JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

JTA: Sinking economy casts shadow over philanthropists’ parley

By Jacob Berkman · April 1, 2009

The Fundermentalist’s wrap-up from the Jewish Funders Network conference.

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Gary Rosenblatt on the JFN

By Jacob Berkman · March 25, 2009

Tensions, discussions and second-class citizens

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Foundation and cartoonist throw down the gauntlet before funders’ parley

By Jacob Berkman · March 20, 2009

The Fundermentalist reports on two developments that are sure to be hot topics at a major gathering of Jewish philanthropists next week in Florida: the Jim Joseph Foundation’s $11 million emergency grant for day schools and a cartoon poking fun at the obsession with social entrepreneurs.

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The Jewish Funders Network hopes to pump $2.5 million into Israel PR

By Jacob Berkman · October 3, 2008

The Jewish Funders Network has announced that it has started a matching grant program to fund pro-Israel organizations:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Mann
212-726-0177, ext. 204

The Jewish Funders Network has launched a new matching grant opportunity: Pro-Active, Pro-Israel: The JFN Matching Grant Initiative for Strengthening Israel ‘s Image.  This new matching grant program, offered by two anonymous member foundations, was borne out of a need to dispel distorted images and understandings of Israel.  The goal is to positively impact the way that Israel is perceived in political, academic, virtual, cultural, and social spheres throughout the globe. The two foundations are providing $1,250,000 funding pool to match first-time major gifts by JFN members to non-profit organizations working proactively to strengthen Israel ‘s image.

We’re thrilled to add Pro-Active, Pro-Israel to our stimulating program of matching grants.  As our initiatives in the fields of Jewish education, Jewish camping, Israel, and the Jewish elderly poor have shown, matching grants are a powerful incentive to encourage donors to make investments in funding areas that are new to them of importance to the Jewish community. Over the past four years, our matching grant initiatives have generated over $60 million in new funds within the Jewish community. Today’s donor wants to get more value from their philanthropic dollar and these types of matching grants allow them to maximize their impact.  - Murray Galinson, JFN Board Chair

Projects supported by grant funds must have as their primary aim the promotion of a pro-active, pro-Israel agenda, consistent with the policies of the government of Israel, through one of the following means: research; constituency organizing, mobilization and education; making current advocates more effective through support, education training or networking; forming and sustaining coalitions; using media to reach the targeted audiences. Eligible organizations will not simply provide a positive experience or present a positive image of Israel , but will actively work to change the public opinion towards Israel .

While only Jewish Funders Network members are eligible for the match, if someone is eligible for JFN membership but not currently a member, they may submit a membership application along with their matching grants application.  JFN membership is open to individuals and foundations which grant at least $25,000 annually to Jewish and/or secular causes.

Program Guidelines:

* To participate, a donor must be making their first-ever gift to support an organization or project promoting a pro-active, pro Israel agenda or the donors must increase his or her largest previous gift in this area threefold (i.e. from $10,000 to $30,000).
* Gifts must be a minimum of $25,000 and matching funds will be available up to $50,000.
* Donors who have given previous gifts to other Israel-related organizations or projects, but not to projects that directly engage the issue of Israel advocacy are eligible for this program.

Additional application information is available on the Jewish Funders Network website: http://www.jfunders.org

About Jewish Funders Network Jewish Funders Network is an international organization of family foundations, public philanthropies, and individual funders dedicated to advancing the quality and growth of Jewish philanthropy. JFN’s members include independent philanthropists, foundation trustees and foundation professionals – a unique community that seeks to transform the nature of Jewish giving in both thought and action.

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Could the appearance of financial trouble be good for fund raising?

By Jacob Berkman · June 19, 2008

The head of the Jewish Funders Network, Mark Charendoff, thinks that it might be.

Charendoff recently told the Fundermentalist that he has seen a slew of mailings from organizations, especially Israeli not-for-profits, claiming financial hardships now, given the failing dollar and the tanking U.S. economy.

“We are definitely seeing it, and the question is whether it is real or that they are just betting that the message will be well received now,” Charendoff said. “I can’t tell you how many emergency pleas we have gotten from organizations claiming that their budgets have been thrown into turmoil by the dollar and the need for immediate response. I am not belittling it. There is a lot of pain out there in the nonprofit community and there are certain nonprofits that have been hit a lot harder than others.”

To be fair, he has also seen potential donors hide behind the tanking economy as a reason not to invest in projects – even though they have no financial reason not to do so.

“In a situation like this, there is no question that on both sides of the equation, people use it as either an excuse or an opportunity,” he said. “On the donor side, I know of people who have not been hurt at all, but this provides a wonderful excuse if they don’t want to give to someone.”

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Condensing the alphabet soup

By Jacob Berkman · June 11, 2008

The Boston Foundation released a report today stating that non-profits employ some 14 percent of the workforce in Massachusetts. In light of challenging economic times, the Boston Globe reports, some foundation officials are quietly suggesting that non-profits with similar missions merge, pool resources and cut overhead.

The Fundermentalist is wondering which Jewish organizations you would like to see join forces, ignoring for the moment the painful staff cuts such mergers would entail.

(Mind you, we are not expecting to hear Richard Wexler break out the Way Back Machine to suggest that the UIA, CJF and UJA get together.)

Here’s what the JTA Staff came up with:

• The orgs: The American Jewish Committee and the American Jewish Congress.

The reason: We all think the Jewish alphabet soup would be better off with one AJC. (Too easy?)


• The orgs: Jewish Funds for Justice, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Panim: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values, Avoda: The Jewish Service Corps, Mazon and The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs.

The reason: We’d call it United Torah Judaism


• The orgs: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the American Jewish World Service.

The reason: Old school with great Jewish mission, reach and some real financial umph meets new school with great social vision and incredible momentum.


• The orgs: The Jewish Agency and the Israeli government.

The reason: Come on, Charles Bronfman says they are already one anyway. (We Joke. We Joke.)


• The orgs: The Jewish Funders Network and The Jewish National Fund.

The reason: JFN + JNF = Maybe money does grow on trees?


• The orgs: BBYO, ADL, Hillel, and Jewish Women International

The reason: We think “The Spawn of B’nai B’rith” is a bad a$$ name for a Jewish org.


• The orgs: JTA and The Forward Association’s gazillion-dollar endowment.

The reason: Come on, the Fundermentalist can at least dream of getting a new computer, right?

Let’s hear your best.

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Philanthropists go J-Date

By Jacob Berkman · April 5, 2008

Fluer Hassan-Nahoum walks over to me, beaming. Someone just made her a shidduch… philanthropically at least.

The JFN held “Speed Philanthropy,” its take on speed dating, Wednesday morning, setting up philanthropists on a series of mini-speed-info-dates with each other.

The 100 or so funders and professionals who participated were asked to pair up and sit in facing chairs. They were then given 10 minutes to give each other the “elevator pitch” about a philanthropic endeavor that excites them and in which they are involved.

Ala Michael Steinhardt, who sometimes pays for the honeymoons of young couples who meet on Birthright Israel trips, JFN gave the groups a bit of an incentive for making a match. The host organization offered $50,000 in matching funds to a group that ends up giving more than $10,000 to a new organization, with a partner with whom they have never worked, who works in another country than they do. And of course, the match had to be made during the hour-long speed philanthropy session.

Nahoum sat down with a funder who is a former Californian who had moved to Israel years ago. She told him about her organization, Tikva, a project of the urban clothier, Ecko, that builds Jewish orphanages in the Former Soviet Union.

She told him about Tikva and he said, “It sounds fascinating. I think I have a guy for you.”

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