Shabbat Message - October 23, 2020

 

This message has 870 words and will take about 4 minutes to read.

 

In case you missed it, earlier this week both the BC NDP and the BC Liberals announced their support for the proposed JCC site redevelopment. The proposed redevelopment would represent the single biggest investment that our community has ever made in a project. Government support will be a pivotal component of turning our shared vision into reality, and it is very exciting to see momentum building. Yesterday, we emailed a joint statement with the JCC, which you can read here.
 
There is another exciting announcement to tell you about from the Jewish Community Foundation.
 
But first, a little background. The Foundation is our endowment program and serves as the centre of philanthropy and legacy giving for our community. Managing assets of over $67 million, the Foundation is thriving under the leadership of Diane Switzer, chair of the Foundation’s Board of Governors, and the Foundation’s professional staff of Marcie Flom, executive director; Laura Braude, director; and Wendy Finlayson, administrative coordinator.
 
Marcie and her team work closely with donors and their families to tailor their funds to fulfill their philanthropic objectives. They connect donors to community needs that are aligned with their passions and values to generate financial resources to support community priorities.
 
That’s where the Foundation’s big announcement comes in. Because, when COVID-19 initially hit, the Foundation’s fund holders responded in extraordinary ways–and they still are.
 
Just six months into the fiscal year, distributions made through Designated and Donor-Advised funds at the Foundation have totaled $2.7 million! To give you a sense of just how impressive this is, this six-month total equals the entire amount distributed in all of 2019.
 
Donors who establish Designated Funds provide organizations they care about with a perpetual source of stable funding. During times of uncertainty, as we are in now, many community organizations are still experiencing an increased need for services from people who have been hit hard. Others have had to pivot very quickly to offer programs online or have lost their primary sources of revenue. At a time when we need to know that organizations can continue to meet our community’s changing and increasing needs, this stable funding is particularly important.
 
To date, Donor-Advised fund holders have directed $1 million in response to needs in our community. This is a substantial increase over 2019, when distributions from Donor-Advised funds totaled $387,000 for the entire year.
 
This outpouring of support is a powerful testament to the responsiveness of fund holders during challenging times, and it continues to grow..
 
The Foundation is gearing up to build on their community support with the impact they will make through the next round of grants from the Unrestricted Grant Program. Unrestricted funds are central to the Foundation’s ability to respond with the greatest flexibility to community needs. The donors who contribute to Unrestricted Funds enable the Foundation to respond to the ever-changing and often urgent needs of our community, like we are seeing now through the pandemic.
 
Impactful grant making is one of the Foundation’s many strengths, which is why having Marcie involved with our Community Recovery Task Force is so important. She is working closely with Shelley Rivkin, our VP of Global and Local Engagement, and Risa Levine, chair of the task force.
 
Earlier this week, we shared an article published in the Jewish Independent in which Risa provided an update on the task force’s work, starting with consultations with communal partners on the impacts of COVID-19 across our community. The information that the task force gathers through their consultation process will inform the development of a long-term strategic response to the effects of COVID-19 on our community.
 
The Foundation is uniquely positioned to help direct the stable and secure funding required by community organizations, so they can continue carrying out their missions now and in the long term. Having the Foundation closely involved with the task force will ensure that they continue to have the depth and breadth of understanding of current and emerging community needs to advise fund holders effectively and respond to emerging priorities.
 
When Rabbi Pacht delivered the dvar at our Board meeting on Monday evening, he spoke about how great community work is in the eyes of G-d and how community can be a positive driver. You can be a positive driver, too, by supporting the incredible work being done in our community. If you’re interested in learning more about starting a fund at the Jewish Community Foundation, you can email Marcie directly or call her at 604.257.5129. You can also make your Annual Campaign gift and a one-time gift to Jewish Federation’s Community Recovery Fund.
 
On a final note, there is still time to register for Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly. I hope to see you at the virtual opening plenary this Sunday, where I’ll be moderating the changemakers panel at 4:30 p.m.

Shabbat shalom.

 

Ezra S. Shanken
Chief Executive Officer

P.S. Our Israel and Global Engagement department is excited to present a series of free virtual lectures, direct from Tel-Hai College  in our partnership region in Israel’s Upper Galilee. Don’t miss the first talk – “From Stone Flakes to iPhones – The Tools That Made Us Humans” – with archaeology expert Professor Gonen Sharon this Sunday, October 25 at 11:00 a.m. Register at www.jewishvancouver.com/tel-hai-series.