Campaign starts well

CYNTHIA RAMSAY

Since the recession hit in 2008, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver annual campaign has been steadily climbing back up and, this year, its goal is $8 million, an almost 10 percent increase over 2009.

Leading the fundraising efforts, as campaign director, is Cheryl Hebb. “I joined Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver as campaign director in May 2010, after serving as director of fundraising for community-based projects at VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation,” Hebb told the Independent. “Working in the community for two years prior to starting at Federation, I really had a great opportunity to get to know the city and its people.

“I originally became a fundraiser because I wanted to practise tikkun olam, healing the world. Federation annual campaign volunteers inspire me each and every day to believe that this is not only a possibility; it’s a reality.”

She noted that, in 2009, the campaign raised $7.328 million, up about two percent from the year before. This year’s campaign, which began Sept. 1 and runs until Nov. 30, has raised just over $4 million to date, with 25 percent of the gifts closed, said Hebb.

“While it’s been a tough couple of years and many nonprofits have had trouble raising money, the Jewish community of Greater Vancouver has recognized the growing challenges and needs facing the community,” she said. “If we want to provide a safety net for the most vulnerable among us, plus expand the educational and cultural offerings as our population grows and diversifies into outlying areas away from central Vancouver, we need to redouble our annual campaign efforts.

“Enabling Federation to do this are several generous families that together formed the Challenge Fund to inspire others to make new or increased gifts to the annual campaign. The Challenge Fund will match by one-third qualifying gifts to the annual campaign, and has the potential to help raise an additional $900,000 for the community.”

Hebb recently completed her master’s in business administration in nonprofit management at the American Jewish University, formerly the University of Judaism, and she holds a CFRE certification, which is granted by Certified Fund Raising Executive International, to “fundraising professionals who demonstrate the knowledge, skills and commitment to the highest standards of ethical and professional practice in serving the philanthropic sector.” In addition, she has taught major gifts development at California State University, Northridge, and lectured on Quantum Leaps in Fundraising, and new ways to cultivate donor relations. Though she started her professional life in New Jersey as a reporter for a daily newspaper, she has worked extensively in the not-for-profit arena, and served at the Alzheimer’s Association and the Jewish Theological Seminary, among others.

“Two years ago, my husband, Brian, and I moved to Vancouver so he could open an office of his production company, the Robert-Royce Company ... which he established in Toronto and Los Angeles,” Hebb explained. “While Los Angeles may have the weather ... and my son, Daniel, who I miss and who is finishing up his final year at university in L.A., Vancouver is the best of all worlds: cultural diversity, a dedication to the environment and sustainability, and friendly, caring people.”

While the Federation goal of $8 million may seem ambitious, Hebb said, “[W]e believe the additional funds are greatly needed, as we are trying to respond to the growing needs of our Jewish community, while at the same time building for the future. We also believe that these results are very achievable with the support of our community. Last year, Federation had three key goals for allocations that it was able to meet: ensure that the funding for critical social services was maintained; restore funding to many of the programs that had been cut in 2009; and address the under-funding of the supplementary school programs.

“This year, we need to continue to increase funding for Jewish education and, at the same time, have the necessary funds to respond to new and emerging needs in areas such as outreach to unaffiliated families, expanded services to enable frail seniors to age in place, enhanced services to adults with special needs and to support the growth in informal education initiatives.”

She continued, “The campaign officially runs until the end of November, and we’re hoping that people contribute, remembering that a shocking 14 percent of our local Jewish community lives below the ‘poverty line,’ and that our most vulnerable community members – including many elderly, children and immigrants – still need support.”

Mark Gurvis, chief executive officer of Federation, added, “We know that the recovery has been uneven, and many community members are still struggling to make ends meet and keep themselves and their families connected with the community. Some $1.4 million in vital programs and services are going unmet, while new ones keep emerging. Plus, requests for employment services are up more than 50 percent over the past year. Many of these community members lost their jobs during the economic downturn and require assistance to find new work.”

“While there are many worthy Jewish organizations where a person can donate their hard-earned funds, by donating to the Federation annual campaign, you effectively can help the whole community and touch thousands of lives with just one gift,” said Hebb. “Another important reason why Federation is effective,” she continued, “is because of the calibre and amount of community leaders involved in strategic planning and campaign direction and the numbers of people involved in canvassing their fellow community members.... One of the reasons I sought out this job, and why I am so committed to making sure the campaign succeeds, is that the Jewish community in Vancouver is comprised of loyal and committed people, many of who are steadfast donors to the campaign. These people recognize that they are not donating to Federation, but rather through Federation to the community at large, making Vancouver a more vibrant, compassionate community for us all.”

Two campaign events

Community members are invited to two annual campaign-related evenings in November. At Choices, more than 400 women are expected to attend a night of live entertainment and "celebrity" sightings, and Men's Night Out will feature ESP and telepathy with mentalist Sidney Friedman.

Choices is a celebration of women choosing to support the community. Hundreds of women come together under one roof for an evening of entertainment and inspiration, united in one cause: strengthening the community through tzedakah. About the event's new format, Stacy Lederman, Choices co-chair, said, "It was time to shake things up a bit at Choices. We're adding more fun with themed entertainment and 'celebrity' sightings, while keeping the community content that women have told us is important to them."

At Men's Night Out, Friedman – who, in 2005, predicted that the Mississippi River would change course, which it did later that year as a result of hurricane Katrina – will provide the entertainment. As part of his "music mind reading" show, participants will be asked to think of a song and, without having been told what that song is, Friedman will play the tune for them on guitar. Men's Night Out chair Drory Rozen said, "This event grows every year, and the entertainment is always fresh. It's a fun guys' night, and a chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones."

Choices will take place on Thursday, Nov. 4, starting at 6:45 p.m., at Riverside Grand Ballroom, 1231 Burdette St., in Richmond. There will be cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, with desserts to follow. Attendees need to have made a minimum gift to the annual campaign of $136 and there is a $36 cover charge.

Men's Night Out will take place on Monday, Nov. 8, starting at 6 p.m., at the Cellar, 1006 Granville St. Tickets are $50. Attendees must be 19 years of age or older.

Tickets for both events can be purchased at jewishvancouver.com.

-- Courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver

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