DETROIT
Record Totals,
Fewer Donors
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Staff Writer
A
lthough Detroit's
Jewish community
boasts of one of the
highest per capita giving
figures in the country, just
one in four adults living in
the area contributes to the
Allied Jewish Campaign, ac-
cording to figures
extrapolated from the 1989
demographic study and last
year's Campaign.
The low ratio and Jewish
Welfare Federation records
affirm that the number of
pledges have been dropping
since the late 1940s and ear-
ly 1950s when an estimated
30,000 gifts totalling $6 to
$7 million each year were
collected from a 12-square-
Less than one in
four adults
contributes to the
Campaign.
mile community of 90,000 -
many through door-to-door
solicitation. The early Cam-
paigns reached more people,
yet netted less money.
"No one is content know-
ing that just one in four
gives," says Michael
Feldman, Campaign. co-chair
for the new gifts section. "I
wish I had a magic answer.
All we can do is try harder. If
we teach people, then more
will give."
National estimates show
that 30 percent of Jews
across the country give to
their Jewish communal
campaigns, which distribute
money to local, national and
international Jewish service
agencies. The one-in-four
figure, or 25 percent, puts
Detroit slightly behind the
national average.
In per capita giving fig-
ures, Detroit, at $291 per
person, ranks second among
the largest cities to
Cleveland, which averages
$375 per person in Cam-
paign donations. New York
City's average gift to the
Campaign last year was $76.
"Detroit is one of our best
cities," says Norbert
Fruehauf, planning director
for the Council of Jewish
Federations in New York,
the umbrella organization
for federated communities in
North America and Canada.
The number of Detroit do-
nors has continued to drop in
• the last decade. At the same
time, the amount of Cam-
paign dollars raised has
skyrocketed. This means
fewer people are con-
tributing larger dollars to
the Campaign. One-third of
the 1989 Campaign dollars
came from 37 gifts, each over
$100,000.
"We are working on collec-
ting new gifts every single
day," says Allan Gelfond,
Federation's Campaign di-
rector. "We've been doing it
for years and we will still be
looking for new gifts 10
years from now.
"My base line is 100 per-
cent. And until we reach
that, I won't rest. I never
hear anybody say we are
satisfied. We have a big job
to do. We need to reach more
people."
One-third of last year's
near $28 million Campaign
came from 37 gifts. In 1983,
the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion of Metropolitan Detroit
raised $18.2 million through
18,440 gifts for its annual
Campaign. By 1988, that
figure escalated to $25.7
million from 17,600 gifts.
Last year's near $28 million
Campaign came in the form
of 17,000 gifts. And the 1990
Campaign, which concluded
last night, amassed a clos-
ing-night record $25.5 mill-
ion from 14,466 con-
tributors. Additional gifts to
the 1990 Campaign before
Dec. 31 are expected to bring
the total to $28 million from
17,000 contributors.
Officials from the Federa-
tion and the national CJF
dismiss discussions about
the numbers of donors,
preferring to discuss the
record-breaking Campaigns
as the measure of success.
Although Federation
leaders admit they are not
penetrating the entire
market, they say they are
constantly implementing
new outreach programs to
attract new givers. In fact,
the first major new gifts
telethon, which aims to
reach out to 2,000 in-
dividuals who have never
contributed to the Cam-
paign, is slated for April 1.
The Federation also is
surveying the Jewish com-
munity for a new program
designed to train future
community leaders.
Federation leaders say,
too, that Campaign methods
have drastically changed
1983-1988 Campaign Trends
1983
#
OF
GIFTS
1983
%
TOTAL
GIFTS
UNDER $100
9,448
51%
$274,611
$100 - 999
6,270
34%
1,827,563
$1000 - 4999
2,053
11%
$5000 - 9999
354
2%
$10,000 - 24,999
214
1%
$25,000 - 49,999
52
$50,000 - 99,999
$100,000 +
TOTAL $10,000 +
TOTAL $1,000 +
1983
1983
%
$
TOTAL
TOTAL
$
1988
Vo
TOTAL
$
TOTAL
$
TOTAL
GIFTS
2%
8,001
46%
$252,807
1%
10%
6,209
35%
1,750,988
7%
3,989,803 22%
2,300
13%
4,482,727
17%
2,253,313
12%
597
3%
2,587,586
10%
2,852,892
16%
333
2%
4,456,222
17%
0.3%
1,701,898
9%
80
0.4%
2,406,800
9%
30
0.2%
1,953,000
11%
37
0.2%
2,351,000
9%
19
0.1%
3,347,900
18%
36
0.2%
7,369,500 29%
0.2% $9,855,690 54%
486
3%
$16,583,522 65%
3,383
19%
$23,653,835 92%
315
2,722
TOTAL CAMPAIGN 18,440
since early days, making
comparisons close to im-
possible.
