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Featured Agency

JSSA Launches One-On-One LinkedIn Coaching Service

The Jewish Social Service Agency has launched a new fee-based one-on-one LinkedIn coaching service in the metro DC area. Given the popularity of JSSA's free LinkedIn workshops for both beginners and intermediate-level users in the past two years, JSSA has created a buzz in the professional community and among their broad base of clients for such a service.
linkedin logo

Coaching is provided by JSSA's Martin Tillman, MA, Employment Relations Specialist. Mr. Tillman manages JSSA's fast growing LinkedIn group and maintains business relationships with employers and staffing agencies in the metro DC area to identify employment opportunities for JSSA clients. Learn more about JSSA's LinkedIn coaching and workshop programs.

Agency Highlights

Project Empower Celebrates 2nd Anniversary

Jewish Family & Children's Service of Philadelphia's Project Empower Giving Circle recently celebrated its 2nd Anniversary at Coyote Crossing. Over 60 people attended, ate great food, and learned about ways in which Project Empower helps those in need throughout the community.

Guests were given a hands on opportunity to vote on a JFCS program to support. The program that was chosen was the JFCS' Child Welfare program. Click here to view photos.

Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry Benefits from High Holiday Challahs

The High Holidays will be here soon, and when it comes to purchasing traditional holiday food items, these special days of the year can be costly for many who observe, but especially individuals and families who are food-insecure in the Pittsburgh community.

This year, Jewish Family & Children's Service of Pittsburgh is extremely grateful to volunteers from the Volunteer Center of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh who will make holiday challahs for our clients at the Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry.
squirrel hill food pantry

Thanks to the efforts of the Jewish Federation and the challah bake volunteers, as well as Deena Ross and Moishe Siebzener from Creative Kosher for their ingredients and time, JFCS Pittsburg can help ensure that each of their clients' Rosh Hashanah tables includes a fresh, kosher challah. Continue reading here.

Broken Glass, Broken Lives: A Jewish Girl's Survival Story in Berlin

Rita Kuhn, one of Jewish Family & Children's Service of East Bay's stellar volunteers, has recently published a unique and moving memoir of how she survived childhood and adolescence in Hitler's Berlin, Broken Glass, Broken Lives: A Jewish Girl's Survival Story in Berlin.

JFCS Minneapolis Launches New Website

This past week at Jewish Family & Children's Services of Minneapolis launched a new website. The excitement was similar to how people felt when the first astronauts touched down on the moon!

Perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, but JFCS is truly in awe of what their new communications tool can do thanks to their creative and talented staff who designed the site, carefully determining how best they might communicate with the community. Visit the site.

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.

It's Just Good Medicine: Trauma-Informed Primary Care
Aug., 6th, 1pm ET
REGISTER HERE

The Health Care Law - Health Insurance Marketplace 101
Aug., 7th, 3pm ET
REGISTER HERE hhs logo

Long-Term Care Commission: Learn More about It and How You Can Engage
Aug., 13th, 2pm
REGISTER HERE

Trends Worth Following: Tools for Advanced Social Media Users
Aug., 20th, 1pm ET
REGISTER HERE

New Health Insurance Marketplace Resources, Tour of the Newly Re-Launched HealthCare.gov and Q and A on the ACA
Aug., 20th, 2pm ET
REGISTER HERE
hhs logo

Free and Low Cost Tools Every Organization Should Know About
Aug., 29th, 1pm ET
REGISTER HERE

Stay updated on AJFCA offerings, agency news & current trends . . .

August 2, 2013

About AJFCA | News
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D'Var Torah

Lee I. Sherman

President/CEO

Living in the City of Baltimore, I see the face of poverty every day. It is the same in all of your communities. Our work is often focused on improving the lives of the individuals and families we serve, yet the larger issues still persist. However overwhelming this may be, the values we learn in Torah command us to continue to address the conditions that promote the existence of poverty.

This week's parashah, Re'eh, continues Moses oration to the people in preparation for their entry into the Land of Israel. The parashah opens with a simple statement, you will be blessed if you follow God's commandments and cursed if you do not. The chapters follow with specific laws to be observed (dietary, festivals, etc.) and the consequences if they are not. Perhaps the most complex of these commandments are those dealing with debt forgiveness, for while they set forth an ideal situation, they are grounded in reality. We are told in the parashah that unless God's commandments are fully observed, there will be the constant existence of poverty in the land. Rather than bemoan this state of affairs, the people are instructed what to do when their kinsmen face poverty. "Give to him readily and have no regrets when you do so, for in return the Lord your God will bless you in all your efforts and in all your undertakings." 15:10. Further emphasizing the reality and desiring the necessary role of the people to address it, they are told: "For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land." 15:11

We live in a modern world with all sorts of technological advances in the past 3000 years and still poverty exists in our times. Perhaps in greater numbers than ever before. From Torah, we have a clear message as to the benefits of being responsive to the needs of the poor. It is a message that we must not only follow individually, but also share with our communities so that the ideal of a world without poverty may someday be reached. May we all be blessed to continue that work.

Shabbat Shalom.

ADVOCACY

Jewish Leadership Institute on Disability and Inclusion

The National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities at the University of Delaware announced the establishment of the Jewish Leadership Institute on Disability and Inclusion in Baltimore in December 2013 sponsored by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Read the entire press release here.

August Recess 2013 capital

Congressional recesses provide an excellent opportunity for you to visit your legislators and their staff in their home offices (or invite them to your own agencies), reintroduce yourselves, and talk about your Federations' priorities for the fall legislative period. Continue reading here.

