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Why not a graduated cost scale based on the amtua’s budget? Or table sharing?
Standing behind a table giving out pamphlet and free candy is not relationship building…meeting on common ground, sharing ideas and values are what it’s all about.
Donors are smarter than you think.
this is the problem of many Israeli organizations which have no clue about the purpose of the GA and how the North American federations act.
having more than 20 years of experience working for Israeli non profit organizations in the US , I see how lack of knowledge , experience , and right attitude can bring poor results.
Donors , federations , lay leasers , are people who know what they want and need. they don’t come to “shop” during the GA.
Unfortunately very few Israelies understand the North American culture .
As an Israeli, that also worked years for a Federation, I see no scam: in the business world, as well as in the nonprofit in NA, you expect organizations to check their sources, and think strategically before spending 4% of their budget on redundant tabeling. Where is the scam? JFNA is an oiled machine, and Israeli organizations should look at this as a learning opportunity and not as a shortcut to buy a database of potential donors… if they make the decision to invest – they can’t complain later that it wasn’t what THEY thought it would be… see you at the GA 🙂
I am a little confused by what you are saying. How are Israeli NPs going to understand us, if they have no interactions with us? The entrance to the GA is not that much. An Israeli Resident rate for the 3 days is $250.00. So, advising people not to come, because of the cost, is not correct. I believe the learning opportunities, connections, and speakers are well worth the event fee.
Second, I and many others, enjoy the booths and conversations with the people I meet. Even if you are saying it is not worth investing, in a booth to find federation funding, there are many of us who are not only on our local Federation and National Federation Boards. We are also on boards of other organizations. Some Israeli NPs, could find funding though this pathway. It’s not uncommon to be on 5 or more boards, of Jewish/non Jewish organizations, all doing and focusing on different things. There are also some of us, in charge of Family or managed trusts, who have endowments and are looking to fulfill areas specified.
To be honest, we all don’t know what we don’t know! How am I suppose to go back to my local Federation or Jewish/non Jewish groups, and talk about new and exciting philanthropic opportunities, if I do not know what is out there. How are these organizations suppose to know we exist, or how to apply for grants, if they don’t know us. That is one of the reasons why we are talking.
To be honest, I’m learning new things every time I have discussions with other organizations. That is what the GA is all about. Jews outside of Israel, want to form partnerships and relationships, to benefit and help Israel. We want to give our support, express our love for Israel and being Jewish, where and when we can. Thousands of us are spending a lot of effort, money, and time to come all this way. So yes, I will be going to the booths and telling everyone else to go as well. I want to discover all of the possibilities I, and people like myself, have. I am excited to know how we can better support Israel, and say thank you for those who are doing exciting work there. Maybe, I will make a connection, and even form some new friendships. Thank you for your article, you taught me something I had no idea about. Today I learned how much effort our fellow Jews, are putting forth, to meet us and be at the GA this year.
The high cost at the GA for booths is not just an Israeli problem…. I have been going to the GA for years and have never felt the high cost of a booth was worth it for our small non-profit Jewish engagement program. However, I go and make it my business to attend workshops that are relevant to us, and try to speak to people at those gatherings, as well as some times on line, in the elevator and any other time I can find an opening. This is not ideal, and I have suggested repeatedly, that they create a forum for all the small non-profits to have some public space during the event to help us get the word out. Most of us don’t have the resources to pay the fees for booths, and manning a booth is a very exhausting and frustrating experience. I think we could do better.