POSTSCRIPT TO A POSTSCRIPT

On October 1, 2012 -- that's four years ago by my count -- I wrote:

"One Anonymous Commentator wrote, in response to P.S. to a Post Script:

Richard, though you have written them before, please reiterate which programs you feel would be of benefit to the federations that are not being done now by JFNA. This would be helpful to those of us who aren't familiar and maybe could be helpful to some who can do something about it.

So, seeing as you asked:

1. Bring together JFNA's Board, federation leaders all, and have a discussion about JFNA's purposes
2. As a significant number of federations when surveyed had already articulated that their greatest "want" from JFNA was enhanced FRD assistance, reinvigorate the organization's FRD functions
3. Instead of just talking about it, actually implement a robust set of national Missions led by charismatic leaders who will reach out to recruit across the Continent
4. Actually insist on an independent evaluation of JFNA's services -- from JFNA Global Services to the GA -- and publish the results -- in some instance it will shut the mouths of critics and in others it will result in change
5. Acknowledge that rebranding is over and dedicate that portion of JFNA's budget to FRD
6. Stop the waste and chaos that is the Global Planning Table, an effort that is dragging JFNA down, and being to engage in real advocacy for the system' s historic partners
7. Let's have real consulting services with and for the federations -- a Silverman fly-in doesn't count

And, these are just for starters.

What are your thoughts?"

So I thought, a half decade later that we take a look at these suggestions and where JFNA is today. Shall we?

1. Bring together JFNA's Board, federation leaders all, and have a discussion about JFNA's purposes. Grade F -- there has still never been a discussion of purpose by JFNA's Board. It is as if as JFNA's most senior lay and professional leaders have never defined the organization's purpose(s), they fear what the Board might produce. If you don't know where you are going any road will get you there -- or nowhere.
2. As a significant number of federations when surveyed had already articulated that their greatest "want" from JFNA was enhanced FRD assistance, reinvigorate the organization's FRD functions. Grade Incomplete. Four years later, after the complete collapse of FRD, it appears that JFNA is on the cusp of recreating its Financial Resource Development operation with a new Senior Vice President, two outstanding consultants and an actual (albeit superficial) "plan" -- one that reads like the Platform of either political party.
3. Instead of just talking about it, actually implement a robust set of national Missions led by charismatic leaders who will reach out to recruit across the Continent. Grade Incomplete. Partially implemented -- though more and more federations are going their own way on Missions, JFNA has conducted some important ones. Yet, a succession of National Campaign Chairs, apparently having nothing else to do, have appointed themselves as Mission Chairs time and again rather than using Mission Co-Chairs as a means of identifying the future leaders of the Continental FRD effort . Further, more and more federations are going on Missions with no assistance from JFNA/
4. Actually insist on an independent evaluation of JFNA's services -- from JFNA Global Services to the GA -- and publish the results -- in some instance it will shut the mouths of critics and in others it will result in change. Grade F. If an independent evaluation has taken place, the results have been totally suppressed so those results must have been as terrible as the failures have been so visible. Assuming there has been no such evaluation, one can only ask: why not?
5. Acknowledge that rebranding is over and dedicate that portion of JFNA's budget to FRD. Grade HaHaHa. JFNA as Dockers -- the brand is everything to these chachams.
6. Stop the waste and chaos that is the Global Planning Table, an effort that is dragging JFNA down, and being to engage in real advocacy for the system' s historic partners. Grade D. One can only ask: what took them so long? From the get-go, even before it was begun, many of us saw the GPT as fatally flawed; it finally died only because JFNA failed to raise the requisite seed money to further its ill-formed purposes. It died while the CEO was still saying that if the GPT went away so would JFNA. And "real advocacy" continues to elude JFNA which, at least, is now giving lip service to it through the embryonic "Envoys" program.
7. Let's have real consulting services with and for the federations -- a Silverman fly-in doesn't count. Grade F. CEO Smilin' is still flying hither and yon to what end only The Shadow knows. With its Senior V-P Community Consulting departure in 2015, JFNA now has not even the appearance of a Community Consulting function. And, now, FRD plans to implement one on an extremely limited basis -- maybe that will work.

So, let me ask: what has been accomplished after the seven years of Jerry, seven years of worse than mediocrity, that would encourage responsible lay leaders to continue down (and it's really far down) the path toward irrelevance and worse? Let me put it another way: How much longer will the lay and professional leaders of the UJA-Federation of New York continue to tolerate the waste of $6 million (+/-) a year on this nothingness; how long will the leaders of Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, Miami and, yes, Los Angeles, throw tens of millions of dollars at JFNA in the false hope that these funds are being well-spent. 

I used to be at the forefront of those advocating for more...yes, more... for JFNA under the theory that while my own community was only directly benefiting from these outlays in an extremely limited way, the JFNA Budget expenditures were benefiting smaller communities with programs and assistance they could not pay for themselves -- our Dues were an expression of collective responsibility. No longer -- except for the small amount of JFNA's work which directly benefits the Dues-payers, the rest benefits no one but JFNA itself...and hardly JFNA. 

Do I continue to hold out hope that federation leaders will stand up and demand transformational change from new, transformational leaders at JFNA -- no. I know so many of these leaders -- dedicated women and men, all of them -- so it is inconceivable to me that they would not only tolerate the hot mess that is JFNA today but, in some instances, typically by the higher office aspirants or those who benefit from the mess, encourage it. But, I'm coming around to believing that they just don't care.

Rwexler