This week, we held the final allocations meeting of the year deciding how to strategically allocate the dollars secured through the Annual Campaign as well as those generously donated by our partners at the Jewish Healthcare Foundation to have maximum impact in our community.  While those allocation decisions will not become official until after our next Board meeting, I want to talk about the process our volunteers undertake to make rational decisions. 

We have four commissions, each dealing with a different broad area of focus (Aging and Human Needs, Jewish Learning, Jewish Community Life and Israel/World Jewry).  Volunteers work throughout the year to plan new strategies within their area.  Then, at this final meeting, representatives of each commission come together by wearing their “community hat”.  What I mean when I say “community hat” is that they have to put aside their specific commission’s interest and their own personal interests to think about what will be best for the community.  These volunteers absolutely do that and they make smart decisions.  That being said, these are also tough decisions because there never is enough money to accomplish everything.  As a donor to this great enterprise, I personally feel such confidence from the care and dedication that goes into this important decision making process. 

In order to fund young adult outreach and all these allocations that were just determined, we need to raise money.  As of today, our Annual Campaign has secured $12.2 Million towards our $13 Million goal.  We are in the “home stretch” right now as we work diligently to complete the campaign prior to the departure of the Centennial Mega Mission to Israel (which now has 290 participants). 

There are a lot of activities over the next few weeks including the Pacesetter’s Event for $1,000+ donors to the Federation on Wednesday, May 30th and the community wide Tikkun Leil Shavuot (night of learning) on Saturday, May 26th.  Mark your calendars and plan to both laugh and learn. 

Shabbat Shalom.

Jeff Finkelstein

President/CEO