Edelson’s dream will start to come to fruition this fall when she begins a series of Jewish programming, thanks to a $55,000 “supplemental” allocation from the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation’s annual campaign. These 1997 special grants complement the yearly allocations, or “base” funding, provided by the campaign.
The PJCC, which also received a $344,450 base allocation, is one of dozens of agencies and programs awarded a total of $19.6 million in allocations from the JCF’s record-breaking 1997 campaign.
“Thanks to our donors, we had the most successful annual campaign in the federation’s history and were therefore able to provide $548,500 more in funding than last year,” said Susan Folkman, chair of the volunteer-based planning and allocations committee, which oversees the distribution of campaign funds.
This year marks several milestones for the JCF. In addition to allocating the most money in JCF history this year, the federation designated 1997 “year one” for funding programs and agencies designated high priority by its leadership.
It is also the year that the federation reduced its United Jewish Appeal allocation to $5 million, from $6 million in 1996. The million-dollar difference was distributed to programs in Israel, including those that support religious pluralism and tolerance; a first-time grant to the Joint Distribution Committee for Jews in Russia; and domestic services.
Local beneficiaries received about $900,000 more in annual campaign funds this year than in 1996, while total overseas allocations, including UJA, were reduced by about $400,000, according to Folkman.
Some 94 percent of the increase in dollars to local agencies will go to programs termed high priority: Jewish education and culture, services for needy elderly and resettlement of emigres. Priorities were set after a yearlong review process, with input from hundreds of volunteers and JCF beneficiary agencies.
“Supplemental” funding totaled $1.2 million of the total $19.6 million, said Richard Sipser, JCF’s planning and allocations director. The $1.2 million came from an across-the-board 5 percent decrease in agency allocations from 1996, $500,000 from the UJA allocation reduction and additional funds raised in the annual campaign.
Agency base funding was cut in order to accumulate additional moneys for areas that the JCF designated high priority.
“We invited our beneficiary agencies to apply for these funds and our subcommittees carefully reviewed those requests,” said Folkman. “Many of the proposals were imaginative and new, while others involved stabilizing funding for at-risk services. Some combined resources of more than one organization, reaching out to broader audiences.”
About 46 percent of the supplemental fund pool went to educational-cultural activities and 35 percent for local emigre services, replacing Operation Exodus funding, which has run out.
With the supplemental funding, agencies like the PJCC augmented their 95 percent base grant. For example:
*Sonoma County’s Friendship Circle received $1,500 for outreach to elderly Jews in assisted-living situations. When added to its base of $11,020, funding surpassed last year’s $11,600 allocation by $920.
*The Jewish Film Festival added to its base of $16,245 with $10,200 for expansion in Marin and Palo Alto, exceeding its 1996 amount by $9,345.
*Emigre services received a supplemental $200,000 for Jewish Family & Children’s Services, Jewish Vocational Services, the JCC of San Francisco, Albert L. Schultz JCC, Mount Zion Health Systems and Hebrew Academy.
*A total of $6.577 million, or 35 percent of the $19.6 million, was directed overseas, including $5 million to UJA, and funding for a variety of other Israel-related activities.
*For the first time, the Joint Distribution Committee, the worldwide relief, rescue and reconstruction organization, received a direct grant of $200,000.
“Historically, the JDC receives 23 percent of federation UJA moneys. Though we reduced our UJA allocation, we wanted to ensure that the lifesaving work done by the JDC was not negatively impacted,” said Joelle Steefel, chair of the federation’s overseas committee.
The funding will be used in St. Petersburg, Russia, to train local workers in outreach efforts as well as food and fuel delivery to that city’s thousands of poor, frail elderly Jews.