Successful Synagogue Fundraising Today , livre ebook

Turner Publishing Company - Rabbi David A. Mersky

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145 pages

English

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You can achieve your dreams of financial stability for your congregation.
"At almost every institution around the country, there is money left unasked for and, as a result, not given. 'Wait,' you might say. ’We have an annual appeal every year! Every family in our congregation is asked for a donation at High Holiday services. If they haven’t given, they just don’t want to give to us.‘ That may be how you perceive the interaction, but do your congregants see it the same way?“
―from Chapter 1
Successful synagogue fundraising is no easy task, but it is possible―for all congregations. Development consultants Rabbi David A. Mersky and Abigail Harmon outline a practical, step-by-step approach to fundraising programs and systems that can help your synagogue achieve growth and sustainability. They show you how to:
Create excitement about new models of fundraising
Set up a comprehensive development program
Find and engage current and prospective donors
Choose effective staff, volunteers and consultants
Create a culture of asking and giving that everyone feels positive about
Bring your community together to support the congregation’s mission and vision

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

Judaism

Religion

Informations

Publié par	Turner Publishing Company
Date de parution	18 mai 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781580238632
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,1000€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Praise for Successful Synagogue Fundraising Today: Overcoming the Fear of Asking for Money
Pushes congregational leaders to reframe the way we think about members and membership . A thoughtful and wonderfully user-friendly contribution to a growing and necessary conversation.
- Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson , president, Wexner Foundation
As a former synagogue rabbi, this book resonates strongly with the challenges I faced . Helps [us] understand the principles of fundraising and development.
- Rabbi Asher Lopatin , president, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School
Should be required reading for all synagogue leadership, from committee members to board members to temple presidents. It is fundraising 101 and so much more.
- Jodi Hessel , past president, Temple Beth Am, Pinecrest (Miami), Florida
A relationship-oriented, stewardship-driven approach to fundraising.
- Rabbi Deborah Waxman, PhD , president, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Of immense practical value . David Mersky s insights into the theory and process of development enabled me, my lay leadership and staff to achieve success beyond our expectations.
- Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson , senior rabbi, Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York
A great resource for every synagogue seeking to move from a culture of fundraisers to a culture of philanthropy that engages life-long donors. A comprehensive primer.
- Margo Gold , international president, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
A must-read for synagogue boards, clergy and staff.
- Dr. Ron Wolfson , Fingerhut Professor of Education, American Jewish University; author, Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community
Concrete tips and practical guidance from fundraising professionals who really know what they are talking about. This book is all you need to succeed in synagogue fundraising.
- Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky , executive director, Big Tent Judaism; coauthor, New Membership and Financial Alternatives for the American Synagogue
Lifts us up from the bottom line to an elevated plane of meaningful relationship for sustained growth.
- Rabbi Elaine Zecher , Temple Israel, Boston
Takes you through the entire process step by step in an easy-to-read format that provides checklists, charts and many innovative ideas for a successful campaign . Highly recommend[ed].
- Maria Benet , past president, Congregation Kehillath Israel, Brookline, MA
A sorely-needed pragmatic guide.
- Rabbi Jonathan Schnitzer , senior rabbi, B nai Israel Congregation, Rockville, MD
Comprehensive . The perfect guide for any synagogue leadership group seeking to improve its financial health (and the engagement of its congregants) through philanthropy.
- Frederic L. Bloch , past president, Larchmont Temple, Larchmont, NY; senior vice president of development, New Jewish Home, New York City
Who Should Read This Book?
This book is for all of you who value the synagogue in your personal life-clergy, educators, staff, and, above all, the volunteers charged with the sacred task of sustaining Jewish life. In Shabbat 118b, the Talmud teaches that Rabbi Yossi said, May my portion be with those who raise tzedakah and not with those who only distribute it.
In this book, we will explore what a comprehensive development and fundraising program can help you achieve. You will learn:
How to engage the members of your congregation
The difference between a High Holiday appeal and an annual fund program (and the value of the latter)
How to create and execute an annual development plan
Who will lead the development and fundraising effort
The roles of volunteer leaders, clergy, and professional staff
The habits of a highly successful fundraiser
Where to find and how to learn about your prospective donors
How to make the case for support of your congregation
