The Case for Giving
A Message from Our Chairs We are blessed to be part of Boston s Jewish community, and tremendously proud of what we have accomplished together. For over 120 years, we ve united to make the world a better place and through our collective history, we ve always seen the bigger story. It s a story of compassion, caring and change; one that defines our past and gives us energy and drive to achieve a better tomorrow. We are so proud to serve as CJP s Annual Campaign Chairs. We see the amazing work our committed volunteers do; the exceptional strength of our leadership; and the extraordinary impact made by our community every day. Together, we will make this year the most incredible yet. We will care for those in need, empower our children on campus, and further strengthen our community by connecting people of all ages to Jewish life and learning. Please join us and help build a brighter Jewish future. Table of Contents 4 120 Years of Positive Change 6 Caring for the Most Vulnerable 10 Uniting for Israel 14 Engaging All Ages in Jewish Learning 18 Your Gift Matters Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine & Dena Boronkay Rashes Co-chairs, 2016 Annual Campaign Being involved in CJP is extremely important. It s The opportunity to serve in this role for a second year helped me effectively channel the deep care I have for the Jewish community through thoughtful action that generates results. - Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine is a tremendous honor. CJP is invested in sound and measurably successful initiatives that support our goal of a bright Jewish future in Boston, Israel and beyond. - Dena Boronkay Rashes 2 THE CASE FOR GIVING THE CASE FOR GIVING 3
120 Years of Positive Change We care for the most vulnerable in our community. Greater Boston s Jewish community has always come together in search of more. To do more. To learn more. To help more. Our grandparents came to Boston to give their families a better future. Our parents instilled in us their values and traditions both personal and Jewish to give us hope, strength and love. And now we look ahead to not only better ourselves and our children, but to connect to something bigger than each of us. We unite for a stronger Israel. CJP changes lives every day through deeds both big and small such as providing food, shelter and career support at the most critical of moments. After the recession, we helped those who were struggling with emergency financial aid. Today, we ve begun a community-wide initiative to help those in need find compassionate services. Moving forward, we will reach people earlier so they don t slip into despair. That s where CJP comes in. Since 1895, we ve been at the leading edge of Jewish history. We harness 120 years of experience and in-depth knowledge to get things done. Where there s a need, there s a way. Where there s an opportunity, we re there. When you give to CJP, your gift goes further. No matter the size of the donation, every gift gives us the ability to do more to identify where the needs are greatest; to solve problems through innovative programming; to offer lasting support that unites our community. Now is the time for each and every one of us to get involved. But what does that mean? Here are just three of the countless ways we care, unite and inspire. From immersive trips to campus advocacy, CJP builds lasting ties to Israel and stands up for our homeland in important ways. We ve always supported the creation of a Jewish state. Now, we send students to Israel on life-changing trips and engage them in Jewish life when they return. From here, we will continue to empower young adults nationwide to be passionate advocates for Israel. We inspire all ages to embrace Jewish life and learning. Through relevant, engaging opportunities for kids and adults alike CJP provides education to grow your world. We were the first Federation to financially support Jewish education. Now, we invigorate learning in and outside of synagogues through immersive, project-based experiences that set the stage for future success and we will continue to connect the next generation to a life of meaning and purpose. 4 THE CASE FOR GIVING THE CASE FOR GIVING 5
Caring for the Most Vulnerable The need for change is critical. The time for an answer is now. After the financial collapse in 2008, CJP identified the need to fight Jewish poverty head-on. Poverty affects the most vulnerable in our community and yet its face is hard to recognize. Many of our friends and neighbors are struggling without us even knowing. Some are families desperate to put food on the table, seniors searching for ways to pay their medical bills, and parents looking for warm clothes for their children this winter. Last year, CJP united agencies across Greater Boston, and began a community-wide initiative to assess and address Jewish poverty. Now, we re helping raise essential awareness, eliminate stigma, widen the safety net and build a lasting support system. It has always been part of our mission to help those in our community that need it most. Together, we ve made it a priority to provide life-changing assistance for people who are struggling, and to identify long-term solutions for a better tomorrow. But there s still more we can do. Your gift has helped 2,483 people receive career development, employment training and job search assistance. 6 THE CASE FOR GIVING CARING FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE 7
