Council of Jewish Federations Annual Report, 1984

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR: 1984 During the past year, the Council of Jewish Federations continued its essential task of serving the Jewish Federations of North America by providing consultative assistance in every major phase of Federation responsibility. By acting as the instrument of collective action and the voice for the Federation movement, CJF fulfills the ongoing mandate conferred by its 200 member Federations. Council is governed by Federation Delegates, the CJF Board of Directors and the CJF Executive Committee. Major policy resolutions and the CJF Budget and Dues Schedule are determined by Delegates at the Annual Business Meeting of the General Assembly. Dues from member Federations support the work of the Council. The CJF dues schedule is based on average income and Jewish population. This Annual Report outlines the range of CJF services which cover the categories of Community Services, Financial Resource Development, Planning Services, Budgeting Services, Human Resource Development and International Affairs ? embracing approximately 35 specialized service areas. Specific concerns and achievements of 1984 are highlighted throughout. Two of the major developments during 1984 involved: ? Creation of the Commission on Professional Personnel in recog-nition of the need for CJF and its constituent Federations to take a comprehensive view of the professional personnel area and to devise a total plan to carry through the next decade. The work of the Commission will embrace all areas of concern: know-ledge, skills and values required for professional practice; by/professional relations; recruitment, retention and career development; personnel standards and policies, and management of the personnel process. Commission members include Federa-tion lay leaders, Federation executives, academics and people with expertise in the area of personnel The report of the Com-mission is due in 18 months. ? Reopening of the CJF office in Israel to enhance the relationship between North American Jewish Federations and Israel and to fulfill specific service functions for CJF member Federations. Opened last Fall, the office was begun as a three-year pilot pro-ject Its goal is to keep key Israelis more informed and aware of the agenda, services and philosophy of the North American Jew-ish Federation movement thus improving, the effectiveness of dia-logue and cooperation between the two communities. Council maintained an office in Israel from 1968-72 and its restoration was among the recommendations of the 1979 CJF Review. COMMUNITY SERVICES The central purpose of the C J F is to strengthen Fed-erations. The ultimate test of Council's effectiveness is how well it helps Federations increase achievement in their own communities and how productively it acts as the collective instrument for Federations' national and international objectives. Individual Community Consultation CJFs program of service to communities is a highly individualized consultative approach geared to the specific needs of each member Federation. An assigned C J F staff consultant visits the community, coordinates the services of other staff members and volunteers and supervises the required follow-up and continuity of C J F services. FIELD VISITS TO COMMUNITIES FOR MONTHS OF JANUARY - DECEMBER 1984 Number of groupings on an area-wide, statewide and national basis. Where natural groupings have formed in various geogra-phic areas and common concerns have arisen, C J F has organized workshops and special meetings to assist Feder-ation leadership. In the past year CJF: ? Facilitated a statewide conference for Small Cities in Maine ? Held four area conferences in Canada to discuss common concerns. ? Sponsored a Connecticut statewide study with B'nai B'rith on services to college youth. ? Convened Executives in area meetings to deal with common concerns. ? Assisted the Florida and New York Association of Jewish Federations in their program planning, agenda building and conference development ? Worked closely with Government Affairs Committees in New York and Florida. ? Assisted in establishing the New York State Public Social Policy Office. Communities Number of Total Size of Community Visited Visits Days Volunteer Leadership Visitation Large Cities (17) 17 81 92 C J F volunteer leadership was involved in visiting Large Intermediate (33) 31 112 129 communities in 1984 for a variety of consultative purposes Small Intermediate (38) 33 79 89 such as: Small Cities (62) 42 79 89 ? A ddressing issues including the role of the Federation (Professionally Staffed) President, Board and Committees. Small Cities (37) - - - ? Participating in Board meetings, Board Institutes and (Volunteer Directed) leadership retreats. Non-Member 6 20 20 ? Organizing inter-Federation consultations. TOTAL 129 393 445 Area Community Consultations The CJ F Community Services Department has become increasingly involved in providing services to Federation Professional Training In the area of professional training the Community Service Department: ? Brought together Intermediate Cities Executives to meet with six major leaders in the Jewish community to discuss the wide variety of issues facing the Jewish community. ? Held the Small Cities Executives Institute, coopera-tively with