How to create a culture of asking
The value of developing a strategy for each prospective donor
How to conduct a face-to-face solicitation that makes everyone feel great
The importance of planned giving
The significance of stewardship of donors and their resources
The value of renewing and increasing support while deepening the commitment of members (and ensuring the continued survival of the congregation)
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Contents
Introduction
Part I What Can Fundraising Help You Achieve?
Chapter 1 Financial Sustainability: Increasing the Money Raised on an Annual Basis
Chapter 2 Building Community: An Added Benefit of Successful Fundraising
Chapter 3 The Major Gift Engagement Plan
The Major Gift Engagement Plan Chart
Part II Who Should Be Charged with Fundraising?
Chapter 4 Volunteer Leaders
Fundraising Committee Questionnaire
Who Should Chair Your Development Committee?
Chapter 5 The Role of Clergy, Staff, and Volunteer Leadership in the Development Process
Chapter 6 What All Fundraisers Need to Know
Chapter 7 When to Call in the Consultants
Part III Tools for Donor Engagement
Chapter 8 Where Will You Find Your Donors?
Chapter 9 The Case for Giving
Chapter 10 The Effective Annual Fund
Fundraising by Source: Budget versus Actual
Part IV Why It s Okay to Ask for a Donation
Chapter 11 Creating a Culture of Asking
Chapter 12 Basic Fundraising Skills
Chapter 13 The Individual Ask
Part V How Great Fundraising Will Improve Your Synagogue Culture
Chapter 14 Stewardship: The Path to Donor Retention
Chapter 15 Moves Management: A Disciplined Approach to Securing Major Gifts
Chapter 16 The Cycle Repeats
Conclusion: This Is Not the End It Is But the Beginning
Acknowledgments
Appendix 1: Donor Recognition Policy
Categories of Giving
Appendix 2: Major Gifts Moves Management Worksheets
Prospect Identification
Prospect Review Form
Call Report
Weekly Summary
Dashboard
Glossary
About the Authors
Copyright
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Introduction
Fundraising and Development in a Twenty-First-Century Synagogue
We are living in a different world than we were generations ago. Support of a synagogue is no longer automatic or given by default. Congregations in all movements are being forced to consider their revenue streams with twenty-first-century factors in mind. Can the current dues models survive? Is the Yom Kippur appeal a more or less effective method of asking for support than in years past? Can we get the new families in our congregation excited enough to support our next initiative?
These are all valid questions, but the answers are not simple. They require us to examine the reasons behind the changes in where we give our time and money. And they necessitate an in-depth look at how we can engage and encourage a commitment to the synagogue for years to come.
A Bit of History
In the post-World War II era-when American suburbs exploded and the Jewish community developed congregations far from their prewar urban ghettos, synagogues were supported in the main by the payment of dues and building fund fees. When David (co-author of this book) was a member of the staff of the then-Union of American Hebrew Congregations, a fiscally healthy congregation received no less than 85 percent of its annual operating revenue from billable, renewable sources-dues and fees that their members paid for the privilege of affiliation. The balance of the operating budget would be covered by income from the rental of facilities, operating surpluses from preschools-often simply tenants of the congregation s building-and a fundraising event or two to celebrate achievements and balance the budget. Few congregations in the early seventies had endowments.
In recent years, congregations have experimented with various dues models from fair share-often based on a suggested percentage of a family s adjusted gross income-to gifts from the heart -entirely voluntary, unguided amounts. But regardless of the method of assessment and collection, membership was usually something that was billed to each head of household on the first day of the fiscal year. Member units were in fact no more than accounts receivable and never valued donors who required development or cultivation, or deserved stewardship.
Congregations can no longer depend on the dues and fees that their members pay to carry the load. Most congregations today may receive as little as 50 percent of their operating expenses by directly billing their members. In fact, many congregations today are struggling to attract members altogether, as patterns of affiliation have changed markedly. As religious a nation as the United States is, today the fastest-growing segment, according to a recent Pew study, are the nones -those who declare no religious affiliation or identification. (This is a subject for another book altogether.)
In this context, the question is how best to fund the twenty-first century synagogue. Our answer is through a comprehensive plan of development and fundraising.
Over the years, we both have worked as staff, volunteers, and consultants, much of the time within synagogues and organizations with strong Jewish values. We have more than sixty years combined experience in development and fundraising. We believe at our core that the synagogue is a key gateway to Jewish life, a central organizing principal of the Jewish community, and the place where, together with their families, Jews of all ages learn the value of tzedakah . All other Jewish communal agencies depend upon the synagogue to develop leaders with a commitment to and un