No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
“Are some charities more worthy than others? This seems to be the implication of a bill before the state Legislature that would require philanthropic foundations to document the so-called diversity of the charities they support. The inference is that the more diverse a charity’s board of directors and staff, the more worthy it is of philanthropic funding.
As a private foundation, Koret seeks to maximize our impact in achieving the philanthropic goals developed by our board of directors. We look for nonprofit partners who will produce the most positive impact in carrying out our initiatives, whether in the area of K-12 education reform, arts and culture, or strengthening organizations that serve the Jewish and general communities.”
So writes Jeffrey A. Farber, CEO of the San Francisco based Koret Foundation, in the San Francisco Chronicle concerning a bill moving through the California Legislature. Many of us know the Foundation as a funder of projects both here in Israel and the American Jewish community.
The bill, AB624, requires every private, corporate, and operating foundation with assets over $250 million to collect and publicly disclose certain ethnic, gender, and sexual orientation data pertaining to its governance, operations, and grantmaking. Such data would be required with respect to composition of the foundation’s board, its staff, its grantees, and even its vendors.
Read from from the Nonprofit Law Blog here and the complete Chronicle article here.
What Constitues Good Fundraising
Last week was the Inaugural Conference hosted by The Center for the Study of Philanthropy in Israel at Hebrew University. Dr. Leslie Lenkowsky, Director of Graduate Programs at The Center on Philanthropy (Indiana University) spoke eloquently to the (mostly) academic attendees, focusing largely on who gives, why they give and how they give. You can read about it here and here.
In today’s Jerusalem Post is a follow-up interview, “The Gain of Give and Take”, between Professor Lenkowsky and Ruthie Blum. In response to her question, what constitutes good fundraising, Professor Lenkowsky replies:
“A good fundraiser understands that his or her job is not only raising money for his own organization, but enhancing the culture of philanthropy in a community - really being an intermediary between a donor and an organization. Fundraisers ought not to think of their work as “drawing blood from a stone.”
They need to learn that a lot of people don’t realize the satisfaction they will get from giving their money to a worthy cause. The job of a good fundraiser is really to explain to a potential donor why he should give his money to a particular cause, not only because it’s good for the cause, but because it’s good for him. This is what I used to call the “mitzva theory,” because to the extent you succeed at this, you are doing a great mitzva for the donor.”
read the complete interview here
learn more about the Center for the Study of Philanthropy in Israel in our post,
Google Portal for Non-Profits Launched
Billed as a “a one-stop shop for tools to help advance your organization’s mission in a smart, cost-efficient way,” the newly launched Google for Non-Profits portal offers quick links to the most commonly used tools in the Google suite of services. It also highlights some cost-saving benefits that are available only to nonprofits.
This site features ideas and tutorials for how you can use Google tools to promote your work, raise money and operate more efficiently. And to get inspired, you’ll also find examples of innovative ways other non-profits are using these products to further their causes.
For more information check the Google blog here
On Emerging Communities
Our community is thriving.
And who you may ask is this community?
from our ‘about’ section:
To some, they represent the MTV generation; to others Millenials or Generation Y. To the UJC, they are simply NextGen. They number around 76 million Americans and will form the most technology savvy bulk of the adult population over the next twenty years. They have been inspired by the aspirations, hopes and financial freedom of their Baby Boomer parents; they are optimistic, idealistic and feel empowered. This funky young crowd, sporting their own definition of Judaism, is the harbinger of a new golden age of Jewish communal innovation.
Some are visionaries, creating programs on a shoe-string, or armed with just an idea, giving birth to exciting, fresh and cutting edge endeavors.
One, PresenTense Magazine, has just released their latest issue, On Emerging Communities. We highly recommend it; available online and in hard-copy.
from the editorial:
“Why is it that we seek community? Well, not all of us—but for the most part, we humans tend to get lonely when we’re alone. Or is it that we just have more fun with others? Either way —a denial of pain or an increase in pleasure—community has certainly been a core value for Jews across the ages, and from the number of Facebook Groups and Events invites sent a day, it seems it is a core need today as well.
As the all-volunteer staff of PresenTense brought together the voices for this issue, we were amazed by the range of issues and identities around which communities can gather. Communities can be forced into formation by the hard facts of geography, form locally due to spiritual calling, or operate across vast distances and spot encounters that grow into lasting friendships.
But more than anything else, communities tend to have a purpose. In making clear that purpose, communities provide a meaning for the life of each and every member of who joins.” Read more.
And be sure to check out “Antisocial Networking” from our regular eJP contributor ShaBot 6000.
