Facing The Downturn
ON THE COVER
The Perfect Storm
The housing market, credit crunch and strug-
months ... or more.
gling automobile industry have combined to
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
shatter jobs, life savings and lives in Michigan.
Detroit is closing its 2009 Annual Campaign six
For the first time in many years, the Jewish
weeks early so that it can more quickly funnel
community is not immune.
money to its agencies struggling to help rapidly
Doctors, lawyers and other white-collar
increasing numbers of clients.
professionals — not just auto engineers — are
The Jewish News is writing this week about
beating on the doors of local Jewish agencies,
Federation's decision, the impact of the econ-
desperately seeking help to find a job, to pay
omy on local Jewish agencies, and the heart-
a mortgage, to fund their kids' college tuition
wrenching stories of Jewish individuals sud-
or to buy a used car. They've tapped all their
denly finding themselves clients of, rather than
resources and have nowhere else to turn.
donors to, these agencies.
The impact is being felt in new neighborhoods
In the coming months, the Jewish News
and old, from Bloomfield Hills to Oak Park, as
will do occasional articles in this "Facing The
homes for sale sit on the market waiting ... and
Downturn" series as we look at the impact on
waiting ... to be sold, and longtime employees
other agencies, schools, synagogues and indi-
suddenly find themselves looking for new jobs,
viduals.
a totally new process than can take six to 12
— Alan Hitsky, associate editor
Source Of Assistance
The stakes are
high as Federation
accelerates
fundraising.
year could be worse, and that's why the
fundraising effort has been moved up six
weeks to finish on Feb. 13.
Although no gift will be turned down
any time during the year, Federation needs
a more accurate idea of how much will be
available to allocate, said Robert Aronson,
Federation CEO.
Harry Kirsbaum
"The sooner we close our fundraising
Special to the Jewish News
efforts, the more we know how much we
have and the more success-
I is been a frenzied
ful we will be," Aronson said.
2009 already for Jewish
"With every day that goes by
Federation of Metropolitan
and, with our economy get-
Detroit staff members and lay
ting worse, our ability to raise
leaders in the Jewish commu-
money is lessened."
nity. But that's to be expected
Last year, Federation
when you set a goal to finish a
accelerated its fundraising
year's worth of obtaining pledg-
efforts to end on April 1, and
es in six weeks.
reached its goal of $34 mil-
Robert Aronson
As the 21st most populous
lion, plus $8.2 million for
Jewish community in the United
the Rebecca and Gary Sakwa
States, yet a remarkable fourth
Challenge Fund to help fami-
in fundraising, Detroit has much to be
lies in need both here and in Israel.
proud of, especially in the face of the seri-
This year, the goal is the same at $34
ous economic troubles that have befallen
million, and the Stanley and Judy Frankel
this region long before and deeper than
Challenge Fund goal is $6.2 million.
the rest of the country.
Source on page Al2
But it's clear this year is different, next
35
30
34
Amount of Collections
(in millions)
29.3
27.2
26.8
16.5
16.6
31.3
25
15
15
10
Number of Donors
(in thousands)
9.7
5
1990
1995
2000
2005
2008
Source: Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
iN
February 5 • 2009
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