by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin Nonprofit leaders face tremendous pressures today: living, operating and succeeding in a competitive marketplace of ideas, programs and services presents innumerable challenges. Donors who are guided by a passion for certain aspects of an agency’s mission and vision might be unaware, or unconcerned, about the everyday deliverables the agency must produce to achieve certain goals. Keeping both supporters and constituents happy is often a delicate dance. Nonprofit leaders must continuously upgrade and strengthen their abilities to translate their mission into a “selling proposition” for a variety of interest groups. This selling proposition involves creating a case for support that clearly communicates what the agency does, their goals, and the … Continue Reading
A Conversation about the Relevancy of Denominations and 21st Century American Jews
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin Do lines really matter today between the various denominations of Judaism? That was the out-front question debated by four prominent rabbis in front of over 250 attendees at a panel discussion last week convened by the Philadelphia Board of Rabbis and moderated by Temple University Professor Lila Berman. Top U.S. rabbinic leaders participated in a lively two-hour dialogue: Rabbi Rick Jacobs, new President of the Union for Reform Judaism; Rabbi Steven Wernick, Executive Vice President and CEO of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College; and Rabbi Michael Balinsky, Executive Vice President of the Chicago Board of Rabbis, representing the Orthodox perspective. “I think … Continue Reading
Non-cash Giving Can Be an Important Donor Option
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin While the most common way to satisfy charitable commitments is with cash and appreciated securities, an often uncommon means available to donors is to utilize “stuff:” items of value that are often very attractive to collectors and which can become practical ways to satisfy philanthropic obligations. Donors at all levels, but most notably high net worth contributors, periodically utilize non-cash giving. Art museums have received benefactions of pieces of art for decades and other types of nonprofits have welcomed real estate, especially when property was highly valued and represented an easy way for a donor to avoid costly capital gains taxes while satisfying a pledge. A recent synagogue client received a valuable sculpture, valued at $300,000, … Continue Reading
Networking at 3 Jewish Conferences: Connecting Practices and Learning from Each Other
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin Three different but important conferences took place late last month and have served to connect and engage Jewish development professionals as well as donors and other committed individuals in interesting ways. One gathering reached out to Reform synagogue development professionals only, another involved Jewish foundation representatives and leaders, and the third served to engage primarily nonprofit professionals working to organize their efforts across the State of Israel. Each conference resulted in positive outcomes but took different approaches and each received different levels of visibility in the media. Consider each of the meetings: At the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) in Tel Aviv, 400 Jewish funders from across the globe gathered to address … Continue Reading
What Is The State of the Job Market for Jewish Development Professionals?
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin An improving U.S. economy and an upturn in charitable giving should expand the market for Jewish fundraising professionals. Is this happening ... and what are the projections for the next 18 months? “Historically, the job market for development positions is the first to see improvement after layoffs occur,” we learned from David Edell, president and cofounder of national firm DRG Executive Search Consultants, where he has been actively engaged for 25 years of search efforts with nonprofit organizations, especially Jewish organizations looking to fill higher executive positions. “We are certainly seeing a hiring rebound, especially during the last 18 months, in three specific areas of the Jewish nonprofit arena.” “Nonprofits are looking to … Continue Reading
Will Proposed Tax Law Changes Impact Giving to Jewish Nonprofits?
Filed under American Philanthropy, In Case You Missed, Jewish Philanthropy, The Blog
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin Experts have long questioned the impact of tax incentives on the philanthropic motivations of American donors. We have followed projections about proposed federal tax law changes on giving to nonprofits across the United States with interest, especially prompted by the corporate tax deadline today and knowing that we are only one month away from the annual federal income tax filings for almost all Americans our thoughts focus on taxes and giving. Our recent analysis about taxes and their impact on giving suggests unclear projections and calls into question the importance of taxes as a tax motivator for giving, especially on the decision-making processes by high net worth donors. However one looks at the questions, it becomes more than a little … Continue Reading
Branding Jewish NPO’s: No Purim Shpiel
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin With the thoughts about the Purim holiday, we are reminded of the many “masks” that nonprofit organizations wear and some of the institutional games that we play, and at least one of the messages that we get from reading the Megila. The mandate: rather than hiding one’s identity, be forthcoming about who you are and work diligently to identify your goals and vision. One contemporary lesson from Purim: the more a nonprofit is aware of and framing its image, the more successful it will be in maintaining and attracting financial and passionate support, along with successful brand recognition. Nonprofits of all sizes need to regularly redefine - and reaffirm - their positions within the Jewish marketplace. We acknowledge that the nonprofit arena is … Continue Reading
Synagogues and Other Jewish Nonprofits: Tackling Planned Giving Yet?
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin While every charitable gift is planned, some are “more planned” than others. And in today’s charitable giving arena the importance of testamentary giving is more punctuated than ever, especially as Jewish Baby Boomers are aging ... quickly. Yet, America’s Jewish congregations lag far behind other Jewish nonprofits in reaching out to secure commitments by wills, trusts, estates and other revocable and irrevocable approaches, complementing current gifts. In fact, planned giving is acknowledged to be among the most critically important, but often overlooked, aspects of a synagogue’s overall fundraising strategy. Higher education, arts organizations and hospitals have successfully pursued testamentary gifts for decades. But why not … Continue Reading
Modern Jewish Women Donors: A New Paradigm
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin The Modern Jewish Woman Donor (MJWD) appears to be reshaping the face of Jewish philanthropy, especially as we found in recent conversations with several prominent Jewish women philanthropic leaders. Interviews, together with tangible results, support findings from various studies showing that women approach giving and nonprofit priorities in more focused and strategic ways than men, they often become very involved with the organizations they support, and increasingly they expect to partner with their funding recipients. While talking with four women does not suggest major decision-making differences are afoot, we do urge non-profit organizations, as they develop their 2012 fundraising strategies, to reflect an understanding of the distinct motivators, … Continue Reading
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