...it's secrecy.
Examples:
1. I just learned that long after the Second Lebanese War, JFNA-Israel/Becky Caspi (they are one and the same aren't they?) was directed to prepare a report on the application of special campaign funds. Even though there were/are over 25 persons on the payroll in the offices of JFNA-Israel, Caspi, I am told, had/chose to hire two consultants (!!??) to do that work. And, then, for reasons never stated, that Report never saw the light of day. It just disappeared. Surprised?
2. Remember the "secret consultant/secret donor/secret purpose" $1 million conduit agreement? Well, it's still secret, confidential in all ways. So what if only a very small cabal know anything about this deal and I have been assured by the Board Chair that "everything's fine." Sorry, nothing about this secrecy is fine and, though I trust the Board Chair totally, his attestation of propriety doesn't override the fiduciary duty of disclosure. Surprised?
3. Then there are a myriad of other consultant agreements all of which are held in confidence, and none of which will be disclosed to Board members. There are the agreements with D. K. Smith, V. Agron, two more FRD consultants, one Planned Giving consultant, etc. etc., etc. Those have all been deemed so "confidential" that they will not be revealed even to JFNA Board Members. Surprised?
4. For the first time in the history of JFNA, for that matter for the first time in the history of the UJA and the CJF, a special fund raising effort, a Special Campaign, was never processed through the JFNA Board for approval -- this one an $18 million...that's $18,000,000...campaign to aid the Ethiopian National Project. Even though there was no emergency that required this to be "approved" by the JFNA Executive Committee, that's what was done -- with no plan (that was "to come"). Surprised?
5. And how about the failures of a succession of GA's? There's never been an accounting of the financial consequences on attendance underachievement provided to the JFNA Board (and that's true of the failures dating back to the first days of Silverman -- 3 TribeFests and a #ish, among other flops). Surprised?
I know that you can provide other examples.
And, yet, Jerry keeps his job (whatever its been reduced to in this his 8th year) and lay leadership is silent. Surprised?
Wexler
No - not surprised at all but mad as hell!
ReplyDeleteWhen is this abomination going to end?
Isn't there one person on the JFNA board who has the confidence to stand up at the next board meeting (June?) and read out something like Richard's post?
ReplyDeleteIf the answer is no, then I won't be surprised.
1) Nobody "directs" or supervises Becky Caspi.
ReplyDelete2) There is no such thing as "fudiciary duty" in the JFNA board.
3) Confidentiality overrules transparancy everytime in this setting.
4) No plan and no real campaign - just a meaningless declaration - probably only done to keep Bobby Goldberg quiet.
5) What? Admit failure by cancelling the GA show? No way.
So what is there to be surprised about?