from The Jerusalem Post:

‘Jewish philanthropy must adapt to changes’

The Jewish Federations system has to adapt to the changing patterns in Jewish generosity or risk becoming increasingly irrelevant, according to Jeffrey R. Solomon, an expert on Jewish giving and the president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies.

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post ahead of the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly, the year’s largest Jewish philanthropic gathering, set to take place in New Orleans starting November 7, Solomon said on Tuesday that Jewish-American donors in the early 21st century are pickier, less generous and fewer in number than in the past.

“Umbrella-giving and collective responsibility were more societally embraced in previous generations,” he explained in an e-mail. “Just as department stores have reinvented themselves into a group of boutiques, so can Federations.