.411111111111.

Past And Future

Local agencies cut 10 percent
as Federation makes difficult choices.

Jewish community is
building on its historic
ability to change.

Mark Davidoff, a former Federation
executive and now president of the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit, said the JCC was being cut from
$3.6 million in 2009-10 to $3.1 million for
2010-11.
He said the JCC is facing challenges:
This is the last year it will receive any
United Way funding and the JCC must
maintain aging buildings and "premier
programming in the face of financial
constraints."
Nancy Adler, president of Hillel Day
School of Metropolitan Detroit, said that
Federation and its Shiffman Family Day
School Tuition Assistance Fund provide
50 percent of the school's scholarship
funds. In the fall, she said, 53 percent of
Hillel students will receive tuition assis-
tance.
Bloom pointed out that the community
is facing increasing capital needs to main-
tain aging buildings and provide security.
Matt Lester, co-chair of the Israel and
Overseas Committee (IOC) for the alloca-
tions process, said the IOC allocation was
dropping from $11.8 million for 2009-10
to $10.04 million for 2010-11. He said
Detroit's funding for the Jewish Agency
for Israel, the American Jewish Joint

A declining Jewish population, a
difficult economy and other factors
have combined to force major chang-
es on Detroit's Jewish community.
But a number of lay and professional
leaders at the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit also see a diffi-
cult situation as an opportunity.
The Federation is not intervention-
ist," said Douglas Bloom at a meet-
ing last week.
"kr -*
lie
Bloom, chairman
of Federation's
Planning and
Allocations
Steering
Committee,
added, "But we
are working with
our agencies to
Nancy Grosfeld
be more effi-
cient."
He said there
are synergies
when three or
four agencies
work together
to deliver bet-
ter services.
"Just saving dol-
lars isn't good
Douglas Bloom
enough," he said,
emphasizing service Delivery.
The discussion came after
Federation was forced to cut funding
for next year to local. national and
overseas agencies that benefit from
Federation's Annual Campaign and
other funds.
Nancy Grosfeld, Federation's presi-
dent, said, "We have been forced to
look at ourselves internally. We have
had to prioritize services, and down-
size some and eliminate some. We
are working together as a system to
be more efficient and save costs.
"it is incredible how we have all
pulled together as a community
through all of this. It is not just the
Federation." Grosfeld said, "but the
synagogues. schools and other com-
munity agencies."
Howard Neistein, Federation's
chief administrative officer. and Linda

Tough Cuts on page 16

Past & Future on page 16

.'""

Alan Hitsky

Associate Editor

A

$6 million decline in revenues
from 2009 to 2010 forced the
board of the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit to make antici-
pated financial cuts to local and overseas
agencies late last month.
At a joint meeting of Federation and
its banking/real estate arm, the United
Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan
Detroit, the boards approved cuts averag-
ing 10.4 percent for local agencies and
13.5 percent for agencies in Israel and
overseas. Earlier in June, Federation had
cut its own budget 16.6 percent for the
2010-11 fiscal year.
Douglas Bloom, chair of the 25-per-
son Planning and Allocations Steering
Committee, told the meeting that
Federation's 2010 Annual Campaign had
achieved $2.6 million less than 2009, the
challenge funds were down $1.9 million
and total revenues had declined from
$39.47 million to $33.3 million.
"When we had excess dollars, the pro-
cess was a lot easier': Bloom said, "but
everyone on our committees tried to be
as fair as humanly possible. We have to
measure success not only by the numbers

of dollars raised, but also by the impact
we have on people's lives:'
Scott Kaufman, CEO of Federation,
told the board members that "we can't
get used to a down Campaign:' He said
Federation is working on new strategies
and attracting new people. "But cuts had
to be made;' he said, "and everyone acted
in the best interests of the whole:'
There were only a few comments and
questions from board members before
the allocations were unanimously passed.
The months-long allocations process
includes interviews and budget reviews
with both local and overseas recipients;
the boards in March had passed "param-
eters" for the cuts.

Agency Needs
During the discussion, representatives
of several local agencies made brief
presentations to show how they would
be affected. Mark Milgrom, president
of Jewish Family Service, said the West
Bloomfield-based agency's base alloca-
tion from Federation would be down 5.5
percent, but special allocations would
keep the agency at the same level.
"Because of the community's generos-
ity, we are able to save families in crisis':
he said. "But our caseloads are too high."

July 22 • 2010

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