Older Adult Programs and Sequestration - How are you affected? ajfca logo-resized

The AJFCA Legislative Task Force needs your help to make a compelling case to Congress about how sequestration cuts are hurting older adult programs. Please complete this brief survey about the Older Americans Act and sequestration by Friday, August 30th. Please let us know about your agency's use of OAA dollars and how sequestration may be affecting you. If you have any questions, please contact Shelley Rood. Thank you in advance.

CMS Forum on the New Health Insurance Marketplace cms

Many states are grappling with whether or not they will expand their Medicaid programs or whether or not they will even establish State Health Insurance Exchanges. The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering calls regarding each state's respective Affordable Care Act rollout activities. Click here to view the schedule or calls. (Calls began July 29th and run through August 2nd.) If you have questions, please contact Shelley Rood.

Health Insurance Marketplace Training: Becoming a Certified Application Counselor Organization

Want to find out how your organization can help millions of Americans get health coverage? If you're interested in training your staff and volunteers to assist people applying for coverage through the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (including a State Partnership Marketplace), you can apply to be a Certified Application Counselor (CAC) organization.

Join CMS for a foundational

training session

that will cover what you need to know to become a Certified Application Counselor (CAC) organization. (Calls began July 31st and run through August 7th.)

AGENCY PROGRAMMING/OPERATIONS

Leadership and Change from the Inside (and Below)

Leadership and Change from the Inside (and Below), July 30, 2013, eJP, by Dr. David B. Starr

Good organizations create structures and cultures that embrace change, not just on the macro level, but on the micro and personal level. Continue reading here.

How Are You Evaluating Your Programs?

How Are You Evaluating Your Programs? July 29, 2013, Idealware, by Laura Quinn

Wondering how to best evaluate your programs? So is AJFCA's partner, Idealware. Idealware is working on a report to help human service organizations successfully conduct program evaluations. As part of their research, Idealware is surveying nonprofits to find out how they currently evaluate their programs. Please pass this 10-minute survey along to human service staff who are involved in your organization's program evaluation.

Navigating Tough Trade-Offs in the Era of Scarcity

Navigating Tough Trade-Offs in the Era of Scarcity, July 29, 2013, Chronicle of Philanthropy, by Antony Bugg-Levine

Demand for social services is outpacing the ability of our traditional financing sources to keep up. So how should we balance the need to pay for services now versus the need to invest in adaptation for sustainability? Read more here.

Can Your Organization Handle Feedback? ejewish philanthropy

Can Your Organization Handle Feedback? July 30, 2013, eJP, by Nicki Roth

Research suggests that thriving organizations achieve their goals by engaging the staff in meaningful feedback to monitor performance, holding people accountable, growing talent, and creating an atmosphere of respect and continued development. But knowing this and doing this are two different things. Continue reading here.

AJFCA MEMBER BENEFITS

2013 AJFCA Annual Conference Sessions - Webinars ajfca logo-resized

Getting the Right People on the Bus was originally scheduled for Tuesday, July 30th at 2pm ET, however the webinar was cancelled due to a family emergency. A rescheduled date will be announced shortly. Thank you for your patience and interest.

Domestic Violence Programs Summary Report

A Domestic Violence Programs Summary Report was recently published based on a survey sent out to the AJFCA network. Many thanks to those who completed the survey and to JCFS Chicago for compiling the results. Several agencies have requested that the survey be reopened. If you have not filled out the survey please do so by Friday, August 9th. An updated report will be made available shortly after. If there is an individual at your agency who'd like to be added to the Domestic Violence Professionals Practice Group please email their name, title, agency and email address to Megan.

BOARD RESOURCES

Boards as Bridges

Boards as Bridges, July 25, 2013, Nonprofit Quarterly, by Brent Never

The recent Great Recession has helped nonprofits rethink how they engage and interact with current and future funders. What was considered to be solid, long-term funding from state and federal agencies is now more difficult to retain, and the United Way and other federated campaigns are less likely to pro NPQ

vide long-term support. Nonprofit leaders have been struggling to develop strategies to find, and successfully secure, the funding necessary to meet the increased need for services that go hand-in-hand with tough times. Continue reading here.

COMMUNICATIONS & DEVELOPMENT

Researching and Planning for a Global Nonprofit's New Intranet: A Lesson in Understanding Your Audience NTEN

Researching and Planning for a Global Nonprofit's New Intranet: A Lesson in Understanding Your Audience, July 2, 2013, NTEN, by Beth Burghardt

The concept of "understanding your audience" is frequently thrown around in nonprofit technology discussions. But what does that really mean? It's more than just identifying who your audience is -it's digging deep to understand their intricate motivations and behaviors. Continue reading here.

How to Create the Perfect Social Media Posts pr daily

How to Create the Perfect Social Media Posts, July 25, 2013, PR Daily, by Kristin Piombino

We all wish there were a magic formula we could follow to create Facebook posts that our fans love or tweets that spark retweets by the thousands. Alas, there isn't. Each social network operates a little differently, and each brand's fans have their own tastes and preferences. Continue reading here.

Laying a Good Foundation: Quick Wins for Nonprofit Marketing network for good

Laying a Good Foundation: Quick Wins for Nonprofit Marketing, Jun 26, 2013, Network for Good, by Liz Ragland

Laying a great foundation for the expansion of your nonprofit's marketing and donation efforts can help you find success now while planning long-term goals. Here is a list of priorities to help you focus your time and maximize your impact ASAP.