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Lee I. Sherman
President/CEO
In my job, I am fortunate to be able to visit Jewish communities all across North America. Although each community has a character and culture of its own, I often find that they have more similarities than differences. And one of those similarities is the warmth and generosity exhibited on a daily basis, but particularly in the face of a traumatic event.
Earlier this week, I was in Houston for a series of meetings over a few days. I was fortunate to be able to meet with professionals, board members, and volunteers form JFS Houston and to join them in meaningful conversation. Beyond our productive meetings, there was a consistent message that I heard from the people I met.
Just a few weeks ago, the Houston Jewish community experienced a terrible personal tragedy. The attached article relates the awful accident that has left the three young Berry children parentless and facing serious medical issues. Yet, in the face of this tragedy, what impressed me so much during my visit was the resolute manner in which the entire community had embraced these young children and made them part of the larger "family" of Houston. This is truly living Jewish values and an exhibition of tzedakah in the best sense of the word. I am in awe of the passion and commitment of those throughout the community who have helped, and I am proud that we are all part of the same Jewish community wherever we live. |
Strategic Planning
AJFCA has begun a strategic planning process that will result in a written plan directing the path of the Association for the next several years. Recognizing the importance of input from our member agencies to this process, we will be holding 4 focus group conference calls. Please note the Hartford, CT and Los Angeles, CA sessions have been cancelled. There is plenty of room for participants on the July 28th call at 1pm EST. To sign up for the July 28th call please email Barbara Tapper. For more detailed information regarding conference call dates and times please click here . |
Foundation Center Renewal
 The first subscription year with the Foundation Center will come to a close in mid-August. All users will have to renew if they would like another year of access. In the first 10 months of year one, our agencies used the Foundation Directory Online to create 5,614 funding related searches, an average of 165 searches per agency. This high level of use made the subscription an incredible value for those who participated.
Member agencies who are interested in joining for the second year (whether or not you participated in year one) will have that opportunity. Assuming we have approximately 30 members join, the cost again will be approximately $400 per agency.If you are interested in participating, please email Megan Myers no later than August 1, 2011. |
Advocacy: A Brief on Messaging from the National Human Services Assembly
The National Human Services Assembly has released a brief entitled, Putting Human Needs on the National Radar Screen , detailing the framework of effective communication, the importance of framing messages in positive ways that will resonate with the audience. It enumerates specific strategies for conveying information to constituents and policymakers, changing perceptions and developing a greater appreciation of the important role of human services and community development. |
A Consumer Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems-FREE DOWNLOAD
Published by Idealware in partnership with NTEN , the Consumers Guide provides you the unbiased comparative information you need to narrow down your choices in a fundraising system. This 140-page report provides an overview of what donor management systems do, recommendations for systems based on particular needs, comparison charts, an index that provides summaries of all 29 systems and a directory of consultants who can help you navigate your choices. |
Free Webinar-Four Steps to Successful Preparedness and Communications 
Emergency planning is a must. The American Management Association's free online class, "Crisis 101: Four Steps to Successful Preparedness and Communications" is now available as a webcast archive. Feel free to view the webinar . Look for the button that reads "View Now" to access the archive. If you see a button that reads "Sign Up " click on it to register to amanet.org for free access to this and all AMA webcast archives. |
Unemployment Claims
 In all states, 501(c)(3) organizations are required to pay for unemployment claims in one of two ways: through state unemployment insurance tax (SUI) or as a reimbursing employer paying the state only for claims paid out to former employees.
Many non-profit organizations still do not realize they have the second option. 501c Agencies Trust have put together a document explaining the pros and cons of paying SUI taxes vs. reimbursing the state.
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Fighting Poverty with Faith
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs is holding their 4th annual FIGHTING POVERTY WITH FAITH mobilization: "Working Together to End Hunger" on Thursday, October 27th-Sunday, November 6th, 2011. JCRCs, individuals, families, congregations, community and youth groups, schools, and other faith-based organizations are invited to come together to raise awareness about the issue of hunger and build the political will for change by planning a HUNGER BANQUET or FOOD STAMP CHALLENGE using these great new resources:
*The FPWF Food Stamp Challenge Toolkit*
*The FPWF Hunger Banquet Toolkit*
These toolkits contain resources to help individuals and organizations plan a community-wide Food Stamp Challenge or Hunger Banquet for Fighting Poverty with Faith, including information on the background of each program, templates for program implementation, sample program resources such as scripts and invitation letters, FAQ sections, and more. |
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Member Forum Settings
Thank you to several CEO's, Agency Presidents/Board Chairs and Development Professionals for posting topics and replies on AJFCA's new Member Forum. We are excited to see the return of an information exchange among our agencies.
If you would like to join a forum, and are not already registered please email Barbara Tapper your name, your agency and the name of the forum(s) you would like to join. Barbara will email you your username and password once you have been entered into the system.
All forum users are set up to receive email notifications when new topic posts are made. Once you have logged into the Member Forum, you will be able to reset your username and/or password, and also control the frequency of email notifications of activity on the forum through the User Control Panel. Do not hesitate to call or email Megan if you have questions. |
With the population of Holocaust Survivors aging in Northeast Ohio and around the world, homecare continues to be the focus of negotiations with the German government for the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany . Claims Conference Executive Vice-President Greg Schneider made the announcement during a visit to Cleveland last month in a special public forum that Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland attended. Of significant note is that the Claims Conference has expanded the eligibility for individual support by raising the individual asset limit to $500,000. With this change, many more Survivors can access services they need.
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Jewish Family & Children's Service of Phoenix provides support, education, skill building and safe environments for families referred by the State of Arizona's Child Protective Services (CPS). Programs include family preservation, family reunification and parent aide. JF&CS of Phoenix created a fantastic video entitled, "Foster Care Youth in Transition ," to share one of their many foster care transition success stories. |
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