AJFCA Newsletter
In This Issue
ADVOCACY
AGENCY PROGRAMMING/OPERATIONS
AJFCA MEMBER BENEFITS
BOARD RESOURCES
COMMUNICATIONS & DEVELOPMENT
SPONSOR
AJFCA Links
CANADA CONFERENCE

Jewish Communal Service in the 21st Century:  Challenges & Opportunities in Canada

Sunday, October 20th, 7pm

 
 This conference will host a unique blend of Jewish communal professionals and leaders, and will focus on the 'Big Questions' pertaining to poverty in the Jewish community, as well as address specific issues such as the challenges of the Elderly, Housing & Food Security and living with Mental Illness. There will be an exciting array of opening and closing speakers as well as panels of experts in their fields, and discussions of best practices, advocacy and planning for the future.

An early bird registration of $195 is being offered. 


Agency Highlights

JCS Baltimore  Educates Community on Bullying Prevention

jcs baltimore  
 
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Bullying has become ingrained in our society, and it's an epidemic that no parent can ignore. Here are some truths that debunk common myths about bullying:

*    Bullying isn't always easy to spot. Sometimes it happens "under the radar" and may not be visible, especially if the victim doesn't tell. 

*    Some bullies may have low self-esteem but some actually have inflated images of themselves.  The desire to be popular, combined with a need to control others, can result in bullying behaviors.

*    Bullying can be a result of other problems in a child's life that are not being addressed.  If they feel unable to control some aspect of their life, they may use bullying as a way to gain a sense of control. It is possible they are victims who are being bullied elsewhere, and are taking out their frustration by bullying others. 

*    Bullying isn't a normal or natural part of growing up.  The long-term effects on physical, emotional and social well-being can be devastating well into adulthood.

Would you know what to do if your child was being targeted?  Has your child witnessed bullying and stayed silent?  And what if you got a call telling you that your child is being a bully? 

For more information on this and future topics in the Jewish Community Services of Baltimore's Parent Discussion Series, click here.

JCFS Chicago Educates the Community for October's Mental Health Awareness Week

jcfs chicago  
 
Abraham Lincoln. Gandhi. Winston Churchill.

All of these great leaders in history suffered from mental health issues at some point during their life. In America, nearly 30 million adults seek therapy a year for a mental health issue.

For the last 23 years, the first week of October has been designated by Congress and the National Alliance on Mental Health as "Mental Health Awareness Week." People are encouraged to get screened for depression, learn about recovery and understanding and most importantly, increase awareness of the mental health issues in our community and erase any negative stigma attached to it.

 "A myth of therapy is that it is for 'disorders,'" said Lynn Shyman, LSCW, Director of Adult, Child, and Family Counseling at Jewish Child & Family Services of Chicago. "Therapy's focus is on an individual's personal growth and positive evolution."

While therapy certainly can help those with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or depression, it can also help with the things that occur in our day-to-day lives. Everyone's life has problems now and again. A loved one can pass away. You could lose your job. You might be going through a rough patch in your marriage or relationship. You may simply want to improve your well-being.

Whatever the issue is, there are professionals available to talk to and seek guidance from in order to live the life you want to live. Continue reading here.

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.

New Roles for Case Managers in Integrated Health Systems
(This is a 2-part webinar. Each webinar requires separate registration.)

Developments Demand Changes in Traditional Case Management
Oct., 10th, 2:30pm ET
REGISTER HERE

Strategies for Building Strong Partnerships with Primary Care
Oct., 30th, 2pm ET
REGISTER HERE national council behavioral health

Have You Been Sequestered? Developing Diverse Sources of Revenue

Oct., 16th, 3pm ET
REGISTER HERE
nonprofit webinars

Campaigns as Experience of your Brand
Oct., 30th, 1:30pm ET
REGISTER HERE
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October 11, 2013 
About AJFCA | News
Find a Service Near You
Members | Jewish Connection
Annual Conference | Job Postings
  kids
  
D'Var Torah
                                                 Lee I. Sherman
                                                  President/CEO

In this week's parashah, Lech L'echa, we read of the birth of the Jewish people. Abraham is selected by God to leave the comfort of his home in Haran and to take his family, staff, and possessions and go on the physical and spiritual journey that will found a great nation. Perhaps remarkably, over 3500 years later, we are still reading these words of Torah as direct descendants of Abraham and his followers.
 
