Agency Highlights
JSSA and JCA'S New Coming of Age Program
"To Drive or Not To Drive"
Helping Older Adults Plan for their Future Mobility and Driving Needs
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Jewish Social Service Agency in collaboration with the Jewish Council on Aging's (JCA) Connect-A-Ride program, is pleased to announce a new Coming of Age in Maryland program for seniors - To Drive or Not To Drive: Helping Older Adults Plan For Their Future Mobility and Driving Needs of Older Adults. This complimentary program is led by JSSA senior services experts. Research shows that most of us will outlive our ability to drive by 7 to 10 years. Few people plan for a time when they can no longer drive. To Drive or Not To Drive offers older adults who currently drive the opportunity to be proactive. This is not a safety assessment. The program provides three one-on-one sessions focused on reducing fears about living without a car; creating a customized driver transition plan and offering community mobility resources. For additional information and to register, contact Beth K. Shapiro, LCSW-C at: 301-816-2665. If you'd like to schedule an interview, or if you need any additional information, please contact Lise Bram at 301-610-8312.
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Alpert JFCS Joins America's Leading Unemployment Program
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Alpert Jewish Family & Children's Service of Palm Beach County, Inc. is a new 501(c) Agencies Trust member. They join over 1,400 nonprofits nationwide who outsource the management of their unemployment claims to the Trust and collectively save millions of dollars annually.  "We're pleased to welcome Ferd and Gladys Alpert Jewish Family & Children's Service of Palm Beach County, Inc." said John Huckstadt, Founder and CEO of 501(c) Agencies Trust. "For over 30 years we have helped nonprofits reduce their unemployment costs allowing them to put more money into their programs."
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"Celebrate JFS" Colorado; Honor Volunteers and Welcome New Board Members
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Jewish Family Service of Colorado is celebrating over 140 years of service to the community at "Celebrate JFS." This complimentary wine reception will be held on Monday, June 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Palazzo Verdi. The community is invited to celebrate JFS's accomplishments over the past year, welcome new board members, and thank volunteers and staff. Attendees will enjoy wine, kosher-style hors d'oeuvres, and the exhibits in the Madden Museum of Art inside Palazzo Verdi. Irene Morita and Lisa Zales, dedicated JFS volunteers, will be honored as the 2013 Max Frankel Volunteers of the Year. JFS will install new board members Jack Brodsky, Julian Izbiky, Laura Michaels, and Don Siegel. Eric Pollock will be inducted as chair of the JFS Board, beginning a two-year term. Alan Mayer will complete his term as board chair but remains on the Executive Committee. Board members completing their service are Nancy Gart and Lary Weintraub.
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JFCS Pittsburgh Recognized for Excellence in Nonprofit Management
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Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh was recently honored with the 2013 Alfred W. Wishart Jr. Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management by The Forbes Funds. The Wishart Award is given to a local nonprofit human service or community development organization that has demonstrated a sustained commitment to excellence in management and governance. The award is presented bi-annually at the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership's annual Nonprofit Summit to one nonprofit organization in western Pennsylvania demonstrating excellence in best practices, overall management and leadership in the region. JFCS was among two other finalists for this year's award; Community Human Services and Familylinks. Aryeh Sherman, CEO of JFCS, proudly accepted the award in front of an audience of about 800 individuals representing the nonprofit and foundation communities. Continue reading here.
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JBFCS' JACS Volunteers Receive Community Service Awards
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The Caron Foundation is one of America's leading addiction services providers, with treatment centers in locations across the country. Each year, Caron recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of treatment, community education and awareness, and mutual support. The Jewish Board of Family & Children's Services' JACS had a strong presence at the Breakfast, as two of our volunteers received awards. Continue reading here.
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Introducing the 2013 JFCS Boston Agency Video
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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.
Brandraising
June 18th, 2pm ET
REGISTER HERE
The Health Care Law - Health Insurance Marketplace 101
June 19th, 12:30pm ET
REGISTER HERE
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Stay updated on AJFCA offerings, agency news & current trends . . .
