by David Cygielman Just a few years ago, being innovative was key to a new organization’s success. But, as time has gone on, debate has hatched over what can truly be defined as innovative and unfortunately, it has become clear that even with initial funding, it is difficult to keep an “innovative” program afloat. There have been a huge variety of conversations and articles dedicated to the conversation of innovation, both sharing its importance and questioning its long-term impact. However, recently much of the innovation buzz and discussion has dissipated, but fear not, it is has been replaced by our new friend, organizational sustainability! So, what is sustainability? I grew up thinking that sustainability referred to recycling and using products over and over again. In the Jewish … Continue Reading
Simple Truths about Innovation
by David Bryfman In the general discourse surrounding innovation in the Jewish world, two dichotomies have emerged as simple truths. First, creativity and innovation are the domain of young people (generally conceived of as under 30 or perhaps under 36). Second, so called legacy institutions are unable to be innovative as this is the market of young upstart organizations and renegade individuals. I categorize these as simple because the reality is far more complex. And yet I still choose to call them truths rather than fallacy, because in some respects the opposite has yet to fully emerge as the dominant paradigm in the Jewish world. However, rather than argue that these simple truths are inaccurate, a more nuanced approach shows that it is the false dichotomies between young and old, … Continue Reading
Young Funders: To Innovate or Not to Innovate: That Is the Question
by Erica Schacter Schwartz Is funding innovation economy-sensitive? Does it flourish during good times and wane during an economic downturn? Has the relationship between young funders and innovation been a mere fling that is likely to unravel from the pressures of a new economic reality? Based on conversations with some young funders and professional staff from across the Jewish philanthropic landscape, the answer appears to be “no.” The interest of young funders in innovation seems to be stronger and more long term than a fling. Through collective philanthropic funds, family foundations, and as individual donors, young funders who have pursued innovation during periods of economic growth have continued to pursue innovative projects and organizations during today’s more challenging … Continue Reading
Federations and Foundations Take on Innovating and Sustaining
A Dialogue with Jeffrey Solomon and John Ruskay Interviewed by Noel Rubinton Two years ago in this journal, Jeffrey Solomon, president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (ACBP), and John Ruskay, executive vice president and CEO of UJA-Federation of New York, had a dialogue about the relationship between federations and foundations. Both men are veterans of the Jewish scene - Solomon was a top UJA-Federation executive before going to ACBP in 1997; Ruskay worked in a number of organizations before joining UJA-Federation and becoming the top professional in 1999. In this article, Solomon and Ruskay continue their conversation about federations and foundations, this time focusing on their efforts on behalf of both innovation and sustainability. And in an era of heightened attention … Continue Reading
Selling Innovation
An often-heard lament among supporters of startups is that philanthropists have never fully embraced Jewish innovation. To the extent that that's true, it may be partly because of the way innovation has been marketed. Successful marketing depends on persuading the target audience that a product offers something that the buyer wants. In the case of innovation the value proposition includes its very newness: it's a new movement, it helps new ideas come to fruition, it adapts to new realities. Novelty as a benefit has a limited shelf life, however. It works only so long as the product is still fresh. The longer the case is made for innovation per se, the more dated it will seem - and innovation has been with us now for a number of years. There's also some vagueness about the product called … Continue Reading
Helping Innovations Survive, Thrive, and Go to Scale
by Aliza Mazor Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas has been the proud home of 26 innovative start-ups over the past decade. We have served as a laboratory for new ideas, giving them physical space, start-up capital, skills training, coaching, consulting, a peer community, visibility, and more. Our goal has been to nurture the growth of these ideas, help them become effective organizations, and enable them to achieve lasting impact. This article highlights some of what we have learned in the “lab” over the past decade and our understanding of what enables innovators to gain credibility, attract investors, and bring projects to scale. Of the 26 organizations we have helped incubate since our founding, 5 have ceased operations, 9 have created high-quality small or local programs, and … Continue Reading
Funding Innovation: What Will It Take to Grow Impact?
The Journal of Jewish Communal Service has a long, distinguished history. Among their many goals is to be “the journal of record and authority for Jewish communal leaders” that “documents the development of new trends and methodologies…”. They do this extraordinarily well. The current issue is titled, A Tradition of Innovation, and includes essays on the history, funders, values and more as relates to the field of innovation. Following is the first of several articles The Journal is sharing with the eJP community. The index for the issue can be found here. by Adene Sacks The Jewish philanthropic community is engaged in significant discussions about the health of the innovation ecosystem and funders’ ability to grow and support creative enterprise. These discussions are … Continue Reading
JDub is Dead: Long Live JDub
by Shoshana Boyd Gelfand “Funerals, while sad, are a celebration of a life and the impression that a single life has had on this earth. As such, there is such a thing as a good funeral.” I remember hearing this in my practical rabbinics class at the Jewish Theological Seminary as we were learning how to give a eulogy. These words have come back to me over the past few days as I have read various responses to the news that JDub Records is closing shop. While I appreciate the thoughtful and eloquent comments of my colleagues, my own instinctive reaction has been quite different. Certainly, I share their sadness that JDub is closing its doors, but I don’t share their assumption that JDub’s life should be judged by whether or not it was sustainable long-term. While we are all still … Continue Reading
Post-Start-Ups Need Support, Too
by Nina Bruder The news that JDub Records - one of the largest, most successful, and heavily funded Jewish non-profit start-ups of the past decade - is closing due to lack of financial support is sending shock waves throughout the Jewish innovation world. JDub Records was an early entrant that helped shape the field of Jewish innovation and start-ups. From 2003-2008 they were part of Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas. While not every start-up organization - not every organization! - can or should last forever, some are, indeed, poised for genuine growth. In my opinion, post-start-up growth and sustainability are the next frontier for the Jewish innovation ecosystem. Many of us eagerly await JDub’s wind-down report detailing their circumstances and decisions; there is much to … Continue Reading
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