by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin What would you do if you were the executive director, the campaign chair, or board member of a reputable nonprofit organization and a wealthy individual steps forward promising a multi-million dollar gift? In all likelihood, you will accept the gift graciously and then transmit warm gratitude to the donor. Depending on the size of the gift, you may probably offer a prominent, permanent naming opportunity to memorialize the support. Sounds like a straightforward process that hopefully occurs regularly at nonprofits around the world. But what happens if that same donor becomes a national headline due to immoral, untoward, or even criminal behavior? What if that well-intentioned man or woman even goes to jail because of some bad doing? Has this individual … Continue Reading
The New Social Economy: A Broader Mix of Players
by Lucy Bernholz What does it mean to be Jewish and philanthropic in 2011? Larry Moses wisely addresses this question from the perspective of the Jewish tradition of tzedakah. I am not a religious scholar; I am a philanthropy wonk. I study, write about, and consult with philanthropists on the changing ways we can create, fund, and distribute shared social goods such as education, health services, elder care, and cultural and artistic endeavors. My perspective on this question is to look at the modern business of giving, and to seek to apply those tools to the pursuit of justice. Moses notes, “The interplay between tzedakah in its traditional formulation and Jewish philanthropy as it is practiced today prompts a rethinking of American Jewish giving.” He asks us to consider how the different … Continue Reading
Creating a Tzedakah Standard
by Don Abramson Larry Moses aptly describes the biblical commandment to do justice, tzedek. His essay also examines the rabbinic interpretation that tzedakah be directed to those who cannot meet their basic human needs, within the context of a model of concentric circles of giving. In response to Moses’ suggestion, I will explore the model of concentric circles as a way of creating a workable tzedakah standard. While there are a wide range of interpretations of what tzedakah is, there is common agreement that the purpose of tzedakah is to benefit others and, specifically, to correct the injustices that deny people the fulfillment of their basic needs. We all share in this obligation to our Covenental Partner to help correct those injustices and, in so doing, strengthen our ties both to that … Continue Reading
Too Many Jewish Institutions
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin In these times of continued economic uncertainty, we must fully acknowledge all of the elephants in all of the rooms and yes ... there is a big elephant in the Jewish household. Prompted, in part, by some active Internet conversations over the previous weeks, we call attention to this and seek responses from institutional leaders as well as donors. The “edifice complex” has long had its place within the American Jewish community, putting all too much community effort, resources and energy into facilities, many of which never receive the amount of use their donors and visionaries truly expected. As a community, we have funneled untold billions of dollars and other human capital into constructing Jewish institutions - museums, hospitals, social service … Continue Reading
Tzedakah and Philanthropy: Rethinking American Jewish Giving
by Larry Moses In contemporary human rights studies, a distinction is often made between the “cosmopolitan” and “communitarian” frameworks. The former places a premium on responding to the immediacy of suffering wherever it occurs, and the latter focuses upon the systemic changes needed to eradicate such suffering. This tension might be thought of as the difference between the emergency room and the research department of a medical center. One stops the bleeding; the other strives to cure the disease. This spectrum of activism may be a useful prism for looking at the fundamental differences between tzedakah in its classical formulation and Jewish philanthropy as it has emerged in American life. Tzedakah, derived from the biblical mandate, “Tzedek, tzedek, tirdof” (“Justice, … Continue Reading
Lester Crown on Philanthropy
from Chicago Tribune: Q&A: Chicago's Lester Crown on how his family doles out charity Chicago's Crown and Pritzker families will be among 10 recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy being awarded Thursday in New York. The award is given every two years to individuals and families with exceptional and sustained records of philanthropic giving, according to the Carnegie Corp. How does a billionaire guide his charitable giving? We asked industrialist Lester Crown, chairman of Henry Crown & Co., who will accept the award on behalf of his family. Q: How did you determine what causes you wanted to focus on? A: Our agenda for philanthropic work centers on, in order, Jewish causes and needs locally, nationally and internationally, and that's primarily Israel, obviously. … Continue Reading
The Case for Multi-Generational Philanthropy
by Tamar Snyder What are the most effective ways to transmit your philanthropic values to your children and grandchildren while also ensuring that your charitable legacy within the Jewish community continues to endure? That’s one of the key questions on our minds here at Jewish Communal Fund, the donor-advised fund of the Jewish community of greater New York, which distributes an average of $250 million in grants to thousands of charities annually. A growing percentage of our fund holders are third generation members of charitable Jewish families, and we’ve been hard at work exploring the best ways to engage the NextGen in open and honest conversations around their values and how those values connect to their charitable giving. We established the Center for Next Generation Philanthropy last … Continue Reading
Fundraising’s Chilly Air: the View from Jerusalem
In the Jewish world, September marks the practical beginning of a new fundraising cycle. Organizations, and synagogues, gear up for High Holiday appeals, and development departments solidify strategy for their year-end push. And with most functioning on a January-December fiscal year, budget fine-tuning discussions are high on the communal agenda. And the question on everyone's mind, what does the coming year look like from a fundraising perspective? One of the benefits of being based in Jerusalem is the diverse range of communal professionals and board members constantly rotating in and out of the city for short visits, allowing us the opportunity for continuing access at the highest levels across the communal world. And, what are we hearing - particularly from the U.S.? A slower than expected … Continue Reading
A Special Report: Giving to Israel Down 16%
by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin As the principals of a leading global fundraising consulting firm for Israel-based as well as Jewish organizations, we routinely take a broader view of giving to Israel to best understand the market and be able to provide accurate data on this sector. Our latest effort, a study published today called American Friends: US Philanthropic Support for Israel, confirms that American giving to Israeli causes reflects similar trends as does American giving overall, but in a much more pronounced way, demonstrating higher peaks and lower troughs. Specifically, giving to a sample of 80 leading organizations that actively fundraise in the US for specific programs in Israel decreased by 16% from 2006 to 2009, mirroring their US counterparts. Our previous study, … Continue Reading
Rose Community Foundation Announces Grants
During the first and second quarters of 2011, Rose Community Foundation awarded 226 grants totaling nearly $4.5 million. Of this amount, $3,811,932 was awarded for 92 grants from Rose Community Foundation’s program areas to nonprofit organizations, government agencies and projects that support the health and well-being of the Greater Denver community. In addition, 134 grants totaling $674,744 were approved from donor-advised funds housed at the Foundation. Rose Community Foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $173 million since its inception in 1995. Following are the grants for the Jewish Life program area. Locations indicate the organization’s headquarters, not necessarily the geographic area served. Beth Jacob High School (Denver): $71,294 to provide technology for classroom … Continue Reading
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