JWB, including a two-day Management Seminar as well as sessions on Leadership Develop-ment, Campaign, Communications and Community Relations. ? Sponsored jointly with the Federations of Canada, a national Canadian practicum for future fund raisers. ? Convened Executives of Small Cities in New York and New England in a Planning Institute. New Presidents /Executives Orientation The Community Services Department contacts each newly-elected Federation President and newly appointed Federation Executive Director to explore needs and clarify available C J F services. These orientation sessions for new Presidents and Executive Directors have involved CJF Board and Committee leaders as well as C J F professional staff. A special kit for new Presidents was updated in 1984. Fiscal Management and A dministration CJF works to improve the controllership functions of Federations through the application of new accounting principles and practices. Special concerns in the past year have been: ? Standardizing computer hardware and software in a number of communities ? Providing guidance at the annual CJF-sponsored Institute of Federation Controllers, which in 1984 was attended by individuals representing 45 Federations, a record attendance. ? Conducting over 20 consultative studies of fiscal and administrative practices in Small and Intermediate communities. ? Standardizing Federation reporting procedures. ? Production of "Highlights of the GA " videotape used at the closing Plenary Session of the 1984 General Assembly and by 60 member Federations at their Board meetings. FINANCIAL RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT Campaign Planning Advisory Services The Campaign Planning Advisory Committee has as its primary responsibility the development of programs to enhance the fund raising capacity of Federations in North America. To this end, a variety of campaign planning services to communities have been expanded and other special projects begun: ? The comprehensive Campaign Development Project, designed to strengthen local campaigns, is now a consultative service available to select communities. It is offered in cooperation with UJA. Communities currently involved are Dallas, Buffalo, Los Angeles and Palm Beach. ? Because of the impact that mobility has on community development and campaigns a special project was designed in cooperation with UJA to explore and demonstrate how Northern and Southern communi-ties can collaborate on working with people on the move in order to maintain their involvement in the community and their giving levels to the campaigns. The project involves "pilot" communities. ? New campaign long-range planning programs are being developed for testing in 1985, integrating stra-tegic planning marketing and community devel-opment, ? Campaign achievements and giving information were collected and analyzed for use by Federations in their respective campaign capacity planning. Profiles of communities are published with built-in campaign objectives. ? Consultations on campaign concerns were provided communities on an ongoing basis, coordinated with UJA. Washington Action Office/Public Social Policy The CJF Washington Action Office assists commun-ity Federations in obtaining Federal funds for major local programs, and monitors regulatory and legislative changes which may affect Federal grant programs of interest to Federations and their agencies. In 1984, the Washington Action Office: ? Continued its participation in the National Board of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (the Fed-eral program of assistance to the hungry and home-less) which made several million dollars available to our Federations and their agencies and increased opportunities for closer community cooperation. Communications and Public Relations Providing assistance to Federations in the production of public relations materials continues as one of the princi-ple goals of the CJF Communications Department. Work-ing closely with the CJF Communications Committee, the Department supplies Federations with photos and infor-mation on national trends, provides national distribution of public relations materials produced by Federations and publishes a national newsletter reviewing innovative pro-grams undertaken by Federations. Highlights of the past year's activities include: ? Convening three regional public relations seminars which gave Federation representatives an early oppor-tunity to critique and review campaign materials to be produced by CJF and UJA. ? Distribution of a slide show/videotape dealing with the new Jewish poor. ? Expansion of the Public Relations A wards Committee to include representatives from over 30 Federations in the judging process. ? New efforts by the TV Task Force, which this year encouraged several independent efforts at developing Jewish programming and worked closely with the Federations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami to coordinate their efforts to produce programs to be made available to all Federations: ? Sponsorship of a joint CJF/JWB workshop on com-munity newspapers held at the Small Cities Executives Institute COUNCIL OF JEWISH FEDERAT* j b ? COUNCIL ? Organized Washington Missions for more than 75 Federation groups. ? Assisted Federations in improving their social policy programs, understanding the legislative process and