metro
Volunteer Extraordinaire
Community builder Nancy Grosfeld to be honored with Butzel Award.
H
and as it is to imagine, Nancy
Grosfeld's first contribution to
the Detroit Jewish Federation
— nearly four decades ago — was not an
easy sell. As she recalls, her first inkling of
the word Federation came with a call one
day from a woman asking her to make a
pledge.
"I was really caught by surprise to
be asked for money over the phone
Grosfeld recalled. "So I called my friend
Bob Slatkin, who explained to me what
Federation does and the purpose behind
this fundraising technique. I made my first
pledge that day because of Bobby. I was in
my mid-30s at the time:'
Grosfeld's first commitment of $100
to Federation would grow into her life's
work as a community volunteer. A regis-
tered nurse and social worker by training,
she has taken on scores of community
projects and leadership roles over the
years in dozens of organizations includ-
ing JARC, Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy
Network, the Jewish Women's Foundation,
the American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee (JDC), the College of Creative
Studies, the Jewish Fund and the Michigan
Humane Society. She has served with dis-
tinction as Federation's campaign chair,
then as its president, as well as heading up
Federation's Women's Philanthropy.
"There are no words to adequately
describe Nancy's impact on our Jewish
community," said Scott Kaufman,
Federation's CEO.
Nancy's enthusiasm and commitment
have held considerable influence over her
husband, Jim, who often credits her with
his own unflagging support of charitable
causes and organizations in Detroit, out of
state and in Israel.
Together, the Grosfelds are leading the
charge to meet some of Federation's great-
est challenges. And their generosity has
extended locally and nationally to numer-
ous universities, hospitals and institutions,
including the College for Creative Studies
and the Cancer Genetics Center in their
name at Beaumont.
Nancy has a passion for animals. At her
Bloomfield Hills home she lovingly tends
to four stray dogs, seven cats and two
birds who have their own room to fly.
Here is an excerpt from an interview
with Nancy Grosfeld, who will be honored
with the Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award
for distinguished community service on
Sept. 17.
8
September 17 • 2015
JN
edit: John Hardwie
Vivian Henoch
Special to the Jewish News
Nancy Grosfeld will be presented the Fred M. Butzel Award.
Early Years And Influences
Tell us about your family background and
your early influences.
I was born in Northwest Detroit. My
earliest recollections are of a flat where my
maternal grandmother lived upstairs and
we lived downstairs. I went to Halley School,
Liggett and then to Dondero High School,
when my family moved to Huntington
Woods.
My parents, Sylvia and Samuel Babcock,
were both very involved with various local
Jewish organizations. My mother grew up in
Pontiac, the youngest of 13. I have a picture
of her in my mind decades ago addressing
envelopes and going door-to-door fundrais-
ing for the Federation. She also served as a
JCC vice president and was involved with the
Jewish Historical Society, National Council
of Jewish Women and Temple Beth El. My
father, who grew up in Detroit, was a star
athlete at Central High School and taught
basketball at the JCC. I recall he was also
involved with a garden project there.
Jimmy and I have been married 35 years
— we actually met on a blind date. He had a
son, Jason, who was 4 when we met, and my
daughter, Rachel, was 5. We are the happy
grandparents of six adorable grandchildren,
ranging from ages 5-10.
Federation Leadership
How did you get involved with Federation?
A friend kept calling me to ask for my help
at Super Sunday. Finally, I accepted because I
ran out of excuses. I didn't know much about
Federation. With every call, I prayed that no
one would answer the phone because I just
dreaded asking for money.
The person I really have to thank for get-
ting me started with Federation was my
former mother-in-law, [the late] Belle Kukes,
who insisted I attend a Lion of Judah
meeting with her. Little did I know to what
extent that first meeting would determine
my future. Through the Lion of Judah
Committee, I met Penny Blumenstein,
who was to become my good friend and
mentor.
At Penny's encouragement, I got involved
with the Ruby Division and, ultimately, took
on the role of the Women's Campaign Chair.
As I think back, whenever I've been asked
to take on a new position at Federation, I'm
taken by surprise. I never think beyond what
I'm doing at a particular moment in time.
On Israel
You and Jim also have played a pivotal role in
Federation's mission program to Israel. Why?
When I was the Women's Department
Chair (2002-2004), I went to Uzbekistan and
traveled from there to Israel with a group
of people making aliyah. For me, that was
really when the light came on. It was a life-
changing experience. In Uzbekistan, we had
an opportunity to see Federation's overseas
partners in action through the work of the
JDC and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI).
I'll never forget the feeling of pride in know-
ing we had been a part of the process that
made it happen.
How did the Grosfeld Leadership Program
evolve?
Out of everything we do, this is the
program that means the most to Jimmy.
We established it in 2001 with the goal to
identify and mentor young adults with
leadership potential for the community. The
program culminates each year with a trip
to Israel and Poland, and its impact on the
group is profound.
The stats that have come out of the pro-
gram are just phenomenal: Grosfeld Mission
participants of the past now hold 90 seats
on Jewish community boards, 50 seats on
Jewish Federation committees; 15 are recipi-
ents of young leadership awards; they com-
prise 10 percent of the present Federation
board; and five have served as agency board
presidents. Some have become Federation
officers.
Federation Challenges
As Federation president, you inherited some
of the toughest years in recent times.
I became president in 2008, and it was
right after the Fisher Meeting in September
when the economy started to really turn
downward. It was a very difficult time. But
our partner agencies as well as other Jewish
organizations pulled together to create pro-
grams to help hundreds of individuals and
families in crisis.
Then we took a bold step and quietly
raised almost $6 million from 10 families
to create the Urgent Needs Fund. For about
five years, that fund was a lifesaver, plug-
ging holes in our community safety net
services and lifting some of the burden off
the shoulders of our agencies.
Your greatest challenge to date is the
Centennial Fund; tell us how that started.
During my term as Federation president,
we came to realize the funds raised through
the Annual Campaign and the Challenge
Fund were not sufficient to secure our
growing needs into the future. We cre-
ated the Centennial Fund, an endowment
fund that provides donors the opportunity
to direct dollars to specific programs or
services important to them within four
broad areas of focus: Social Welfare Needs,
Jewish Education and Identity, Israel and
Global Jewish Responsibility and PACE
(Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment)
and Legacy.
Our goal for the Centennial Fund is to
raise $250 million dollars. Today, we have
95 families participating and $160.5 million
committed to the fund.
How does it feel to be the recipient of the
Butzel Award?
A little surreal! And very exciting. I am
honored and never would have thought that
I would be receiving such an award.
❑
The Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award for distin-
guished community service will be presented
to Nancy Grosfeld at the Annual Meeting of the
Jewish Federation and the United Foundation
of Metropolitan Detroit at 7:30 p.m. Thursday,
Sept. 1Z at the Berman Center for the
Performing Arts in West Bloomfield.