THINGS I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN

I knew, as did all of you, how FUBAR are so many things are at JFNA. But I did not know that:


     ~ Even now, with a totally diminished capacity, JFNA is charging the federations for community FRD participation in the apparently historic "Building the Low End Donor Base...thing." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is the same organization...the very same...that told you two years ago that the recession was over -- good thing that they are not charging for investment advice. But, this is JFNA after all -- they want a percentage of funds raised -- so far, according to JFNA stats, the amount raised was, what, $33,000? Great!!


     ~JFNA issued a classic bizarro Leadership Briefing -- JFNA Helps Uncover Israel Donors Eligible for Dividends from the 1960s -- on June 12. This was one page of details of the  daily workings of JFNA about as informative as a Tweet but 20 times as long. Raised the daily question: how exactly are you helping the federations. Raccoon management -- the ever-changing but constant chase of shiny objects -- at work.


     ~ That May Keren Ha'Yesod International Forum in Florida? JFNA knew all about it; apparently saw nothing wrong with it; and certainly did nothing to stop it. Does anyone at 25 Broadway understand the federation system well enough to know when to say "NO?"


     ~ When the JFNA Search Committee was engaged in the process that resulted in the selection of President/CEO Jerry, it contemplated a double hire -- the CEO and his/her COO. Wisely, that Search Committee decided to leave the selection of the COO to the chief professional officer. Unfortunately, the CEO chose to defer the selection of a COO to 2011, and, then, to "search" only among his own staff. To the dismay of at least one JFNA Senior Professional who was running hard for the position, CEO Jerry has apparently abandoned his Search even though a COO with in-depth knowledge of the federations would be a crucial hire. Is it insecurity...or is it CEO Jerry's belief that he knows it all? Either way, it's a bad decision.


     ~ I have been gratified by the e-mails I have received off-line from federation leaders responding with enthusiasm to our Post of May 18 suggesting 5 steps to "Fixing the Global Planning Table." These "steps" came from one of the Friends of the Blog, a respected long-time federation and national professional leader. Of course...of course...JFNA leaders and consultants are stuck in their own narrative, once again pursuing a futile course of CHAOS; G-d forbid they consider any alternatives. 


It's all so sad.


Rwexler