AJFCA Newsletter
In This Issue
D'Var Torah
2013 Goodman Award Winner
Love And Fear in A Mother's Hug
Congress Fails to Stop Sequester
Foundation Center Fundraising Tips
Violence Against Women Act
Leadership Cheat Sheet
Jim Joseph Foundation Awards JFNA
Crowdfunding
4 Generations + 4 Words
Juggling
Ignored Messages
2013 Annual Conference
AJFCA Links
Agency Highlights

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware awards $250,000 to Jewish Family Services 
  
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Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware recently awarded seven grants, totaling $1.3 million through its BluePrints for the Community grant program. Jewish Family Services of Delaware was one of the grant recipients for 2013. Awarded $250,000, this grant supports the Brandywine Village Network, a program designed to promote independence and increase access to health care and support services for adults over age 50 in northern New Castle County. The program aims to ensure older adults remain in their homes as they age, reducing the need for institutionalization and hospital readmissions. Continue reading here.
"Home Sweet Home" Senior Services

JFS Somerset (NJ) logo
      
  
One of the top priorities of Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties, NJ is serving the needs of older adults because for many people the later years can be lonely and stressful.
JFS has been awarded a grant administered by the United States Administration on Aging to provide services to older adults living in the Somerville area.
JFS is calling the project "Home Sweet Home" and the goal of the project is to help older adults to be comfortable and secure at home and to be able to age in place. For more information watch this video
JFCS Minneapolis Named One of the Most Trustworthy Charities

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The Charities Review Council has certified that Jewish Family & Children's Service of Minneapolis, MN earned the Meets Standards seal by demonstrating a commitment to accountability and openness and voluntarily submitting to review.
The Council's mission is to mobilize informed donors and accountable nonprofits for the greater good. The Council is dedicated to empowering the public in making informed and thoughtful giving decisions.
JFCS of Greater Philadelphia Celebrates Social Work Appreciation Month
 
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Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Philadelphia, PA will feature a different video each week in March in honor of 
Social Work Appreciation Month. The hope is that you will experience the featured social worker's passion firsthand, learn how they impact the lives of their clients through the work they do, and hear what they have learned from their work. Watch the video here.
JFCS Southern Arizona - New Website
 
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Jewish Family & Children's Services of Southern Arizona has been hard at work, developing a website  that is comprehensive, informative and easy-to-use. Let them know what you think here.
JFCS Southern Arizona - New Website
 
JFS Durham-Chapel Hill
        

 

AJFCA wishes to congratulate Donna Rabiner, the new CEO of Jewish Family Services of Durham - Chapel Hill.
Calls & Webinars

Visit  AJFCA's Calendar to learn more about free calls and webinars. For more information login to For Our Members on the AJFCA website, followed by Webinars. Contact Megan at 410-843-7327 with questions.
 
Integrating Treatment for Co-occurring Mental and Substance Use Disorders
March 12th, 2pm ET
REGISTER HERE
 
The Health Care Law 101 (in Spanish)
March 19th, 3pm ET
REGISTER HERE  

Helping Older Adults Avoid Re-Hospitalization
April 4th, 1:30pm ET
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March 8, 2013 
About AJFCA | News
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D'Var Torah
Lee I. Sherman
President/CEO

 

On Wednesday, the mid-Atlantic region braced itself for the first real snowstorm of this winter. In the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. corridor schools were closed, government offices were on "liberal" leave, and the roads were prepared for the deluge. And, then, nothing. Some areas may have had a few inches of snow, many only rain, but certainly nothing that warranted all of the worry and preparation. Clearly, there was pent up demand for a "snow day," and not just from the schoolchildren.

The Israelites in this week's double parashah, Va-yakhel-Pekudai, are also ready for action. After the incident with the golden calf, the people need to redeem themselves and demonstrate their connection to God. So, Moses convenes "the whole Israelite community" and gives them instruction on the construction of the mishkan. "And everyone who excelled in ability and everyone whose spirit moved him" participated in the work and donated to the cause. It was truly a community effort - certainly there were artisans like Bezalel who led the effort, but all were able to contribute to the cause. If the tabernacle was to be God's presence among the people, than all people needed to take ownership of the project.

We often talk about working as a "community." Sometimes we react as a community, particularly when we have a common cause (like taking a snow day). But, as the Israelites show in working together to build the tabernacle, we also can be proactive as a community and, thus, accomplish great things and become even closer as a result.  

Shabbat Shalom.
2013 AJFCA Goodman Award Winner  
AJFCA would like to congratulate Jewish Family Service of Calgary's Turn Off the Violence, as the 2013 Goodman Award Winner. The Turn off the Violence (TOTV) program addresses the continuum of domestic violence as defined by the Calgary Domestic Violence Collective. The definition encompasses bullying, family violence and sexual abuse. Click here to view the winning Goodman Award submission.
  JFS Calgary
It was incredibly difficult to determine a winner as each submission was creative, innovative and timely. To showcase all of these unique programs, program materials from all award submissions and award winners' will be displayed in the Delegates' Lounge at the Annual Conference. Click here to view all Goodman Award submissions.
The Love And Fear In A Mother's Hug
"Your soul is pure - it has already earned its place in heaven," the mother said, and then followed her words with a long, still hug - two souls grasping on to each other - not wanting to let go.