With the publication last week of the Pew Research Center's survey on the Jewish population of the U.S., this is a particularly appropriate time to be reading Abraham's story. The study indicates that although the overall Jewish population of the U.S. appears to be growing, or, at least, is greater than stated in previous studies, the strength of the Jewish religion is diminishing. A high percentage of Jews do not identify with the "religion" of Judaism, but, instead, identify themselves as secular or cultural Jews. This trend, along with the intermarriage rate reported, has caused considerable alarm in the Jewish press and among the non-Orthodox Jewish religious movements.
 
I read one columnist, author Gabriel Roth, who identified himself as one of these intermarried secular Jews, and he indicated it was fine with him if his daughter does not identify as a Jew and if his grandchildren will have no sense of being Jewish at all. (Read the entire column here.) He suggests that "[t]he loss of Jewishness ... [is] the loss of something that has great meaning to many people and an important place in history but that is, essentially, tribal." Reading this, I can only think of my friend who is a Presbyterian minister and who argues emphatically for the importance of a strong Jewish community for the good of all religions and our entire society.  When God told Abraham that he would "make of you a great nation," it was that "all the families of earth shall bless themselves by you." As Jews we have a responsibility to sustain our people, regardless of our level of religious observance, not only so there will always be a Jewish people, but so we can continue to enrich all of those around us, regardless of their religious beliefs. We have done this for thousands of years through our teachings and actions, and will do so for endless generations to come.
 
Shabbat Shalom
ADVOCACY
Government Shutdown capital
The government shutdown is an evolving story. We are slowly receiving information on the overall implications of the shutdown on services. The White House Office of Management and Budget has a website of each agency's official contingency plan. In addition, there is a website with a hotline and up-to-date information about the shutdown. Click here for an overview of program details.

The White House has requested our assistance in identifying stories of individuals and families who have been affected by the government shutdown. If your agency has specific examples of clients who have been adversely affected by the lack of services or funding, please email Shelley Rood.
New Online Video Series Provides Expert Guidance On Health & Well-Being claims conference
The Claims Conference announced the launch of its Caregiver Support Seminars, an online series of presentations providing advice and information to family caregivers of Holocaust victims, covering medical, emotional and legal concerns presented by health care specialists in fields ranging from gerontology and psychology to dementia. Learn more here.
Government Shutdown Latest in Federal Funding  Cuts Compromising Services to Vulnerable Seniors
AGENCY PROGRAMMING/OPERATIONS
Paying for Indirect Costs Essential to Succnational council of nonprofitsess, New Report Finds 
Charitable nonprofits are less efficient and effective than they can be due to government policies and practices regarding payment for indirect costs, a new report from the National Council of Nonprofits finds. Investing for Impact: Indirect Costs are Essential for Success details how a combination of governments' inconsistent terminology, arbitrary application of those terms, and unrealistic expectations impair the ability of nonprofits to deliver services that governments at all levels contract with them to provide.
Can Philanthropy Pave the Way, Not Get in the Way? social velocity
There is a huge disconnect between what nonprofits really, truly need to solve problems and how funding currently flows. But what if nonprofits and philanthropists could start working together to move those hurdles? Click here to read how.
The Importance of Philanthropy     ejewish philanthropy
For those looking to instill the spirit of giving to Jewish causes in the next generation, we must look beyond attracting people to traditional philanthropy and existing appeals and fund-raising programs. Continue reading here.
AJFCA MEMBER BENEFITS
AJFCA's Redesigned Website Homepage
We are pleased to announce that we recently redesigned the homepage of the AJFCA website.The homepage features updated revolving photos, a news call out section, agency highlights call out section with logos and a featured section, which all link internally to more detailed information.
 
Homepage Changes:
  • Members can now login to the AJFCA Member Forums from the homepage without first having to login as their agency, which means there is now one less step to accessing the Member Forums. Forum subscribers can now login to the Member Forums by clicking FORUM LOGIN located in the top right hand corner of the AJFCA homepage.
  • The AJFCA NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES have moved and are now housed under NEWS in the top level navigation. 
  • FIND A SERVICE NEAR YOU can now be found in the top right hand corner of the AJFCA homepage.

Please contact Megan Manelli with questions. 