working with local, state and Federal governments to strengthen social service delivery systems. Endowment Development Endowment fund totals in member Federations showed another year of record growth in fiscal 1983-84. In In addition a record number of Federations established new endowment programs. At year's end Federations held total endowment funds in excess of $900,000,000. Activities highlighting 1984 were: ? Publication of the CJFEndowment Review, a quarterly endowment newsletter with distribution of 19,000 per issue ? Production of a generic audio/visual presentation to be used by Federations in developing endowment funds (underwritten by a grant from the CJF Legacy and Endowment Fund). ? Second annual meeting of the Federation Endowment Council, consisting of lay and professional endowment leaders from Federations held at the 1984 GA, which discussed key issues and new developments in thefield. ? Regional endowment seminars, held in conjunction with the Association of Florida Federations the New York State Association of Jewish Federations and the Ontario Jewish Federations. ? Sixth A nnual Seminar for Endowment Professionals, which brought together over 70 Federation endowment professionals at the GA for training and updating in new tax laws and marketing strategies. ? Provision of consultative services to over 94 Federa-tions from the CJF Endowment Development De-partment in matters relating to legal, tax and develop-ment inquiries. PUNNING SERVICES Community Planning The goal of the Community Planning Department is to provide assistance to Federations in improving their community planning structures and procedures; help iden-tify new needs; assist in community surveys; provide liai-son with appropriate national agencies; share experiences among communities; develop guidelines in various fields of service; give guidance on the most effective methods of involving other Jewish agencies and organizations in a cooperative communal effort, and provide information and data in the broad areas of Federation concern. During 1984 the Department: ? Provided over 500 individualized consultations and reports on planning and budgeting principles, proce-dures and process by phone, correspondence and on-site visits. ? Facilitated the collection of information on the impact of the recession and government budget cuts on Jew-ish individuals and families. ? Established guidelines for Federations on developing and funding services for the Jewish poor, homeless and unemployed ? Held seminars and workshops for lay leaders and staff dealing with Jewish poor and unemployed ? Developed a Program Resource Exchange Notebook and explored instituting a Program Exchange Com-puter Bank. ? Produced program information packets for planning and budgeting on Modified Budgeting and Priority Setting; Population Studies and Demographic Infor-mation; Federation-Agency Relations; Federation- United Way Relations, and Evaluation. Soviet Jewish Resettlement Since October 1978, matching grant awards have been received by CJF from the United States Department of Health and Human Services for Soviet Jewish resettle-ment. The funds, administered by CJF in cooperation with HI AS, are used by Federations to implement community-wide programs of resettlement using coordinated services of local Federations and their agencies. A special CJF Soviet Jewish Resettlement Unit works with Federations in: ? Applying for these funds and in implementing local resettlement programs. ? Refining programs, including English language train-ing vocational guidance, retraining job placement, health care and acculturation services. ? Nurturing the Jewish identities of these new members of the community, aided by studies on Jewish identity programs and models provided by CJF. Long Range Strategic Planning The Long Range Planning Committee works with member Federations that are testing the formal long range strategic planning process. The Committee provides back-ground material and helps train leadership. Activities over the past year included: ? Publication of a national "Jewish Environmental Scan " ? a projection of key trends and issues likely to affect the Jewish community and Federations from now until 1990. ? Collection of computer tapes, along with the results of all the population surveys conducted by Jewish com-munities thus far, to begin development of a CJF capacity as a national repository. Aging As the numbers of aging in Jewish communities increase, the Council continues to help Federations develop programs to enrich the lives of the elderly. CJF supplies guidance on housing and related support services; develops models for Federation planning and organization of services; provides communities with information on government programs of assistance and helps them obtain such grants and loans. In 1984 CJF: ? Encouraged more programming for healthy adults over 65 who seek sophisticated leisure-time activities, as well as services for those who are ill and very old and require institutional care. ? Formed a special Task Force on the development and financing of housing and other living arrangements for the Jewish elderly. ? Co-sponsored an historic conference of senior Jewish leaders of social action advocacy groups, providing an opportunity for exchange of ideas, concerns and strategies for social change. ? Published and widely