Wednesday, May 30, 2012

UNREAL

I was sitting at my computer catching up on my e-mail when, almost simultaneously, three friends e-mailed an identical piece to me. It was Invitation to a fund raiser. I took a quick look and saw a handsome couple on the invite and then read down while taking a sip of coffee -- and, then I did what in the movies is called a "spit take," a double-take. I realized that Kathy Manning, our Board Chair, had once again, as she had last December, had agreed to be honored at a fund-raising event, this time by Hillel:The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Now I know that the JFNA Board Chair has a strangely unrequited need for recognition and a microphone but accepting an award at a fund-raising event at the height of federation campaigns across the Continent merely confirms that these three years of "leadership" have had nothing to do with the federations, only with Ms. Manning. It's all so sad that she has really learned nothing over her terms as Chair of the Executive and Board Chair about the nature of her responsibilities to the federations themselves. JFNA is, after all, all about the Chair.







  • Commemorative Journal

  • *If you’d like to remain anonymous, please indicate below
    *Please note that $350 per seat is not tax-deductible
It's a wonderful honor from a fine organization -- but it's A FUND RAISER...get that...A FUND RAISER (see the gross cost of a seat above) for a national organization raising (or attempting to raise) major gifts in the midst of the federation annual campaign calendar.  And just what is the National Agency Alliance doing about this? (That's a joke; a rhetorical question.) Ever think of doing any fund raising for the federations? Of course not.

So, here's the secret to reengaging JFNA in the federations' Annual Campaign, the federations' lifeblood. Ask Kathy Manning if she would agree to be the Honoree at the First Annual JFNA Campaign Achievement Award. It's a winner for sure.

Rwexler





4 comments:

  1. This just demonstrates a total and absolute disregard for the federations which elected and continue to support Kathy Manning. It is, Richard, as you put it "UNREAL."

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  2. It is of course ironic that the major gifts gala in question is in support of Hillel. Your readers may remember that once many years ago the Federation movement with the leadership of Michael Rukin z'l took a major role in reconstituting that agency and bringing to it's table new dollars and new benefactors. This dinner's plate charge is a testament to that success.

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  3. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that her husband, Randall Kaplan, is the international chair of Hillel. Perhaps Randy couldn't get anyone else!!!

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  4. Randall Kaplan probably like everyone else was bullied by the Chair to give HER the award!

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