AJFCA's Jennie Gates Beckman Presents on Millennial Engagement
On Wednesday, Jennie Gates Beckman, AJFCA's Manager of Civic Engagement & Repair the World Programming presented on Millennial Engagement to the Volunteer Development Council at the National Human Services Assembly in DC. To a crowd which included representatives of organizations including the American Red Cross, AARP, United Way and Catholic Charities USA, Jennie shared highlights of the 2013 Millennial Impact Report, as well as insights on the current Young Ambassador Pilot, Professional cohort and how these projects have contributed to the heightened awareness of the Millennial generation within the AJFCA network.

Contact Jennie for complimentary VIP access to The 2013 Millennial Impact Research, an October 17th (12pm EST) webinar, which will discuss engaging Millennials in Social Media.   
Addictions Survey
The AJFCA Addictions Practice Group, which convenes quarterly to collaborate on best practices in addictions services, has determined to survey the AJFCA network to identify trends in addictions services in the Jewish family service sector in North America. To that end, the group is requesting that all member agencies that provide services in the area of addictions respond to this survey by Monday, October 28th. The results will be compiled into a report that will be shared with all member agencies.
Jewish Residential Disabilities Services Survey jfna logo
At "Opening Abraham's Tent: The Disability Inclusion Initiative" conference in November 2012 following the JFNA General Assembly meeting in Baltimore, several providers of Jewish residential services for individuals with disabilities met to exchange best practices, which evolved into an ongoing national task force. One of the first projects tackled by this Jewish Residential Task Force strives to create a national directory of Jewish residential programs. This survey is designed to collect relevant and up to date information about Jewish residential programs in the United States, Canada and Israel. Please complete this survey by Monday, October 28th. Please contact Marni Litvack, JFS Houston's Quality Assurance and Program Evaluation Manager with questions.
Combating Domestic Violence:  Long-Term Planning for a Changing Landscape
Please join AJFCA and Ellen Yashinsky Chute, Chief Community Outreach Officer at JFS Detroit for a call designed for AJFCA member agency domestic violence professionals discussing shifting our focus from programs to planning and sustaining our efforts for the long term on Wednesday, Octoberajfca logo-resized 30th at 2pm ET. Register here.
 
Agenda
  • Have you considered a long term plan for your agency's domestic violence program/coalition?
  • Assuming your agency is able to maintain stable funding and staffing, what is the primary goal of your domestic violence work for the next 5 years?
  • What resources would/does you/your agency need to achieve these goal(s)?
  • How could the AFJCA network of domestic violence professionals help you to secure those resources? 
Please contact Megan Manelli with questions.
BOARD RESOURCES
More Tips to Involve Your Board and Board Members in Fund Development
And here are some strategies to involve your board in fund development:
  1. Create your organization's story together.
  2. With the board, define priorities for funding.
  3. Require every board member to make a personal financial contribution.   
  4. Require that every board member help identify those who might be interested in your organization.
  5. Require every board member to help nurture relationships with qualified prospects and current donors.  
COMMUNICATIONS & DEVELOPMENT
Foundation Endowments Grew 12% in 2012chronicile of philanthropy
Endowments at private foundations grew by 12 percent in 2012, a significant improvement after they lost a little under 1 percent in 2011, according to a study of 140 funds released today. Read more here.
The Demographics of Users of Social Media
Business Insider released a report that breaks down some of the biggest social media giants' audiences based on their demographics. Learn more here.
The Donor-Centric Pledge nonprofit quarterly
The "donor-centric pledge" is a 23-point oath that affirms your organization's commitment to respecting and valuing your contributors. Continue reading here.
SPONSOR
What's Jewish About Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer? sharsheret
Learn about the unique issues of Jewish women and families facing breast cancer and ovarian cancer, how your organization can offer cancer support services at no cost, collaborative opportunities, and how Sharsheret helps.

What's Jewish About Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer?

Oct., 22nd, 1pm ET - REGISTER HERE
From Black & White to Color: Interoperability as the New Norm Foothold Technology
What if all the specialists involved in your client's care were connected? What if you could see a complete record of your client's history across the spectrum of providers in your community? This vision is now a reality, and interoperability is the key. In five years it will be standard for all providers to share data electronically, but today, many of us are still in the dark about data exchange, figuring out how it will work and how issues like confidentiality will be addressed. How can a provider be expected to decipher the giant cluster of constantly changing regulations on compliance and interoperability?

Interoperability as the New Norm
Oct., 31st, 2pm EST - REGISTER HERE
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