"You can't compare apples
and oranges," says Federa-
tion Communications Direc-
tor Charlotte Dubin.
One gift today may com-
prise families, businesses
and other multiple-source
parties. Years ago, only in-
dividual gifts were counted.
In addition, door-to-door
solicitation no longer is an
option in a dispersed com-
munity spread over 100
square miles from Grosse
Pointe to West Bloomfield.
"The ability to get people
5%
$16,098,806 88%
$18,200,980
17,593
to cooperate is based on
many factors," Gelfond says.
"We think it is important
that everybody make
pledges. And we don't have
an endless supply of gifts.
"Are we penetrating the
market? The answer is no,"
Gelfond says.
"We are not just about
money," he says. "We are
about survival and the
quality of life of the Jewish
community. Part of what we
do is raise money and part of
what we do is raise con-
sciousness levels of Jews."
The Jewish community
historically is philanthropic.
1988
1988
1988
#
OF
GIFTS
%
$25,656,910
Yet some of today's problems
may be too many charities ,
competing for the dollars,
Gelfond suggests. In 1970,
Gelfond says, Jews con-
tributed $1 billion to philan-
thropies across the country.
Two-thirds of that money
went to Jewish causes.
In 1988, however, Jews
raised $3.5 billion - with
just one-half of the money
going to Jewish causes.
"One of our major goals is
to increase our Campaign
base," Gelfond says. "We
will educate. A person who is
not a contributor today may
be one tomorrow."
❑
1990 Campaign Closes,
'Exodus' Commences
The 1990 Allied Jewish
Campaign closed Thursday
night with a record total -
$25.4 million - and the open-
ing of a campaign on behalf of
the hundreds of thousands of
Soviet Jews making their way
to Israel.
The launching of Operation
Exodus accompanies the
naming of David S. Mondry
as chairman of the $16.5
million three-year fund-
raising appeal to help Israel
resettle Soviet Jews.
Joseph H. Orley and
Lawrence S. Jackier were
named chairmen of the 1991
Allied Jewish Campaign.
Orley chaired the 1990 Cam-
paign with Paul Borman.
Jackier is a longtime Cam-
paign leader and chairman of
Project Renewal.
Along with his announce-
ment of the record projected
1990 total, Campaign Direc-
tor Allan Gelfond said an ad-
ditional $250,000 was raised
for Project Renewal.
At Thursday's closing,
Jewish Welfare Federation
President Mark Schlussel
referred to the critical situa-
tion in the Soviet Union that
The 1990
Campaign raised
$25 million.
has given rise to the need for
Operation Exodus. "Saving
Jews is our highest respon-
sibility, and the Soviet Jews
are in great peril:' he said.
At the same time, "This
will revitalize the State of
Israel. Never has Israel had to
absorb an immigration in ex-
cess of 70,000 Jews. They
can't do it alone.
"If we fail to meet our
responsibility, it'll be
disastrous;' said Schlussel.
"Were going to have to find
the resources. We will have to
dig deep emotionally and
financially. We will be tested
as never before."
The Community Achieve-
ment Award - the "Freddy"
statuette - was presented to
the Campaign's Women's
Division for contacting the
highest percentage of donors
since Jan. 1.
Participants in the celebra-
tion at the Maple-Drake
Jewish Community Center
had an opportunity to view
"A Day in the Life . . .," a
photographic exhibit set up in
the lobby depicting the work
of the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion's agencies and
beneficiaries. Six professional
photographers volunteered
their services for the day on
Feb. 15.
Guest performer following
the Campaign program was
stage and television comedian
David Brenner.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
15