Facing a declining donor base 20 years in the making, UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America is reframing its brand and the way its community of member federations works together.

By Abny Santicola

The organization's donor attrition was driven, in part, by a dynamic continental population on the move, but an additional reason is the organization's historical focus on dollars — rather than donors — raised. Smolyar says the organization focused on netting gifts from larger-dollar donors rather than growing the donor base, something he says often seems easier than running a disciplined direct-marketing campaign that aims for a broader base but lower-value donor. According to Sussman, it's been a real challenge to get people within federations to understand why it's important to grow the donor base.