There is a big difference between the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation’s Super Sunday fundraisers this year compared to the last two years.
This year there actually will be a Super Sunday.
In 2008 and 2009, due to budget cutbacks, the federation held only modest phone-a-thon events on the Peninsula. It was nothing like the festive balloon-and-M&M-glutted extravaganzas from years past.
Cautiously optimistic organizers hope to get back on track with two events this year, the first Feb. 21 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Club, and the second March 7 at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto.
Volunteers turning out to make the calls will need to bring two things: a cell phone and a charger. Nicknamed “cell-a-thons,” the fundraisers also differ this year because instead of using a bank of expensive landlines, volunteers will make calls from their personal cell phones.
“In recognition of a pressure-strapped economy,” says the federation’s acting CEO Jennifer Gorovitz, “we want to celebrate the benefits of Super Sunday as inexpensively as we can.”
The Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay’s Super Sunday will also take place Feb. 21 at the federation’s Oakland headquarters. This one has a Super Monday aspect, as it will spill over into the following day, Feb. 22.
Monies raised go toward the federations’ annual campaigns. But like all Super Sundays, these events are intended to serve as more than mere fundraisers. Organizers promise a healthy dose of shmoozing and exalting Jewish values.
“One of the enduring pleasures of Super Sunday is the community-building aspect,” says Tom Kasten, who co-chairs the S.F. federation’s two events. “We intend to give people an opportunity to turn their values into actions. It’s a values-based conversation.”
Having conversations with donors is likewise a key aspect for East Bay federation CEO James Brandt. “We have found those conversations help us to get commitments to the campaign,” he said. “Increasingly, the value of Super Sunday is not only to close gifts, but also to be able to speak to donors and hear their concerns about where the federation is going.”
Though some statistics suggest the global recession has ended, some segments of the economy never got the memo. With many Bay Area Jews still feeling squeezed, these remain hard times for federations. Gorovitz says if her organization does not see a 15 percent increase in donations this year, federation beneficiaries face cuts in grants.
So how do organizers feel about the odds of a successful Super Sunday?
“People are excited,” says S.F. Super Sunday co-chair Bob Tandler about the all-volunteer effort. “They are looking for ways to help, and when we call them, so far the answer has always been ‘yes.’ ”
For information about volunteering for Super Sunday in San Francisco or Palo Alto, call (415) 777-0411.
For information on Super Sunday in the East Bay, call (510) 839-2900.