The article saddened me so much, and, then, sadness turned to outrage. Is the GA Scamming Israeli Nonprofits? is an excellent question; given that JFNA has been scamming its own owners, the federations, and its former "partners," JAFI, JDC and WorldORT for over a decade, not so surprising. Essentially, the author, who clearly has a keen insight, states forcefully that small (and, for that matter, large) Israeli NGOs are paying an exorbitant price for a booth -- for visibility -- at the upcoming Tel Aviv GA. As Chicago's Caryn Adelman, commented:
"Standing behind a table giving out pamphlets and free candy is not relationship building...meeting on common ground, sharing ideas and values are what it's all about.
Donors are smarter than you think."Israeli non-profits don't realize, but, if they rent a booth, they soon will, that JFNA GAs are nothing more than a numbers game for the convener, JFNA. Facing annual deficits from the failing General Assemblies, and an ever-reducing number of quality sponsors, the pressure is on to "sell" more booths without any sense of responsibility to the NGOs to advise them, as has the anonymous author, that they expending more for less in terms of return on investment -- more, in many cases, than the NGOs can afford or should expend. The same numbers game has driven JFNA to offer steep registration discounts for Israeli professional staffs of American organizations operating in Israel.
And, of course, as is their way, JFNA will soon be inflating the number of lay registrants for the TAGA -- in mid-September lay registration stood at less than 700 -- a shocking number that confirms the need to use 2019 to undertake a long and fresh look at the value-added from an event that has lost what it once had. It would have been great if the GA were still what the author of Scamming recited:
"The GA is the gathering of all of the staff and lay leadership involved in the Jewish Federations across North American whose primary purpose is to support Jewish life, community, and identity in America. heir Jewish identity and increase their participation in their home Jewish communities."Oh, if only it were so.
G'mar hatima tova.
Rwexler
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3 comments:
Of course it is a scam! Why a question mark in your post's title?
And of course treating the Israeli NGO organizations like for-profit vendors shows a total lack of sense for an organization like what JFNA is supposed to be (but obviously is not).
Maybe we should also demand that these struggling non-profits pay us dues as well. That might help fill the gaps created by all those Federations that cannnot pay their own way.
Anyway, no need to worry about GA registration I'm sure the "official" figure will be at least 3,000.
A scam indeed and an expensive one too!
Richard, you know and your readers know, this is a minor scam executed by JFNA compared with its annual Budget scam, its Dues scam, its Israel Office scam, its CEO compensation scam, and the like.
I am an avid reader of this Blog. I cannot believe that Federation lay and pro leaders allow the current circumstances to perpetuate. Are there no leaders anymore in North American Jewish life? Are they all running for higher office in a bankrupt organization? What has been going on that this larger scam continues?
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