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

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February 5 • 2009

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