`Days' Are Targeting
Campaign Shortfall
RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER
T
he 1994 Allied Jewish
Campaign is falling about
$400,000 short of the sum
recorded in mid-May last
year, but Jewish Federation offi-
cials hope to make up the differ-
ence during Days of Decision, a
final plug for pledges June 5-9.
"We're behind the pace of last
year, but the encouraging thing
is that the gap is closing," said Al-
lan Gelfond, Campaign director
for the Jewish Federation of Met-
ropolitan Detroit.
The Campaign, run by Feder-
ation, is an annual fund-raiser to
benefit Jewish causes in Israel
and other countries, as well as
the United States, including
metro Detroit. This year, 41 per-
cent of Campaign revenue will
stay at home to support agencies
like Jewish Family Service, Jew-
ish Vocational Service and He-
brew Free Loan Association.
Federation raised $26.3 mil-
lion last year, not including
$575,000 from the special Chal-
lenge Fund incentive program.
So far this year, the Campaign
has brought in about $22.2 mil-
lion from 12,629 pledges.
Days of Decision volunteers
will participate in the final
phonathon before the allocations
process commences in June. The
volunteers will try to secure
pledges from about 4,000 people
who have not yet contributed.
Marta Rosenthal, who is co-
chairing Days of Decision with
her husband, Benjamin, says the
revenue is critical for the well-be-
ing of the community.
"If we don't reach our goals, the
dollars won't be there for alloca-
tion," she said. "But I am very op-
timistic. I think there's an
excitement in the community."
Campaign co-chairpersons
Florine Mark-Ross and Norman
Katz offer several explanations
for the fund-raising lag. Ms.
Mark-Ross says stiff competition
for charitable dollars and hard
economic times have impacted
the 1994 Campaign.
"I think there are so many
charities asking for people's help.
It's hard to say no," she said. "But,
when more people are out of jobs
and not all's right in the world, it
becomes more of a responsibility
to help."
Mr. Katz points out that the
community has, in fact, raised
more money than in past years if
Operation Exodus dollars are in-
cluded in the total. Exodus II is a
separate campaign to fund the re-
settlement of Jews in dangerous
parts of the world, primarily from
the former Soviet Union. Exodus
Florine Mark-Ross:
Campaign competition.
II coffers currently stand at about
$7.5 million, which has been
raised over four years.
"If you add the two (cam-
paigns) together, that's more
money than was raised last year,
but it's in different pockets," Mr.
Katz said. "Still, we have a long
way to go."
Peter Alter, chairman of Fed-
eration's Planning and Allocation
Division Committee, said, "We're
hoping not to have to worry about
a decrease" to this year's Cam-
paign. In the past, a decrease gen-
erally resulted in an across-
the-board cut to local agencies.
This year, however, Federation
officials say a Campaign short-
fall will likely have the most neg-
ative impact on services falling
outside four community priority
areas: formal Jewish education,
informal Jewish education tar-
geting teen-agers and young
adults, support for non-institu-
tionalized Jewish elderly and
Jewish education for children
with special needs.
One particularly frustrating
stumbling block, said Campaign
officials, is the issue of last-
minute givers — people who wait
until December to pledge. Offi-
cials say this prevents them from
effectively budgeting in June.
Some past Campaign sup-
porters, upset about plans for the
soon-to-close Borman Hall nurs-
ing home, have decided not to
contribute this year. Mr. Katz,
however, said no one he has so-
licited has withheld contributions
because of the controversy. While
meeting with donors, Mr. Katz
explains that their dollars go to
support many causes besides Bor-
man Hall.
"Some people have raised the
issue of what's going on with the
nursing home," he said. "But
when they understand the total
picture I don't think they're an-
gry. We're not a single-issue com-
munity."
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