distributed two booklets on Ser-vices to the Aging: Jewish Perspectives on Death and Dying and Comprehensive Planning for the Elderly: the St. Louis Experience. ? Published and distributed Serving the Elderly in Small Jewish Communities. Strengthening the Jewish Family The increasing number of unmarried adults, later marriages, divorced individuals, single-parent households, intermarriage and the declining birthrate testify to the changing nature of the Jewish family. In 1984, CJF responded by: ? Expanding the Task Force on Singles created in 1983. ? Collecting and distributing information and services for the single-parent family. ? Disseminating information and consulting on the development of task forces, services and programs which strengthen the Jewish family. ? Facilitating sharing of data and community models of programs in support of the Jewish family. Needs Identification Emerging Planning Areas Continuing analysis of national information and ongoing exchange with national health and welfare agen-cies help CJF detect new service needs and gaps in serv-ices. The Community Planning Department reviews this information and advises communities of areas for local study and action. In the past year CJF: ? Identified current problem areas including Jewish singles; one-parent households; Jews with disabilities; child day-care; low-income Jews. ? Began developing special reports on these population groups, their needs and services. ? Targeted new areas warranting further study: domes-tic violence; substance abuse; cults and missionary groups; integrating converts and intermarried; Jewish unemployment ? Collected information on "campus concept" of com-munity facilities. * U M E I H R Child Day Care In 1983, the Special Task Force on Jewish Child Day Care was formed to provide a forum to discuss the many questions relating to the provision of this service under Jewish auspices. Day care for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers, as well as after-school programming for "latch key" children, has been studied. Highlights of activity include: ? Encouraging development of new programs under Jewish auspices and studying methods of creating a Jewish environment. ? Exploring funding options. ? Clarifying the role of Federations. ? Publishing Child Day Care Under Jewish Auspi-ces ? Resource Book and Guidelines, which includes a study covering over 70 Federations and a Directory of 150 programs. Jewish Singles The Task Force on Singles was established in response to concern about the increasing numbers of Jew-ish singles who need service, represent future leadership and are often disassociated from the organized Jewish community. Goals pursued in 1984 were: ? Educating communities about singles. ? Disseminating information on singles' needs and services. ? Facilitating sharing of ideas between communities. ? Preparing A Community Resources Handbook of Services to Jewish Singles. Jewish Education CJFs mission in the area of Jewish education is to help Federations refine and strengthen their role in plan-ning and financing. Recent activities included: ? Providing Federations with information on policies and issues in the field ? Assisting Federations with guidelines for planning and financing Jewish education Population Studies and Demographic Information Effective community planning must be grounded in facts. In the past year, there has been a growing trend by Federations to conduct comprehensive demographic stu-dies. CJF assists Federations in evaluating whether there is a need for gathering information beyond that already available. If the answer is positive, CJF works with com-munities to determine the appropriate study procedure and to apply the findings of the study to the community plan-ning process. In 1984, Council: ? Convened the first National Colloquium on Jewish Population Studies, bringing together scholars, re-searchers, population study experts and Federation social planners from North America and Israel ? Served as the central clearing house for Federations on population studies and demographic information, beginning a library of all local population studies and a respository for data tapes. ? Established a National Technical Advisory Commit-tee of social scientists and Federation planners on Jewish Population Studies to advise CJF and Federa-tions on standards, technology and methodology. Federation-Synagogue Relations The goal of the CJF Task Force on Federation- Synagogue Relations is to strengthen cooperative efforts by Federations and Synagogues on common concerns. In the past year, the Task Force: ? Continued its efforts to collect and publish specific examples of cooperative planning and action in communities. ? Sponsored workshops highlighting local experiences. ? Served as liaison to the Synagogue Council of A mer-ica and the national congregational bodies. College Services An increasing number of Federations are expanding their role in providing services to the Jewish community on campus and in 1984 CJF aided them through its College Services Committee by: ? Showcasing models of regional, inter-city and metro-politan service systems. Niagara f nils ? Publishing the statistical survey "Federation Alloca-tions to College Services". ? Providing information on options in administrative arrangements, on trends in campus personnel and on evaluative