Poverty affects far too many Jewish families. But it doesn t have to. My husband and I are educated and employed, which means a lot of people didn t realize we could have been struggling. As he was finishing college and we had our first child, we were right on the cusp of poverty. When Eliminating the stigma Asking for help can be incredibly difficult. But CJP is addressing Jewish poverty using a compassionate approach that offers comprehensive and supportive services. We ve increased emergency financial assistance and food assistance by more than 200% in the past year. you re living paycheck to paycheck, it s so hard to get out of that situation. With the compassion of the community, we received assistance that was so crucial. We were finally able to move forward. Lisa, Boston Getting the answers Nobody should ever feel confused or overwhelmed about how to get help. Since the recession, we ve enabled more than 10,000 people to get back on the path toward financial stability. Now, our toll-free CJP warmline will be a supportive first contact that provides people access to the services they need. Caring professionals will work with individuals and families to understand and respond to their unique situations. CJP has launched a community-wide initiative that combats poverty, but we re not stopping there. Together with our partners, we ll reach more people, earlier, in new ways Creating lasting solutions We re giving adults the foundation they need to move from emergency crisis management to long-term stability. With assistance from our partners, we ve helped 184 people resolve 287 separate benefits issues, including food stamps, transitional including through our CJP warmline, which connects callers to essential resources and to professionals that understand and respond to their unique situations. We ll make getting help easier and more compassionate, and let those struggling know they re never alone. assistance and aid. 8 CARING FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE THE CASE FOR GIVING 9
Uniting for Israel From coast to coast, we re bringing campuses together for Israel. In 2007, CJP identified the need for stronger campuses ones better connected to Israel and Jewish life; campuses that encouraged students to explore transformative change. Through life-changing Birthright Israel trips, we send young adults to our Jewish homeland. And now with our campus initiative IACT (Inspired, Active, Committed, Transformed), we have a way to engage students after they return and help them continue their Jewish journey. IACT helps young adults connect with each other, strengthen their Jewish identity and become advocates for Israel. We began with 12 campuses in New England, and expanded nationally With your support, we ve always worked tirelessly to strengthen our ties to Israel; to give the next generation stronger, more accessible connections to their Jewish heritage and homeland; and to stand up to anti-semitism when it s needed most. with an additional five sites in 2014. But the growth doesn t stop there. 80% Your gift has helped of IACT alumni become sustainably engaged in campus Jewish life. 10 THE CASE FOR GIVING UNITING FOR ISRAEL 11
Standing with Israel for tomorrow, empowering campuses today. Through IACT, I participated in three Israel experiences. First, I did Birthright with friends at Northeastern, and I knew I had Advocating for Israel to get back to Israel. Just two months later, CJP sent me on its CJP supports students as they stand Alternative Spring Break in Haifa, where I volunteered at five up for Israel on campus. This year, sites. And last summer, I completed a business internship with four IACT campuses across the U.S. faced BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) resolutions and played a decisive role in defeating those proposals. Building a strong network Every year, we welcome Onward Israel. Each experience with IACT really changed my life. Jake Ascher, Northeastern University, Class of 2016 1,000 new IACT alumni across New England and send 500 alumni back for a second immersive Jewish experience trip. We re supporting students as they explore their key interests from Jewish cultural arts, to community service, to career-launching summer internships. Giving voice to the nation In 2015, IACT expanded to an additional 7 campuses. From Massachusetts CJP will continue to expand IACT, transforming life on campus across the country. We ll connect more students nationwide to Israel and Jewish life. We ll empower more to California, we re educating and young adults than ever before to take a stand against empowering students to come anti-semitism and anti-israel criticism. And we ll give more together and to advocate for Israel. students the building blocks they need to create a better future both at home and abroad. 12 UNITING FOR ISRAEL THE CASE FOR GIVING 13
