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Dec. 6, 2013
A prototype accord?
Fundraising collaboration is at new deal’s core.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
On Nov. 21, B’nai Brith Canada issued a press release announcing “the signing of a historic accord” with UJA Federation of Greater Toronto “that will improve the communal landscape and create new working relationships within Canada’s largest Jewish community.” In last week’s issue of the Jewish Independent, there was a reprint of the Canadian Jewish News article covering the Nov. 19 signing reception at Toronto’s Lipa Green Centre. This week, the JI interviewed both organizations to find out more about the accord.
Expected to be finalized by the end of 2013, UJA Federation and B’nai Brith “have been working on this agreement for a number of months,” said UJA editorial director/senior writer Dan Horowitz in an e-mail. The “closer ties” that UJA president and chief executive officer Ted Sokolsky mentioned at the reception, explained Horowitz, will be “especially in terms of capital fundraising for seniors housing, and in terms of more of a commitment to consult with each other on issues of community concern/importance, while at the same time, respecting the individual autonomy, history and contribution of each organization. While there will be more consultation between the two organizations, the leadership remains separate and independent.”
“The agreement is made between two individual autonomous organizations that will continue to operate and function in the exact manner as they have in the past,” explained BBC chief executive officer Dr. Frank Dimant to the Independent. “Closer ties refers to helping support each other’s primarily fundraising programs. B’nai Brith Canada will actively participation in the UJA campaigns while UJA will be assisting B’nai Brith Canada in obtaining major gifts for naming opportunities within existing B’nai Brith buildings. The buildings remain the property of B’nai Brith Canada and will continue to be administered by its own B’nai Brith Canada board of directors.
“Because of the closer working relationships that are envisioned,” Dimant continued, “B’nai Brith Canada will be assigning a senior fundraising staff person, as will the UJA Federation, to work specifically on mutually agreed-upon fundraising programs including, but not limited to, naming opportunities of buildings, as well as naming opportunities within the proposed B’nai Brith Stephen Harper Human Rights Centre.”
Both men were clear that no UJA Federation money would go to BBC and vice versa. As well, other organizational aspects will remain independent.
“There will be no funds directed from B’nai Brith Canada to the UJA or from the UJA to B’nai Brith Canada,” said Dimant. “Each will continue to operate as in the past. It is mutually agreed that the advocacy organizations of both entities will continue to operate as they are now, including B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights, Institute for International Affairs and its government relations and, from the Federation, it will be CIJA [the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs].
“We trust that this relationship will create the opportunities for more members of the Jewish community to work together in helping to raise funds for two very important organizations that are instrumental in Canadian Jewish life,” Dimant stressed. “The critical element is respect for one another, recognizing each other’s independence and supporting each other through mutual fundraising projects.”
About the agreement, he concluded, “It is predicated on good will and we believe it may become a prototype for B’nai Brith/Federation cooperation throughout the country.”
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