Despite shaky economy, area federations raise a bundle

Despite a listless economy, all three local federations' fund-raising drives topped last year's totals, led by the S.F-based Jewish Community Federation's record-setting $22,475,000.

The JCF's total marked an $825,000 increase from last year, and drew from a donor base 200 larger than the 2000 campaign -- ending a six-year streak of dwindling donor bases. That's a departure from the norm, according to David Steirman, the JCF's campaign chair.

"I'm very proud of that. It's a nationwide trend, and also in San Francisco, to be raising more money but from fewer donors, " he said. "I felt it was very important to go and explain what we're doing to as many members of the community as possible. To be able to increase the donor base, I'm very pleased we were successful."

The $825,000 jump -- a nearly 4 percent boost from last year -- is the largest in a decade, and allowed the JCF to sweeten the pot for many of its service providers. Federation-funded day schools, Jewish community centers and most social service providers all received 2 percent increases in funding. In fact, "many and even most of our agencies got the 2 percent increase," according to Gail Zucker, the JCF's director of planning and agency services.

Some received even more. The federation's allocations committee opted to give more money to organizations that incurred higher operating costs and lacked the ability to fund-raise on their own.

This year's biggest raise went to the Jewish Home, which received an extra $50,000 to bring its total federation endowment to $288,000. The home's spiraling utility bills were a major reason behind the decision.

The Jewish Community Relations Council received an additional $43,000, bringing its total grant to $738,000. The Jewish Community Association of Sonoma was given a one-time $20,000 grant for staffing purposes, and Camp Tawonga got an additional $10,000 due to unforeseen insurance costs.

The JCF's largest beneficiaries remain the Bureau of Jewish Education and the JCC of San Francisco, which received $1.6 million and $1.2 million, respectively.

In the South Bay, the Jewish Federation of Greater San Jose also topped last year's effort: It amassed $2.1 million, an increase of 5 percent.

"Considering everything that happened with the Nasdaq this year, we're very happy," said Jyl Jurman, the San Jose federation's fund-raising campaign director. Though many donors took a little longer than usual to make a commitment, they still gave generously, she explained. "People didn't close at Super Sunday or earlier as they did in the past. I'm sure the economy had a lot to do with that. People knew they wanted to make a gift but were hoping the economy would change."

While the economy by and large did not change, the federation did alter its fund-raising strategy. Jurman credits a more aggressive effort with more mailers, telethons and, most importantly, face-to-face meetings, even for smaller donors.

The San Jose federation is planning "minimal increases" to some of its agencies, according to Jurman, and will spread its surplus evenly among all its service providers. No agency will receive less than it did last year.

Like the others, the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay also managed to eclipse last year's totals. Though it won't close the books on its 2001 fund-raising campaign until Sept. 15, the federation is projecting a haul of around $3.65 million, besting last year's total by 1 to 2 percent, according to Ami Nahshon, the East Bay federation's executive vice president.

"In light of the economic uncertainty of 2001, in both real and felt changes in people's investment portfolios, we think that holding our own is a reasonable achievement," he said. "This is a fifth-consecutive year of growth in fund-raising totaling in excess of 20 percent in that five year period."

Nahshon said the East Bay federation is planning to give "modest" increases to several Jewish education agencies, the JCRC and the Jewish Family and Children's Services, as, "with some economic downturn, the Jewish community may be looking to the JFCS for a bit more support."