (here) in Jerusalem; the Winograd Committee is set to deliver their final report later this afternoon and I would like to share some thoughts on a session I attended last week at the Herzliya Conference. The session was billed as, ‘Rethinking Jewish Philanthropy – Interrelations between Israel and the Diaspora’. A more apt title would have been, ‘An Infomercial from JAFI and the N.Y. Federation’. I really should not complain. For the first time ever the subject of Jewish Philanthropy has reached the table at the Herzliya Conference. And however brief (only 45 minutes) and the only session I attended that did not allow follow-up questions, or comments, at least there was a presence. For four long days Israel’s security was addressed; as was the upcoming... Continue Reading

And Then There Were 5

Waltham, Mass. – The competition for Brandeis University’s new Charles R. Bronfman Visiting Chair in Jewish Communal Innovation has narrowed to five finalists, who will present their proposals for changing the way Jews think about themselves and their community at a symposium on campus February 24. The winner will be awarded two years to develop his or her ideas into a book. The finalists were announced by Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, who chairs the committee composed of Brandeis faculty that made the selections. The finalists and their topics are: - Ariel Beery, founder and publisher of PresenTense magazine, whose project is “Translating Judaism for the Post-Digital Age” - Shmuley Boteach, founder and executive director... Continue Reading

A New Tool From PayPal

PayPal has recently announced a nonprofit donation kit. We know many of you are looking for ways to either begin an online presence for donations or perhaps supplement an existing program. In this vein, and since they are certainly a household name worldwide, we bring you information on this new product and a limited promotion (information on their site) from PayPal. Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. eJewish Philanthropy does not endorse any product, or vendor, nor do we accept paid advertising. Additional vendors for Online Fundraising can be found in our Resources section. More and more non-profits are recognizing the importance of a strong online presence, and that online donations will be a big part of their future fundraising success. In response to this, PayPal has released... Continue Reading

From the Creative Minds at Birthright Israel

Attention Birthright Israel alumni: Do you wish your parents could experience Israel the way you did? Now is your chance. Enter the Taglit-Birthright Israel “Let My Parents Go” video contest, and your parents might win a free trip to Israel! The Contest is open to all North American alumni participants of Taglit-Birthright Israel programs. Entries will be accepted until March 14, 2008. Finalists will be selected by independent judges and will be posted for public, online voting on or around March 28, 2008. The winning parents will travel to Israel as a group in July 2008 For FAQs about the Video Contest along with the complete contest rules, click here what will they think of next? [Translate] Bookmark:  Read More →

Should Your Organization Use Social Networking Sites?

Are social networking sites like MySpace or FaceBook likely to be a good fit for your non-profit’s goals? In a new post from Idealware, Brett Bonfield explores how you know if social networking is right for you. You’ve likely heard of Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn. These types of tools, collectively known as social networking sites, allow individuals (and sometimes organizations) to create online profiles, discover others who share their interests, and create an online network of contacts and supporters. Social networking sites have received a lot of attention from the nonprofit world because they align with nonprofits’ desire to reach out to larger communities. If your local animal shelter could tap into a network of cat lovers in your area, the logic goes, wouldn’t... Continue Reading

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