A powerful, meaningful moment for Linda Burger, CEO of Jewish Family Service of Houston, TX follows Inclusion Shabbat at her synagogue, Congregation Beth Yeshurun, during Jewish Disability Awareness Month. Continue reading here.
Congress Fails to Stop Sequester ncoa logo
Despite a record-setting number of emails generated during NCOA's Virtual Advocacy Days, the sequester took effect on March 1st. What now? See what the cuts mean for senior programs-and what funding debates still lie ahead. Also, please keep sharing stories about how the cuts are affecting seniors in your community! Policymakers need to hear what's happening as local organizations once again strategize how to do more with less. Continue reading here
Top 10 Fundraising Tips foundation center
  1. Stage a Board Member Thank-a-Thon
  2. Never Apply for a Grant Without Contacting the Foundation First
  3. Make Specific and Direct Asks for Money
  4. Map Donations to Impact
  5. Make Your Donation Button Shine
  6. Create and Tap Your Social Network
  7. Pursue In-Kind Donations, Contributed Media, and Technical Expertise
  8. Apply for a Google Grant
  9. Create a Winning Budget
  10. Understand the Social Capital Market

Continue reading here.  

Obama Signs Violence Against Women Act
On March 7, AJFCA was represented by Washington Director Shelley Rood as President Obama signed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization into law. Because of our efforts, and those of many of you, VAWA will expand services for victims of sexual assault and strengthen protections for many populations. Read the attached article for more information about this important legislation.
Leadership Cheat Sheet: Technology Risk-Readiness Quiz: 7 Questions to Ask Yourself and Your Board
The nonprofit world has evolved as it has digitized, with instant communication between personnel working in remote locations, complex social media fundraising and advocacy efforts, streamlined electronic work processes, and the extraordinary possibility of global collaboration and publicity though "just a click." Best in class nonprofits must capitalize on tech resources to advance their missions and frankly, to remain relevant to funders, clients and other stakeholders. Continue reading here.
Jim Joseph Foundation Awards $1M to Federations to Support Hurricane Sandy Victims
To help families whose lives were disrupted by Hurricane Sandy to access Jewish educational experiences, the Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). The grant - for families in New Jersey and Connecticut - will provide subsidies for Jewish day and congregational schools, Jewish camps, youth volunteer activities, and social service programming needs. The grant comes as the recovery from the devastating hurricane continues, with many families still feeling a deep financial impact. Continue reading here.
How Nonprofits Are Using Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding. Crowdfunding. Crowdfunding. The word is ringing in the ears of nonprofit fundraisers and executive directors this year. So why is this buzzword suddenly all over the place in the nonprofit world?

There was a lot of buzz about crowdfunding in 2012: a video game called Star Citizen raised more than $7 million, Kickstarter banned nonprofits from using its platform (see #3 on that page), and a Tumblr popped up that takes aim at suspicious crowdfunding projects. For nonprofit leaders who are paying attention, the crowdfunding trend is hard to miss. Continue reading here.
4 Generations + 4 Words = Changes to Marketing and Fundraising:  The Impact of Duty, Identity, Entrepreneurial, and Community
Is your organization thinking about reaching younger supporters? For some of you, younger means Baby Boomers; for others it means Gen X or Y. What might that mean for your communications strategy? 
nonprofit marketing guide
Let's try to look at the big picture. Lumping entire generations of people into categories always creates stereotypes. But for purposes of understanding some of the macro shifts that are taking place today, Kivi Leroux Miller, AJFCA Annual Conference guest speaker has boiled down how each of the four generations approaches philanthropy into just one word. Continue reading here.
Perfecting the Act of NFP Juggling
Perfecting the Act of NFP Juggling, March 5, 2013, eJP, by Mordecai Holtz 
"I'm the marketer. The fundraiser. The volunteer coordinator. The case manager. The ..." Anyone who works in the nonprofit sector can relate to this laundry list of responsibilities. And when we add social media into the mix, well, we might as well throw all of our time management skills out the window, right?
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We're all jugglers. Juggling is not easy, and it takes a lot of practice. When juggling so many different roles in an organization, it's hard to excel in anything. It seems like we're always working hard to maintain the status quo without really progressing or completing our tasks. If social media truly is such an integral part of the nonprofit marketing mix, how do we incorporate its strengths and achieve a balanced schedule, without getting sucked into it all and causing our other 'juggling balls' to land on the floor? Continue reading here
What To Do - And Avoid -When People Ignore Your Message
What To Do - And Avoid -When People Ignore Your Message, March 4, 2013, Katya's Nonprofit Marketing Blog, by Katya Andersen
When we are deciding whether to do something, we typically look to see what others are doing ("social proof"). We're compliant creatukatya nonprofit marketing blogres. If we see everyone else is ignoring the recycling bins, we'll ignore them too.
 
If you lament that no one is listening, no one will listen.  By emphasizing inaction, you discourage the very behaviors you're seeking. If you want action, make people feel they are are part of something positive. Continue reading here
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