What happens when your main donor pulls their support for your organization? 

The nondenominational Kadima Day School in Los Angeles recently faced that harsh reality when it received an email from its sole major supporter, Shawn Evenhaim.

In a letter sent on May 27, the Israeli American developer wrote: “After a few years of soul-searching and heartfelt conversations, including many with the school’s leadership, we made the extremely difficult decision to inform the Board that we could no longer continue to support the school on our own. No school or community institution should be dependent on a single family for two decades. This decision was not made lightly — it comes with great emotion, deep sorrow, and immense gratitude.”

Rebecca Coen, the principal of Kadima, which runs an early childhood education center and K-8 school, acknowledged that it had become too dependent on a single donor, a situation that can lead to what’s known as donor fatigue.

“Unfortunately, our leadership did not do sufficient work in securing additional significant donations,” she said.

Coen said she wasn’t entirely surprised by Evenhaim’s decision. “I knew there was donor exhaustion on his part, which is completely understandable,” she said. “That said, I did not, in my wildest dreams, believe he would withdraw his support entirely. Having had his own children going through Kadima, he deeply understood the importance of the school — but donor exhaustion is very real.”

Evenhaim, CEO of the Balaciano Group, has supported Kadima for more than 20 years. His donations enabled the school to offer reduced tuition to its 250 students. All three of Evenhaim’s children attended Kadima, and he was committed to providing affordable Jewish education.

What he didn’t expect, he said in an interview with eJewishPhilanthropy, was to become the school’s only consistent funder.

“When we first started, we weren’t supposed to be doing this alone. We expected others in the Jewish and Israeli-American community to join us and offer support — but that never happened. We found ourselves almost alone in carrying the financial responsibility of keeping Kadima open,” he said. 

Evenhaim estimates that he and his wife, Dorit, have donated more than $10 million to the school over the years. In addition, they have provided over $6 million in interest-free loans to cover salaries, utilities and other operating expenses. Loans that haven’t been paid back yet.

Evenhaim was born in Israel and immigrated to the U.S. more than 30 years ago. He’s the owner of one of the most successful development companies in California and served as the chairman of the Israeli American Council and is an honorary board member of Birthright. 

“In the business world, you don’t wait until the last minute,” he said. “Over the past few years, we raised red flags again and again. This didn’t happen overnight. And yet no one stepped up. Unfortunately, many people only take action when it becomes urgent. I take action as part of a strategic plan — not just to put out fires.”

Soon after the announcement was made, however, the school sprang into action. As word spread out in the community, people started donating money directly, through a GoFundMe, checks to the school and PayPal. A fundraising event was also held in a private residence last Thursday. The school also enlisted the assistance of Israeli celebrities in their appeals for donations, getting them to record messages of support that Kadima published on its social media platforms.

As of Friday, Kadima has raised more than $800,000 in donations, with the goal of reaching $1 million, which the school told stakeholders was enough to keep its doors open. Although a significant portion came from yet another single large donor, numerous smaller gifts helped build momentum. “We need to raise at least another $500,000 from another big donor who would be willing to just keep Kadima open and serve the Israeli American community,” said Coen.

“School sustainability comes from multiple sources — from tuition, enrollment and from philanthropic donations as well,” she said. “Kadima, unfortunately, had fallen short in all areas, and this is something we are working to address.”

Karin Koskas, director of Hebrew and Judaic studies at Kadima, said that because the school is not religious in nature and has no ties to an Orthodox or Conservative movement, it relies almost entirely on community support in addition to tuition.

There are two other similar Jewish schools in the San Fernando Valley — Heschel Day School and Ilan Ramon — but unlike Kadima, these are more Jewish American in character, while Kadima primarily serves the Israeli American community.

The school was founded in 1970 under the guidance and leadership of Rabbi Eli Schochet of Los Angeles’ Congregation Beth Kodesh (the predecessor of what’s now Shomrei Torah Synagogue) and Penina Schochet. In its first year, there were only seven boys, one girl and one teacher. The school expanded over the years and at one point had more than 300 students. It also changed leadership and locations before settling into its current site on Shoup Avenue in West Hills — a four-acre campus named in honor of the Evenhaim family.

Evenhaim expressed his disappointment that the broader Jewish community does not prioritize Jewish education. “The three Jewish schools in the West Valley have approximately 600 students. It’s both absurd and disheartening for us as a community,” he said. “The fact that so few are enrolled in Jewish schools reflects a collective failure to make Jewish education truly accessible.”

Kadima’s tuition is considered the most affordable among Jewish day schools in the area, ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 for students from early childhood through middle school. This was also possible largely due to Evenhaim’s donations.

While there are no plans to raise tuition next year, Coen noted that increases will eventually be necessary.

“In a time of rising antisemitism and growing anti-Israel sentiment, a school like Kadima serves as a safe haven for Israeli-Jewish families,” said Coen. “I believe that without Kadima, these students won’t have a true home. Our children may not have experienced direct trauma, but they’ve certainly experienced adjacent trauma. A school like ours can offer a nurturing environment where that trauma is recognized and addressed.”