by Andrés Spokoiny Last year, influenced by the hype around Darwin’s 150th anniversary, I developed an interest in evolutionary theory. I read a few books about it, including the masterful Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, and since then I’ve been kind of obsessed. I usually find myself in odd moments trying to analyze human behaviors and traits, especially emotions, focusing on how they would have helped us survive and evolve in the savanna hundreds of thousands of years ago. What is the evolutionary reason for, say, love, or envy, or solidarity? Is art a “byproduct of evolution” or is it an extension of the capacity for communication and expression. As part of our new innovative content, this year’s Jewish Funders Network conference featured a forum on failure. While digesting the … Continue Reading
Transforming Donor Culture in Israel
by Jo-Ann Mort The days are long past when organizations in Israel can simply come to America with their hands out asking for funds from donors. As one prominent grant maker recently remarked to me, “Israel is no longer a scarcity society. Problems are often a result of government decisions, not lack of funds.” This means that American donors are demanding more and more of Israeli NGOs, even when the NGOs are not up to the challenge. It’s not that they aren’t doing great work. Many of them are doing extraordinary and necessary work in Israel. But the expectations - especially among US donors, have shifted, employing a more rigorous process to their grant making. This calls for a massive change of thinking among Israeli non-profits. Furthermore, it means that Israeli philanthropists … Continue Reading
Three Steps to a More Inclusive Community
by Ruthie Rotenberg In March, at the JFN Conference in Israel, I was privileged to join a group of funders on a site visit to several inclusive programs in the Tel Aviv area. Each program we visited was incredible in how they focused on creating a more inclusive community, supportive and inclusive of individuals with disabilities and their families. From world-renowned playgrounds that are fun to play on for all children, to finding ways to allow adults with disabilities to live independent lives - we saw a cross section of the incredible work happening in Israel. Since that visit, I have been thinking of ways we can all bring these lessons home, and make our own communities more inclusive. Today I offer a challenge to all funders, especially those who don’t focus their funding on … 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
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 … Continue Reading
Sunsetting As A Metaphor for the Cycles of Program Support
by Jeffrey Solomon Four foundations actively engaged in supporting activities to improve the quality of life in Israel as a Jewish, democratic state are leaving the scene within several years of one another. Ford Foundation Israel (in cooperation with the New Israel Fund), The Kahanoff Foundation, The Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies will exit the grantmaking scene between 2012 and 2016. This coincidence of timing led to the development of a session at the recent Jewish Funders Network Conference in Tel Aviv, to explore “What Happens After?” In a discussion led by Yael Shalgi of Yad Hanadiv, and including Susan Beresford, former President of the Ford Foundation; William Forster, formerly of Bridgespan and current CEO of the Jacobson … Continue Reading
JFN 2012: Philanthropy in Action
With the Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop, a full week of bright, sunny skies, and high energy, the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) gathered in Tel Aviv last week for their annual conference, the first in Israel since 2008. With 455 registered participants (including 234 from Israel) this was the largest conference ever for the organization. The attendees came from four continents and represented all parts of the philanthropic world - from the largest foundations, to the smaller - and important - individual donors. They included a President, a Dame, a Scholar-in-Residence, a bevy of academics and entrepreneurs and numerous foundation professionals - those responsible for executing thousands of programs around the world. The three-day official program was varied, from keynote presentations on … Continue Reading
Networks and the Future of Jewish Philanthropy
[eJP note: During last week's Jewish Funders Network Conference in Tel Aviv, Andres Spokoiny, the organizations' president and CEO, laid out his vision for the future of Jewish Philanthropy and the Jewish Funders Network. Following, with minor omissions, are his remarks; his call to action.] A person is walking in the street and passes by a dance hall. The windows of the dance hall are very thick and soundproof, so he can’t hear the music. He only sees people making all sort of strange movements. He walks away, thinking he just saw a bunch of totally crazy people, maybe a mental asylum of some sort. If somebody would walk by our conference, she would probably also think that we are crazy. Here, we have 400 people spending three days trying to see how to give money away! If we were discussing … Continue Reading
Pseifas (Mosaic) Launches 2nd Round of Matching Grants
Pseifas, A Matching Grant Program Promoting Jewish Renewal in Israel, has launched a 2nd round of grants. The Pseifas initiative seeks to increase significantly the number of Israeli donors involved in Jewish renewal in Israel by offering up to NIS 1,800,000 ($500,000) in matching grants for Israeli donations in this sphere. Pseifas will match donations to organizations at a one-to-one ratio, from a minimum of NIS 40,000 to a maximum of NIS 200,000 per organization. Additional information, including a timeline, can be found on the program website. (in English, in Hebrew). Pseifas is an initiative of AVI CHAI and UJA-Federation of New York in collaboration with Tmura - The Israeli Public Service Venture Fund and the Jewish Funders Network. … Continue Reading
Jewish Teen Funders Network Launches Teen Foundations at 20 Summer Camps
New York, March 6, 2012 - The Jewish Teen Funders Network (JTFN), a youth philanthropy project of the Jewish Funders Network, has awarded grants to 20 summer camps from across denominational lines and around North America. As participants in the Camping Pilot Program, these grantees will receive $1,500 and leadership training to develop high-quality teen philanthropy programs. Recognizing the potential of Jewish youth philanthropy programs to empower and educate teens about effective philanthropy and Jewish values, JTFN will work closely with grantees on program development and staff training. Summer camps from around the Jewish community demonstrated overwhelming interest in the pilot program, with twice as many applications as slots available. Through the JTFN Camping Pilot Program, each of … Continue Reading
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