A GOOD LAUGH

Many of you know that no one loves a good laugh more than I. And even more of you know that no organization provides us with more laughs more often than does JFNA. After all, the organization can send out Briefings that makes GA of a little over 800 full pay registrants a roaring success; or the JFNA-engineered "rescue" of 13 Yemeni families to Monsey NY appear to be the equivalent of the actual Exodus of 1,000,000 Jews from what was the Soviet Union; and so on and on and on. For 25 Broadway os the central address for these, the masters of marketing and miscommunication.

So it was with great anticipation that I greeted the JFNA Leadership Briefing of March 14, 2012 -- Donor Acquisition Program Enhances Federation Databases. I'll go directly to the bottom line: "The direct marketing solution, coordinated by JFNA, was tested in a pilot program last year with 35 federations. The pilot produced more than 1,000 new donors, and raised more than $33,000 for participating federations." (emphasis added)

Laughter begins now:

     ~ 35 federations, 1,000 new donors = 28.57 new donors per federation.

     ~ $33,000 pledged by $1,000 new donors - $33 per donation

     ~ $33 per donation times 28.57 new donors per federation = $942.81 per participating federation

OK. wipe the tears away, read the quotes from joy-filled federation professionals and, by all means, GO FOR IT!!!

But, never forget -- no "beta test" was need for this "donor acquisition program." UJA rolled this out in the early 90's, staffed it and marketed it without charge to the federations. If it's worth doing once it's worth repeating -- but don't pretend you've got something new and different. OK?

Laughter ends now.

Rwexler