"Responsible for development and implementation of corporate philanthropy and sponsorship strategy, bringing millions of dollars and resources to national programs, services and departments. Develop and steward relationships that lead to external funding and strategic alliances. Develop papers, articles and speeches concerning critical issues facing the Jewish community. Provide guidance and resources to every department of JFNA with respect to strategic messaging and aligning concepts and strategies with JFNA sponsorship efforts. Travel across the globe bringing leaders and funders to see the work of our system in all places we have impact. Provide value-added to local communities by keeping prices stable, lowering fees, sharing best practices, and making introductions that lead to community resources. Speak in communities to boards, officers and provide guidance and encouragement to professionals. Provide support to campaign missions, community visits, and other direct service activities. Speechwriter and crafter of articles and missives for top professional and lay leadership of JFNA."These responsibilities have been but a tease, haven't they? I may be wrong but I can't identify a single one of these functions on which JFNA has been the initiator let alone the organization that has followed through...not one.
If you are asble to identify where/when/how JFNA has implemented what it has called "institutional advancement," let me know and I will faithfully correct this otherwise sad record.
Why do I write about this now inasmuch as this "function" has been a fixture of the JFNA Budget for at least a decade? Well: (1) it has been a fixture of the JFNA Budget for at least a decade and (2) reading the JFNA FY 2020/2021 Budget document "Institutional Advancement" is still there.
Not that these well-stated "purposes" wouldn't be very important to the communities but one would have thought that somewhere at JFNA -- in the Executive Offices, in the Budget and Finance Department, at the JFNA Board level, anywhere -- someone would have said: "we can't afford the things we have not done during this emergency" and set the budget for this thing to the side along with the muiltitude of other unexplained, unnecessary Budget lines until JFNA has actually met the emergency...if ever.
And, if ever there was to be a time when JFNA's leaders would not merely acknowledge the financial crisis that the federations face but actually face it squarely, wouldn't this be that time? Wouldn't this be the time where, instead of the annual leadership kvetch that the JFNA Dues Budget has been flat for years while rent and other costs have annually increased, JFNA cuts its expenses to the bone as so many federations have been forced to do?
There are so many places where JFNA could/should cut costs to the bone. Let's start with that meaningless exercise in "Institutional Advancement."
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That was Beth Mann's job description. After over 15 exemplary years at JFNA, she was laid off last month.
I thought the same thing as Anon 9:56 AM. Another seasoned, knowledgeable, passionate, effective professional, let go. Because of what?
We'll never know.
But one thing we will know: Beth Mann did raise funds for JFNA.
But, given what appears to be a pattern here, when it comes to FRD, either for the federations or JFNA, Eric Fingerhut appears to be the expert, so I'm guessing that Beth Mann's position will not be filled.
That being said, how much money did Jerry Silverman actually raise for JFNA or the federation system?
Now it's Eric Fingerhut's turn to show off his development skills.......
Anyone holding her breath?
As to how much Silverman raised - my guess is that it is a negative number when you fatcor in the $7+ million he was paid over his tenure.
While Beth Mann was outsized (and whom else of comparable stature/rank/service?), the "not so new CEO) found the cash to expand HIS office with a "Chief of Staff" and an "Administrative Assistant" at a time he should have been cutting his compensation (and how much would that be??) by 50% while reducing his personal staff size, noit expanding it.It is once again chutzpah run amok.
The purging of solid professionals and administrative assistants has been going on there for at least the past 15 years. Often with little to no cuts from the CEO position. Nothing new.
These kinks in the armor of JFNA CEOs seem to just keep coming. With Silverman it was his lack of management skills and arrogance of needing to be the smartest person in the room.
Now with Fingerhut, it appears to be the latest political issue, Racial Equality at this point in time, when instead he should be working to strengthen the departments at JFNA.
We spent close to $1 million with Bridgespan and it doesn't appear that JFNA has a functional mission statement to guide it's reason for being.
I'm not impressed; Anon 8:40 hit that nail right on the head.
Meanwhile, far from sight or supervision, Caspi's "Global Operations" empire continues to thrive. There have been HR cuts but mostly to get rid of "threats" to the throne.
The support staff of controllable and loyal (at least perceived as loyal) servants are well protected.
Nobody seems to see this or even to be looking into it.
And the leader of this inflated operation continues to enjoy a salary that is well above that of any of the leaders of major non-profit organizations or senior government positions in Israel.
This has been going on for over a decade and it seems like it will continue unhindered well into the future - as long as nobody cares enough to have a look at it.
Indeed - unseen, unsupervised and unnecessary.
JNFA Israel - OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND...
To anon @5:51- Caspi enjoys the total support of Gurvis (why is hard to tell). His complete lack of appropriate judgment with IGO taints everything he touches.
TO ANONYMOUS 9:31. WHAT IS "IGO?"
I&O - Israel and Overseas
Silverman's Fund-Raising? Literally an oxymoron. So pathetic, your readers will recall that Silverman literally slithered to the Federation-National Agency Alliance and has funds allocated to the National Agencies for their work purloined to fund JFNA-budgeted departments. To him (and one must conclude his lay leadership and senior "managers," that was fund raising.
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