Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
When I meet with congregational leadership to discuss fundraising
to strengthen their synagogue, I ask, “How much money was
contributed in the United States of America from all sources to all
causes in the year ended December 31, 200X?”
And, the answers range from $10 million to $500 billion. But
hardly anyone seems to know the right answer.
Today, I am going to tell you definitively what the “right”
answer is. In fact, you may already know the right answer. In
the last week or so, there was probably a small article in your
local newspaper. It reported the publication of Giving
USA—the annual report of the state of philanthropy in
America for 2009. Giving USA 2010 is published by Giving
USA Foundation™ and has been researched and written by
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. This is the 55th year in which such a
report has been issued. It is an estimate of how much money was contributed from all
sources to all causes in the United States.
Some reports were ebullient with the good news that for the third consecutive year the
amount contributed exceeded $300 billion--$303.75 billion, to be precise. Other reports
were less sanguine as they reported that it represented a 3.6% decline in current dollars and
3.2% in inflation adjusted dollars.
What does all this have to do with fundraising in the congregational setting? Well, there is
more good news bad news. First, here is the good news.
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Individuals, bequests and family foundations—which are controlled by individuals—
control 89.5% of all philanthropy. The balance or 10.5% comes from corporations
and foundations.
Religious enterprises such as synagogues receive more than 33% of every
philanthropic dollar.
Then, what is the bad news. First, while religion is the largest segment of the philanthropic
pie, it is losing market share even as affiliation is diminishing. In fact, not so long ago,
religion received more than 50% of every philanthropic dollar.
Second, synagogues treat members more and more like accounts receivables and not as
valued, cherished donors. Particularly in economically challenging times such as these, we
ignore the basic tenets of stewardship of our member/donors at our peril. There are simply
too many competing interests for the philanthropic dollar for us to take our members for
granted.
What then can we do to make sure that we get an ever-increasing piece of the philanthropic
pie? Here are a few lessons that my friend Bob Aronson, currently the president of the
Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life and CEO of Birthright Israel has recently articulated:
Lesson Number One in the “2010 Jewish Giving Handbook”: “Just because they
have money doesn’t mean you’re going to get it.” Giving relies upon two elements:
capacity and willingness. Having one without the other is meaningless. In the
congregational setting, you have to engage with each of your members to enhance
their willingness to support the enterprise. Only when they share the value
proposition of the synagogue as the chief gateway to Jewish life, will you be able to
help your member make a significant difference for the future of the congregation.
Lesson Number Two has to do with the Jew in the Modern World. There are many
opportunities to give, and non-Jewish organizations solicit funds better than we do.
Jewish fundraisers are too busy focusing on themselves and what they want as
opposed to what the donors want. Non-Jewish organizations don’t make this
mistake. Get to know your members and their aspirations. Then, you will be able to
serve your members and enable the congregation to prosper.
This brings us to lesson Number Three. You cannot hear what the donor is saying
if you have an orchestra playing in your head. In other words, listen. You might
actually find out what the donor wants. Listening depends on face-to-face
appointments and the development of long-term relationships of trust and mutual
respect. Personalize and humanize the relationship with each of your members.
You will distinguish you r congregation from every other enterprise with which your
members deal on a day-to-day basis. The results will astound you.
The Jewish community is giving less and less to the Jewish community in general and their
synagogues in particular. Trends like these as well as social networking and on-line giving
have been developing slowly. However, fundraising will always depend on individual gifts,
one-on-one meetings and traditional rules of fundraising. Major-gift fundraising is the heart
and soul of any effective campaign. That means personal relationships.
And, after all, isn’t that what the congregation is all about?
To assure the success of your next campaign, call me at 1-800-361-8689 or write me at
[email protected].