April 15, 2010, Jewish Telegraphic Agency — As more than 200 major funders of Jewish nonprofits gathered here at a hotel known as the Jewel of the Desert, most of the signs of the economic carnage of the past 18 months appeared to be waning.
The funders were here for the annual conference of the Jewish Funders Network, which was held Sunday through Tuesday under perfect weather at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. The meeting was accompanied by a general sense that the financial markets had stabilized and, with them, charitable giving. Many coming off difficult years appeared optimistic.
"We certainly hit a low tide, but I am not gloomy and pessimistic," Evan Schlessinger, the former chairman of Jewish Family & Life, told JTA. "The tide is coming back in, and this has helped us focus."There were other signs at the Biltmore that the darkest of days for nonprofits may be over. According to JFN's polling, 33 percent of participants said they would increase their giving to Jewish causes this year, while 61 percent said they haven't reduced giving to Jewish causes over the past year.
But scratch beneath the surface and there was plenty of concern that more Jewish nonprofits may be at risk of collapse. For some of the major players in the Jewish nonprofit world, last year was disappointing and there is fear that this year could be just as bad — or worse.
Jacob Berkman
November 13, 2009, JTA Wire Service — This list is by no means an exact science. Those who we considered Jewish were of Jewish descent or openly identified as Jews, either personally or in their giving.
September 17, 2009, Jewish Telegraphic Agency — As they prepare to offer loved ones Rosh Hashanah greetings and wishes, many people in the Jewish nonprofit world would probably like to wish away 5769.
July 15, 2009, JTA — The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation announced Wednesday that it would give out more than $200 million over the next two years, including some $21 million in new grants over that time period.
NEW YORK, July 6, 2009, JTA — The umbrella organization of the North American Jewish federation system has hired Jerry Silverman, a key player in raising tens of millions of dollars for Jewish summer camps, as its next president and CEO.
June 7, 2009, NEW YORK, JTA — Whoever thought you’d see a former U.S. poet laureate singing a kitschy jingle on YouTube asking for funds for a small nonprofit that most of his readers have never heard of?
ST PETERSBURG, Fla. (JTA), March 31, 2009 — It was a telling moment at the annual conference of the Jewish Funders Network, a gathering of philanthropists who give away at least $25,000 per year to Jewish causes and, in most cases much, much more.
