by Amy L. Sales, Ph.D. There is much to applaud in Daniel Bloom’s suggestion of a common application for grant funding. JData, our system for tracking information from Jewish educational organizations, is based on the premise that shared information systems have enormous benefit and shared measurement systems are essential for collective impact. The JData system currently allows Jewish camps and schools to enter data about their operations and then generate a report that can readily be emailed to prospective funders. For their part, Jewish federations can download (into a format of their choosing) all of the data from the Jewish educational organizations within their catchment area. The one proviso is that the organizations grant permission. It is a only a few steps from these capabilities to … [Read more...]
After the JFN Annual Conference: One Israeli Reflection
[A further article in a series aimed at guiding Israeli nonprofits towards successful resource development] by Natan Golan On my way out of the grand ballroom of the Tel Aviv Hilton on the final afternoon of the Jewish Funders Network International Conference last week, I noticed a bin with an attached note “recycle your conference name tag”, which is very new-age, very responsible and certainly thought-provoking. On my long journey home to the northern Galilee, I had time to reflect on yet another Jewish conference I had just attended. Was this conference just “more of the same” or was there some added value here that may light up a path for the future? The annual JFN conference was, in my own view, very important and successful - if only because it was held in Israel and that … [Read more...]
Creating a More Just Israeli Society
Yad Hanadiv, the Israeli philanthropic arm of a number of Rothschild family philanthropic trusts, has made available an English language translation of the official Summary of the Trajtenberg Report, Creating a More Just Israeli Society. … [Read more...]
The Case for National Jewish Philanthropy
by Yossi Prager Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill once said, “All politics is local.” Should philanthropy be the same? AVI CHAI’s spend-down goals include building funding partnerships with others whose values and interests align with ours. I have therefore had the privilege of meeting with and learning from impressive and dedicated Jewish philanthropists across the country. Time and again, I have learned that most funders focus their Jewish philanthropy overwhelmingly on local community-based institutions. As this theme repeated itself, I thought of the verse in Deuteronomy 15:7, “If there be among you a needy man, one of your brethren, within any of your gates, in the land which the LORD your God gives you. ...” The Talmud proves from this verse that local needs draw first … [Read more...]
Canada: The Fundraising Frontier
by Chaim Katz I recently attended a fascinating conference in Jerusalem, targeted at the non-profit community. Following the lunch break, we were treated to an entertaining performance by Jerusalem humorist, Jackie Levy. He opened with a series of jokes, aimed at proving that statistics are worthless or, at least, often far from accurate. The jokes were well delivered and certainly helped contribute to our post-meal digestion. But, the point, although told in jest, had a great deal of merit, especially in the world of Resource Development. Statistics are probably among the most flexible factors in mathematics and the sciences. They are highly malleable and can be twisted in most any shape or direction, depending on your needs. I once heard statistics compared to the manna that the Jews ate … [Read more...]
Conference of Russian-Speaking Jewish Educators Taking Place in Israel
A first-of-its-kind conference of Russian-Speaking Jewish educators and leaders is taking place in Israel this week. The conference, an initiative of the Jewish Agency and Genesis Philanthropy Group, is aimed at creating a professional community of Russian-speaking Jewish educators from around the world who can provide the the high-quality Jewish education the Russian-speaking demographic is looking for. Attending are some 150 educators and young leaders active in Russian-speaking Jewish communities in the United States, Israel, Germany and the former Soviet Union, including in Russia, Moldova, Ukraine and elsewhere. These educators are thought leaders in their communities and are constantly engaged in strengthening ties to Israel and to Jewish culture. Participating in lectures, laboratories … [Read more...]