guidelines. Relationship to United Way CJF represents Jewish Federations in an ongoing relationship with the United Way of America throughout the year to interpret the role and needs of Jewish agencies. In the past year, CJF activities included: ? Publishing an annual report of United Way Alloca-tions to Jewish communal agencies. ? Providing consultations to communities via phone, correspondence and field visits. ? Monitoring the United Way "Designated Giving" experience and its impact on Jewish communities. ? A nalyzing the new United Way "A Iternative A llocat-ing Strategies" to assess implications for Federations and Jewish agencies. Task Force on Jewish Poor, Unemployed and Homeless Based on several annual surveys which indicated that the number of Jewish poor, unemployed and homeless is increasing, a Task Force was established in early 1984 to: ? Assess the extent of unemployment and inadequate income in the Jewish community and determine the implications for Federations and agencies. ? Encourage local studies and action programs. ? Monitor the status of unemployment and inadequate income and of effective community responses to the problem. ? Develop and circulate suggested standards and guide-lines for local Federations and agencies serving unemployed and low-income Jews. William J. Shroder Awards Each year, the William J. Shroder Awards Commit-tee reviews entries from Federations describing unique and innovative Jewish communal services and confers Shroder Awards on outstanding entries from a large city, an intermediate city and a small city. A record number of 78 entries was submitted in 1984. BUDGETING Budget Services CJF provides objective analyses of the programs and finances of major national and overseas beneficiaries of Federations. "Budget Digest" reports on over 50 agencies are issued annually and information is provided, upon request, on other organizations seeking Federation sup-port. In 1984, the Department: ? Introduced a new procedure for processing and pub-lishing which made the majority of Budget Digests available in early spring. ? Prepared a series of background memoranda on smaller organizations seeking Federation support ? Distributed a summary of Federation allocations in 1982 and 1983. ? Pro vided statistical analyses of each Federation's allo-cations in 1982 and 1983 in comparison with those of other Federations of the same approximate size and the national average. Large City Budgeting Conference (LCBC) LCBC includes 33 of the largest Federations working together to analyze the programs and finances of 31 national and overseas agencies in order to develop recommendations on funding. LCBC is housed in CJF and serviced by CJF, while its basic expenses are met by dues from the participating Federations. During the past year: ? Meetings were held with the major national commun-ity relations agencies in May. Budget reviews of all agencies in the process were held in September and November. ? Steps were taken to accelerate the writing clearance and production process so that LCBC reports were available to communities in Feburary, 1984. rmmm .wCflf.Vv.v v* 1 ? h - ? H M m I ? Special reports on allocations to national agencies were prepared for several communities which re-quested assistance in budgeting of these agencies. National Budgeting Conference of Canadian Jewry (NBC) CJF was instrumental in assisting Canadian Jewish communities and national organizations in the establish-ment of the National Budgeting Conference. Through its Canadian Office, C JF provides a full range of professional services to NBC? consultation, research, analyses and reports, and periodic reviews of beneficiary agencies. In 1984, NBC: ? Reviewed the budgets and programs of participating beneficiary agencies. ? Established a semi-autonomous body to provide cam-pus/ community development, consultation and sup-plemental funds for campus programming in small communities. ? Held two plenaries and regular meetings of the Steer-ing Committee. HUMAN RESOURCES Human Resource Development In 1984, the recently established Human Resources Development Committee worked with communities in creating models in these priority areas: ? Bringing outstanding individuals into the leadership cadre of Federations. ? Developing a comprehensive approach to multiple track training leadership needs assessment, place-ment, rotation and career guidance. ? Assisting Federations in Veteran Leadership Enrich-ment and in publishing a survey of Board Institutes. Leadership Development Under the guidance of the National Committee on Leadership Development, a variety of services are pro-vided to assist Federations in strengthening their local young leadership programs. In 1984, CJF: ? Hosted over 350young leaders from 100 communities participating in a multi-session program of leadership development sessions at the General Assembly. ? Held a special seminar in Washington, D. C., to train Committee members to serve as facilitators for local communities using CJF programs. ? Developed a new Publications Inventory, offering detailed descriptions of available model programs and other materials. ? Provided field visits and consultations by CJF staff and Committee members. ? Conducted in-service training seminars for Federa-tion staff responsible for leadership development, as well as for local Leadership