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D'Var TorahLee I. Sherman
President/CEO
This has been a special week for me. On Tuesday evening, I was in Seattle for a celebration of Ken Weinberg's 38 years of service to JFS. It was an opportunity to thank Ken for his many years of leadership to the agency and community, and to reflect on the many accomplishments of JFS during his tenure. On Wednesday evening, I was with MetroWest New Jersey as they honored their CEO, Reuben Rotman, on his 18 years at the agency. I am sure that Reuben will be leading JFS MetroWest for many years to come, but it was a privilege to be able to join his family, friends, and colleagues, to celebrate the passion and dedication that has brought them to their current place as a great organization, and to look forward to the hard work of continuing to pursue excellence. So, having spent the week in the presence of such great leadership for the Jewish community, how do I relate to the story of Korah's rebellion in this week's Torah reading? On the surface, it seems difficult to reconcile Korah's apparent democratic arguments (holiness resides in everyone, not just Moses and Aaron) with the harsh deaths that extinguished Korah and his followers. But, we know that Korah got it wrong, and, thus, God imposed his punishment. Certainly, we are all capable of being holy, but it is not something that is just placed upon us. We have an obligation to work for holiness by living by God's mitzvot, by living meaningful lives. Korah and his followers wanted to skip the most important step. Ken Weinberg and Reuben Rotman, and all of the dedicated professionals and volunteers who lead our member agencies, are leaders because they understand that it takes hard work to make our world a better place. We do that work with the commitment that it is never enough, but it is our obligation to keep pushing forward. This is truly the best example of how we are all capable of being holy, by doing our part to make our communities stronger by lifting up each individual member of that community. Kol HaKovod to Ken and Reuben and to each of you. Shabbat Shalom.
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Trustees Report Shows Reduced Cost Growth, Longer Medicare Solvency
The Medicare Trustees today projected that the trust fund that finances Medicare's hospital insurance coverage will remain solvent until 2026, two years beyond what was projected in last year's report. Continue reading here. |
Accreditation & Healthcare Reform 
The Council on Accreditation (COA) proactively monitors legislation impacting the field of human services at the national and state levels and works with regulators, insurance companies, and other funders to add value to COA accreditation through recognitions. Following are important details for organizations to consider regarding COA accreditation and Healthcare Reform. Continue reading here. |
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A New Paradigm for Leadership Development
What if, instead of barreling ahead, relentlessly focused on keeping their organizations afloat (until they burn out trying), effective nonprofit leaders started delegating more and more responsibility to staff - at once paving the way for a next generation of leaders, and freeing themselves to think about their own leadership in more expansive ways? What would it take to affect such a shift? And what would emerge if, at the same time, a critical mass of these great leaders become a great network? Continue reading here. |
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Idealware Tip of the Month: May 2013 - Funding Technology
Nonprofits often already know that they could (or should) better make use of technology, whether it's out-of-date software and aging infrastructure or newer tools like mobile phones or a Constituent Relationship Management system that could revolutionize the way they serve their constituents. What's holding organizations back, however, is funding.  Unfortunately, there is no magical technology funder out there. You need to be creative and look beyond foundation support.
