As s.
Business
ut E. U til
PRESENTED PS WIPCI'S
LOCATIONS THAT ADMIT 4
Arab American National Museum
Automotive Hall of Fame
irmiqgham Bloomfield Art Center
Charles H. Wright Museum of
African American History
Detroit Children's Museum
Detroit Historical Museum
Detroit Institute of Arts
Dossin Great Lakes Museum
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1
ARE YOU READY?
Visit your Detroit regional public library
to check out a pass for two or four
free admissions. depending on location.
to one of these exciting museums.
For more information.
visit www.detroitadventurepass.org.
-
.
Grosse Pointe Historical Society
Howell Nature Center
Macomb Cultural Center
Museum of Contemporary
Art Detroit (MOCAD)
Paint Creek Center for the Arts
Pewabic Pottery
University of Michigan Exhibit
Museum of Natural History
Ypsilanti Historical Museum
LOCATIONS THAT IIDNI
Cranbrook Art Museum
Cranbrook House S. Gardens
Cranbrook Institute of Science
Edscl & Eleanor Ford Hou
Ford Rouge Factory Tour
Henry Ford Estate. Fair Lane
Motown Historical Museum
Plymouth Historical Museum
Rochester Hills Museum
at Van Hoosen Farm
Media Partners
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FOX 2
Wishing our
friends and family
a happy, healthy
Passot ,er
— The Staff of The Detroit Jewish News —
A46
April 17 « 2008
Nonprofits from page A44
immediately, as its allocations for the
last fiscal year, which for Weinberg
ended Feb. 28, are already set.
"We're not cutting grants at the
moment;' Schloss said. But if the
market continues to tumble, "the real
effect will happen next year. We will
probably have to make cuts. But we
don't stop giving when we get to that
point:'
Schloss said that because of the fall-
ing dollar, some of the Israeli organi-
zations funded by Weinberg will have
to do less with their money than they
expected. He noted a program that
pays for dental care for needy children
will be able to help only 175 children
with dental surgery rather than the
intended 200.
The real crunch, though, may come
not from major foundations but the
middle class.
Givers tend to make charitable
donations in accordance with how
comfortable they feel financially. Thus,
In this economy the middle class
— and therefore smaller donations
— could suffer tremendously.
"We are very concerned about the
manner in which the volatility in the
markets and the repercussions of the
credit crunch will have on fundraising
in general and the abilities of the char-
ities to function" said Sandy Cardin,
the president of the Charles and Lynn
Schusterman Family Foundation.
While he expects those charities
that receive a significant portion of
their budgets from foundations to be
relatively secure, charities that depend
on smaller donations from the public
could be in trouble.
"Regarding the larger group of
donations — gifts from the general
public — it is unknown," Cardin said.
Charitable contributions are among
the first cuts for Americans feeling
insecure financially, say experts in the
field.
"Consumer confidence is at its
lowest level in 30 years:' said Gary
Tobin, the president of the Institute for
Jewish and Community Research.
"Small donors are no different than
mega-donors. If their retirement funds
are down and unemployment touches
them and they are behind in mort-
gages, then giving will suffer. No one
knows how long this will last."
The effects of the economic down-
turn already have been felt on the
ground.
In Sarasota, Fla., where the sub-
prime mortgage crisis has hit as hard
as anywhere in the country, the Jewish
Family & Children's Service of
Sarasota-Manatee has seen donors
who cleaned up in the real estate mar-
ket become clients in need of help.
In New York, where the recent col-
lapse of Bear Stearns was felt hardest,
nonprofits are bracing for the worst.
Bear Stearns alone employs some
14,000 employees, and it is estimated
that half or more will lose their jobs.
Its collapse could have broad implica-
tions in the financial services industry.
As the job market tightens around
Bear Stearns and New Yorkers are
faced with increases in rent and other
expenses, the Metropolitan Council on
Jewish Poverty is bracing for a huge
influx of Jews in near poverty, said its
executive director, William Rapfogel.
Rapfogel, whose agency serves some
225,000 needy New York Jews, is in the
middle of an intense fundraising drive
that has brought in $2 million over the
past few weeks. Still, he knows that
won't be enou
"What we are seeing is a virtual
tsunami, a perfect storm;' Rapfogel
said. "We are not sure how that will
affect our agency. The city is already
talking about cutbacks in its budget.
Many food pantries are bare, and at
the same time we anticipate having an
avalanche of more needy people'
Outside the United States, as the
dollar continues to fall, nonprofit orga-
nizations that rely on dollars for their
budgets but pay for their expenses
in other currency are feeling intense
budget crises.
According to Shalgi of the Israel
Philanthropy Advisors, the dollar has
fallen against the shekel by 25 percent
over the past 18 months, providing a
major challenge for the Israeli non-
profit sector.
Approximately 12 percent of phil-
anthropic dollars spent in Israel come
from overseas, she said, and two-
thirds of that — an estimated $1.5
billion — is collected in dollars.
The Jewish Funders Network held
two sessions last week to help philan-
thropists talk out the problem.
The Jewish Agency for Israel, for
instance, faced with a $20 million defi-
cit because of the falling dollar, is now
considering serious structural changes
to cope with the situation.
At home, there is also the question
of how a drop in Jewish philanthropic
dollars could affect what has been a
stunning recent growth of dynamic,
young Jewish endeavors pushed main-
ly by entrepreneurial philanthropy,
where donors take chances on innova-
tive yet untested programs.
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