The Centennial Fund

Securing Jewish Detroit's future
for the next 100 years.

T

he legacy of the Detroit
Jewish community, built
over the past 100 years,
is one of tremendous vibrancy,
spirit and generosity. It is a com-
munity that has always provided
for those in need, while also foster-
ing a strong Jewish identity and
a vibrant place for future genera-
tions. For Detroit to continue to
be a community of strength, new
and innovative ways to secure the
future must be utilized.
With this in mind, the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
recently established the Centennial
Fund, a new endowment fund to
secure the long-term future of the
Metro Detroit Jewish communi-
ty. The Centennial Fund Campaign
seeks to raise $250 million dol-
lars in new endowments through
lifetime and testamentary gifts to
benefit Federation's partner agen-
cies and secure the future needs of
the Jewish community.
The Centennial Campaign
is chaired by Nancy Grosfeld,
Federation immediate past presi-
dent, and staffed by Federation's
highest-level financial resource
development professionals, includ-
ing Robert Aronson, senior devel-
opment adviser; Stacey Crane,
director of endowment; Andrew
Echt, chief FRD officer; and Scott
Kaufman, CEO.
"During my presidency, I became
convinced that our first prior-
ity should be securing the future
of our Jewish community:' says
Grosfeld. "This was further punc-
tuated during our most recent
economic downturn when we saw
our Annual Campaign and other
fundraising efforts decrease. It was
clear that we needed to initiate an
expanded, vibrant, new endow-
ment campaign. Toward that end,
we created the Centennial Fund to
meet the social service and Jewish
identity development needs of our
community into the future?'
The Centennial Fund will incor-
porate and build upon Federation's
ongoing priority endowment
efforts, including the two Pillar
Campaigns — the Foundation
for the Jewish Elderly and the
Foundation for Jewish Education
— as well as PACE and Legacy.
"We wanted to put all of our

endowment efforts under one tent:'
Grosfeld says, "to better align our
various endowment fundraising
efforts, to raise more dollars on a
grander scale, and to engage more
people by offering a broader menu
of funding opportunities with one
overriding theme: securing our
community's future for the next
100 years?'
The Centennial Fund will target
four broad areas of interest:
• Social Welfare: With the
Foundation for our Jewish Elderly
as the priority, this category also
will include support for other
vulnerable populations such as
individuals and families at-risk,
children and youth, financial assis-
tance, job development, hospice
care and special needs.
• Jewish Identity and
Education: With the Foundation
for Jewish Education as the prior-
ity, this category also will include a
progression of Jewish experiences
from day care to camping, from
BBYO and the Hillels on college
campuses to Community Birthright
Israel.
• Global Jewish Responsibility:
This category supports the contin-
uation of Detroit's leadership role
in helping Jews at risk and building
Jewish peoplehood in Israel and
around the Jewish world.
• PACE and Legacy Funds:
PACE (the Perpetual Annual
Campaign Endowment) and
Legacy are Federation's ongoing
efforts to raise unrestricted dollars
to care for the community in times
of emergency.
Grosfeld and other community
leaders are optimistic about the
success and impact of the cam-
paign.
"The Centennial Campaign has
generated commitments of $50
million thus far:' she says, "and our
goal is to reach $100 million by the
end of the 2012. If we are able to
attain our ultimate goal — and I
believe we are — the Centennial
Fund effectively will provide the
additional revenue sources neces-
sary to secure the long-term future
of the community.
"This certainly will be an impor-
tant achievement for all of Jewish
Detroit?' ❑

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April 5 • 2012

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