IF YOU WEREN'T FRIGHTENED ENOUGH...

Yes, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is wholly appropriate to be in fear for one's present and future. It's another thing altogether when our communal organizations play on our collective and individual fears to announce that "the end is near." Yet, I opened up an email from one federation that, over the past decade and more, always showed a public face of strength, creativity and stability, and here's what screamed out at me:

This is an urgent request for help.

          We need you now -- when our community is at its breaking point.

          GIVE NOW

(And, no, I won't publish this community's name. Suffice it to say that back in 1980's when the United Jewish Appeal was compiling current annual campaign statistics updated weekly [yes, that was a thing then], this same federation always...always... announced double digit increases that exceeded my own federation. I would call my great friend and professional partner, Chicago's Joel Shinsky, z'l, who would assure me that at year-end that community would show a flat or worse campaign. Talked off the ledge, I watched and waited and Joel was always right.) 

Back to the community's plea -- to bring it back from the "breaking point." Hit the Donate Now link and you arrive at a special ask for an aggregate (at least I thought it was a total) "$100K to Strengthen Jewish _________" So, that's all it will take to pull this community from that "breaking point?" Really? Shouldn't there be one or many more who could just write a check for $100K? 

Friends, as anyone taking a fair look at the impacts of this plague would readily agree that we are challenged as never before. This is our rainiest of rainy days. Yet, generally, our endowment funds, especially those which are "independent" are just not doing enough to help -- not in the federated community in question here; not anywhere. That $91 million fund created at the beginning of the pandemic has never been followed by others and even of that $91 million 60-80% has been offered as loans on terms more familiar to a Bank than an Emergency Fund -- I have learned that notwithstanding the need, many organizations exploring loans have found the conditions demanded more oppressive than if the same organizations approached a bank with whom the organizations had no prior relationship. But, I am being too harsh -- at least the few Foundations that created this Fund did so with good faith; there are hundreds more which have done nothing.

And...JFNA? Nice job with reaching for federal rescue funding; no fund-raising; no success in reaching foundations for emergency funding beyond the original few -- the few which reached out to JFNA with funds in hand. Many of you have written me to say: these are exactly the times that demonstrate the need for a continental organization. Yep, the need is there, it's here. Yep.

What are you all waiting for -- a rainier day? For our agencies to go bankrupt? For thousands, 10s of thousands of those of our People most in need to fall through the gaping holes in the safety net we have taken such pride in building?

Of course the unnamed community asking its donors for "$100K" has set the bar for success so low. Get on with the task of uplifting; set the bar high...there is no shame in failing when reaching for the stars.

There should be shame in doing little. Greater shame in doing almost nothing at all.

Rwexler