Development Committee Chairmen. ? Held regional institutes in Florida, New England and the Southwest. ? Demonstrated "World Jewry: A Portrait," a new model program co-sponsored by CJF and JDC. ? Began a new model program on the Jewish Family. Women's Division The Council's Women's Division develops programs and delivers services which enhance the functioning of Women's Divisions of local Federations throughout the United States and Canada. In 1984, CJF: ? Provided a vehicle to demonstrate successful and innovative programs through the "Ideas Exchange" featured at Quarterly Meetings and at the General Assembly. ? Published the Annual "Ideas Bazaar" of successful programming. ? Held two Presidents' Seminars and published a revised Manual for Presidents. ? Developed programs and workshops dealing with pol-itical awareness, Jewish education, Business and Pro-fessional Divison activities and outreach, legacy and endowment questions and campaign (in cooperation with UJA). ? Provided on-site consultations by staff and volunteer leaders to approximately 60 communities, in addition to mail and phone responses. ? Held leadership development workshops at national and regional meetings aimed at upgrading skills and deepening knowledge of Federation-related issues. Continuing Professional Education The Council's Department of Continuing Profes-sional Education administers the Dorothy N. and Louis J. Fox School of Continuing Professional Education, designed to offer a comprehensive program of personnel develop-ment to professional practitioners in the Federation field. CJF has established a national program of courses in the areas of management and administration, campaign, social planning and community organization. The management and administration segments of this program are supported through the Philip Bernstein Training Center, which pro-motes career-long training opportunities for professionals in Federation in order to enhance Jewish knowledge and commitment as well as managerial capacities. In the past year, the CPE Department: ? Offered nine "core curriculum" courses to over 100 professionals from 58 member Federations. ? Conducted an In vitational Seminar for 22 Executives in Small Cities. ? Co-sponsored a Colloquium on Jewish Population Studies with the CJF Planning Department ? Consulted with Federations regarding local in-service training. Personnel Service The Personnel Services Department, under the direc-tion of CJF's Personnel Services Committee, assists member Federations by ascertaining their staff needs, offering appropriate candidates and providing guidance in the "matchmaking" process, providing consultation on personnel issues through studies, reports and com-munity visits, and recruiting qualified personnel into the Jewish field. Special activities in 1984 included: ? Participation by over 50 Federations in three new Professional Recruitment Opportunities (PRO) at which Federation Executives interviewed a large group of candidates for entry and mid-management level positions. ? Involvement of two outstanding individuals in the Alternate Track Program for professional individu-als interested in making a career change into the Federation field ? Expansion of the Personnel Newsletter to four times a year. ? Continuing consultation with member Federations in the area of personnel, along with publication of relevant surveys on personnel practices. ? Working with Task Force on Women toward a plan for upgrading their role within the Federation system Federation Executive Recruitment and Education Program (FEREP) Thirteen FEREP-sponsored students are now enrolled in Masters programs in the FEREP consortium; eight will be available for entry to the field in the Summer of 1985 and five more in the Summer of 1986. Over 60 FEREP graduates now serve in communities: eight Executive Directors (including one in a Large City Federation); a CJF Area Consultant; eight Associate or Assistant Execu-tive Directors, and 12 Department Directors. In the past year, FEREP: ? Introduced an Innovative "Career Seminar" for the FEREP second-year students, preparing them for entering Federation work and making positive career choices. ? Provided a Summer Internship Program to give stu-dents more diverse professional experience and skills. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Israel and the Middle East A top priority of CJF is maintaining American and Canadian support for Israel through a better understanding of its policies and actions. This is achieved through cooper-ation with the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC), the instrument created by CJF for planning and coordinating strategies and efforts by national and local Jewish community relations agen-cies. Other activities include: ? Monitoring a special program funded by Federations and implemented by the NJCRA C Israel Task Force to enhance interpretive activities. ? A nalyses of Israel's search for peace and of changes in the Arab World provided at the General Assembly, at Quarterlies and through the dissemination of publications. ? Reopening of the CJF Israel office to provide a vital link between Jewish communities of North America and the people of Israel World Jewry The rescue and relief of Jews in countries of oppres-sion is a major CJF concern. In 1984, efforts were directed towards: ? Increasing advocac