How can you reduce technology costs and raise technology money at the same time? There are a couple of steps you can take to help. Continue reading here. |
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How Nonprofit Boards Can Use Dashboards to Focus on What's Important
The extent to which the boards of directors of nonprofit organizations understand the organization's mission, its priorities and mission based results, directly affects their level of engagement an  d ability to be effective stewards and leaders. Dashboards are effective tools to communicate information to nonprofit boards about the extent to which the organization is being managed to achieve the social change outcomes of their mission. Continue reading here. |
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May Fundraising Tip of the Month
How to Plan Your Fundraising Strategy: Keep Your Organization Financially on Track with a Year-Round Plan  - Gather Input
- Set Goals
- Consider Your Assets
- Integrate Fundraising With Other Activities
- Select a Few Key Strategies
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A State-By-State Snapshot of Senior Poverty
A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation uses the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM)-an alternative measure first explored by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2011-to examine senior poverty rates by state and the implications of Medicare changes. Their findings reveal that at least 10% of non-institutionalized seniors in every state live in poverty. Read the report. |
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NTEN Welcomes Amy Sample Ward as New CEO
The NTEN Board of Directors welcomes Amy Sample Ward as NTEN's new Chief Executive Officer.  "We are thrilled to have Amy's intelligence, humor, talent and skill leading NTEN in this new role. We are confident that her experience, vision, and proven commitment to the nonprofit technology community will enable NTEN's membership to strategically use technology to make the world a more just and equitable place." Continue reading here. |
Benchmarks and Best Practices for Nonprofits and Video 
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What Does Collaboration Look Like?
As a "sector-within-a-sector," the Jewish innovation space must work together if we are to achieve maximal impact. Important conversations about growth, sustainability, and impact cannot take place exclusively behind the closed-doors of boardrooms or within the four walls of any one organization.Business experts tell us that the proverbial saying "two heads are better than one" is actually true. Organizati  ons that stress cross-functional collaboration in diverse teams see the benefits of enhanced camaraderie, heightened creativity, and a greater return on investment than organizations that operate in compartmentalized silos. But thinking more broadly, what does collaboration look like across multiple organizations? Does the proverb still ring true when there are ten heads, representing six organizations and hundreds of constituents, gathered around the table to produce a joint initiative? Continue reading here.
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Universal Accreditation Act
The Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 (UAA), signed into law on 1/14/13, takes effect on 7/14/14. The Council on Accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of State to accredit agencies and approve persons under the requirements of UAA which applies the Hague Accreditation/Approval requirements to all agencies/persons providing "adoptions services" in cases where a child immigrates to or emigrates from the U.S. for purposes of adoption.
COA is encouraging agencies to apply ASAP to have sufficient time to complete COA's 9 -18 month Hague Accreditation/Approval process.
UAA FAQs can be found on the Department of State's website. If you have questions about the UAA and whether it applies to your agency, please contact Zoe Hutchinson, Associate Director of Client Relations at 212.871.1972. |
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Oklahoma Tornado Recovery Micro-grants from Repair the World
In the wake of the destruction caused by the recent Oklahoma tornadoes, Repair the World is offering micro-grants to organizations running alternative break programs that focus on relief and response efforts.  Alternative breaks offer young adults a hands-on opportunity to experience how the integration of service, education and reflection can create meaningful and positive change in themselves and in communities. Continue reading here. |
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CMS Health Insurance Marketplace Webinars
CMS is happy to announce the availability of Health Insurance Marketplace webinars throughout the months of June and July. These training opportunities are broken into two levels: 
- Level 1: Health Insurance Marketplace 101 (basic) - A one-hour high-level webinar overview of the accomplishments of the Affordable Care Act and a basic introduction to the Marketplace (Exchanges) highlighting who is eligible and how the Marketplace will work.
- Level 2: Understanding the Health Insurance Marketplace (advanced) - A two-hour detailed review of the Marketplace (Exchanges), including eligibility, enrollment, plan structure, Medicaid expansion, and the streamlined application.
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Join Sharsheret's New Partners of Excellence Program for Jewish Agencies
Become a Sharsheret Supports Partner of Excellence and expand or create new culturally-relevant breast cancer and ovarian cancer support a  nd educational programs for women and families in your community. As a Partner of Excellence, your agency will receive:
- Financial Support for Programs
- Educational Program Development Guidance
- Clinical Supervision for Support Group Facilitators
- Local and National Partner Recognition
Email Link Program Coordinator Adina Fleischmann to request a Partners of Excellence application or more information. Applications are due June 30, 2013. |
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