Engaging All Ages in Jewish Learning Opening the doors to Jewish life for every age, interest and ability. CJP connects our community through knowledge. We re bringing people together to shape their identities and grow their understanding of what it means to be Jewish. We ve begun adult learning circles, which focus on fascinating topics tailored to specific interests. We partner with Hebrew College to provide courses that offer a core literacy in Jewish culture and civilization. And we partner with day schools, synagogues and camps to engage our children in new ways. These innovative and effective programs help people become part of the Jewish story. But there s always more to discover. A Jewish life is one of meaning and purpose. With your help, today we re building on more than a century of helping families and individuals explore their values, create ties to the past and enrich their world through learning. Your gift has helped more than 1,125 adults engage in the study of Jewish texts, history and concepts. 14 THE CASE FOR GIVING ENGAGING ALL AGES IN JEWISH LEARNING 15
Exploration that grows your world. Getting them started From Jewish preschools, to reading programs, to Tot Shabbat celebrations, CJP starts children early on a lifetime of Jewish identity and understanding. This year, 3,585 people attended 152 programs for families with young children. Learning together is a life-enhancing experience. It s engaging with our community, and becoming a participant in the rich spiritual and intellectual core of what it means to be Jewish. Barry Shrage, CJP President Keeping the momentum We re making it easier than ever for teens and young adults to dive in to the Jewish experience. We re bettering their future with synagogue opportunities, immersive Israel trips and other engaging initiatives including Jewish overnight camps, where we ve sent more than 2,000 children. Finding meaning We re expanding Kevah learning circles and offering popular classes so that adults can easily delve into what s most important to them whether it s in a classroom setting or discussions in a comfortable home with friends. CJP will build a brighter future by engaging more kids with fun, fascinating programs. We ll send even more young people to Israel and expand Eser which connects young adults to Jewish texts and ideas, and each other to 14 sites and 140 participants. And we ll help more adults than ever discover themselves and build Jewish identities for their families through personalized learning circles and thought-provoking classes. 16 ENGAGING ALL AGES IN JEWISH LEARNING THE CASE FOR GIVING 17
Your Gift Matters Where our past meets our present and sets the stage for a brighter future. Your gift to CJP carries on the tradition of tikkun olam repairing the world to ensure a stronger tomorrow, today. For 120 years, donors like you have helped us provide assistance where it s needed most. Whether it s supporting Greater Boston s only kosher food pantry; helping people with disabilities find work, stay healthy and live independently; offering the highest-caliber Jewish education options in the nation; or sending urgent humanitarian aid to our friends in Israel, Ukraine and around the world, CJP is there. And will be for the next 120 years. To make your gift today, visit cjp.org/donate Looking for more ways to give? Giving over time Gifts to CJP s endowment help sustain our community by providing a perpetual stream of funding. You can create a planned gift to benefit specific areas of interest, or a generous donation to meet the community s most urgent needs. Investing in the future You can establish a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) to help you manage and simplify your charitable giving, and nurture a tradition of family philanthropy. CJP will handle all the administrative matters for a fraction of the cost to manage your own family foundation. 18 THE CASE FOR GIVING THE CASE FOR GIVING 19
Senior Management Team Barry Shrage, President Gil Preuss, Executive Vice President Judy Shapiro, Chief Operating Officer Zamira Korff, Senior Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy David H. Strong, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Andi Pollinger, Vice President, Planning Julie Somers, Vice President, Marketing Roberta Goldman-Wilkinson, Vice President, Human Resources Development Team Charles S. Glassenberg, Vice President, Gift Planning and Investment Partnerships Amy Mitman, Vice President, Development Larry Tobin, Associate Vice President, Development Rebecca Yturregui, Associate Vice President, Donor Relations and Stewardship CJP welcomes the participation of interfaith couples and families, and people of all abilities, backgrounds and sexual orientations. You can give with confidence. CJP has received the highest 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, reflecting our efficient and fiscally responsible management. Read detailed financials at cjp.org Connect with us on MKTG-12685-16