An Embarrassed Facebook Backtracks
In an about face and under pressure, facebook has given in and allowed users in communities such as Maale Adumim and Ariel to list themselves as living in Israel and not Palestine!
According to a story just posted by Reuter’s…
“Complaints by Jewish settlers angry at Facebook for listing them as residents of “Palestine” prompted the popular social networking Web site to allow users to switch themselves back to Israel.
Facebook users living in Maale Adumim, Ariel and other large Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank protested when the site automatically listed their hometowns as being in “Palestine.” A group of settlers accused the California-based company of having a political agenda.”
continue reading here
Purim Solidarity Rally for Israel
LOG ON TO THE BIGGEST EVER SOLIDARITY RALLY FOR ISRAEL
Participate without leaving home
This Thursday, March 20th, the eve of Purim, help us make history in solidarity with Israel. Show up no matter where you are.
Together4Israel.org, along with many worldwide partners, is putting together the largest ever online rally in support of those living under fire in Israel. To attend all you need to do is go to www.together4israel.org to watch a live broadcast of solidarity rallies from around the world.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
11:00 pm Israel Time
9 p.m. GMT / 5 p.m. EDT / 4 p.m. CDT / 3 p.m. MDT / 2 p.m. PDT
Stretching across 7 continents and featuring as speakers Alan Dershowitz, Natan Sharansky, John Voight, Irwin Cotler and more–along with a special live performance by Matisyahu
Creating awareness for, and solidarity with, the People of Israel is the first step to build a stronger Israel for tomorrow.
p.s. This is Social Networking At Its’ Best.
RSVP now at www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=39638330696 and invite your friends to do the same.
Investing In a Vision
Israeli entrepreneur Stef Wertheimer wants to convert the Middle East to capitalism. This Israeli entrepreneur with a mission, has a unique perspective on how to reduce conflict in the Middle East.
According to a story in this week’s edition of Business Week…
“Early on, Stef Wertheimer, the founder of Iscar Metalworking, a manufacturer of industrial precision metal-cutting tools, decided that entrepreneurship was an answer to social and economic problems…
During the 1980s, Wertheimer spent four years as a member of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament. It was there that he came to the conclusion that he could accomplish more through industry and entrepreneurship than he ever could through government or politics. An early social entrepreneur (see BusinessWeek.com, 12/14/07), he launched his flagship industrial park, Tefen, based on his belief that creating jobs and economic prosperity in the Middle East would diffuse conflicts. Sitting in his office overlooking the Galilee, he says: “What makes peace? The answer is jobs.”
for the complete story, click here
New Business-Charity Hybrid Sought
Social-enterprise leaders gathered in Boston this week are seeking a new legal structure — the low-profit, limited liability company, or L3C — as a way to encourage investments by foundations and others in businesses with a social mission, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports:
“As the lines between the nonprofit and for-profit worlds blur, social-enterprise leaders continue to look for new legal structures that are better suited to such blended activities than current designations…
One proposed legal structure discussed at the meeting — the low-profit, limited liability company, or L3C — is designed to increase the number of program-related investments, or PRI’s, that foundations make in social-purpose businesses by making those enterprises easier to find. Proponents hope that foundation investment in those ventures would, in turn, spur an influx of private capital.”
click to continue reading from the Chronicle and here to learn more about the proposed L3C concept
Haman’s Song
Launching this Motzei Shabbat here in Jerusalem, another great new project birthed from the cutting edge Creative Zionism incubator.
HyperSemitic, a Jewish edu-tainment company that fuses the ancient and modern Jewish experience for young Jewish audiences.
Set to hip-hop, world music and heavy beats, their performances will excite Jewish youth through the creative expression of ancient text and modern music.
Their debut music video “Haman Song” is a a collaboration of 5 PICZ fellows and members.
Be sure to also check out, Kid Tested, Rabbi Approved. BTW, Matt’s first Bible Raps CD is in production!
Bronfman Prize; the Audio Version
The recently awarded Bronfman Prize in Jewish Communal Innovation produced over 200 entries. Certainly, many good ideas were presented and many are (or will be) in various stages of implemenation.
Here, as we learn from the El Paso Times, finalist Anita Diamant is the featured speaker at a communal fundraiser for a new Mikveh; but one with a possible twist…
“El Paso’s Jewish community has embarked on a fundraising effort to build a spa-like community mikvah where Jews of all backgrounds can explore water as a source for spiritual renewal and healing.”
Meanwhile, for those of you following every detail about the recently announced Bronfman Chair-Prize, we bring you the audio version of the public presentations.
Note: the quality is only so so.
http://www.box.net/shared/y3tsh2z0ko
