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.

I cleaned off my computer and linked to the Registration form. That form is reprinted here. Manning's agreement to accept this award at a time that she serves as the sitting Chair of the federations' national organization violates every leadership principle, every rule, formal or informal, of every organization in which I have been involved:

                  2012 Hillel's Renaissance Award Gala Form

Randall R. Kaplan
Chair, Hillel’s International Board of Governors

Kathy E. Manning
Chair, Board of Trustees, Jewish Federations of North America

Recipients of Hillel's Renaissance Award

Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.
The Plaza Hotel
768 Fifth Avenue (at Central Park South)
New York City

• Commemorative Journal
  

  
  

  PATRON
  $100,000 includes a Diamond ad and a table of 10 SILVER PAGE
  $18,000 includes a table of 10 BACK COVER
  $75,000 includes a table of 10 WHITE PAGE
  $10,000 includes five reservations INSIDE FRONT/BACK
  $50,000 includes a table of 10 HALF PAGE
  $5,000 includes one reservation PLATINUM PAGE
  $36,000 includes a table of 10 INDIVIDUAL TICKET(S)
  $1,000 per individual reservation GOLD PAGE
  $25,000 includes a table of 10 I CANNOT ATTEND
  but would like to make a gift

• *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