20 | OCTOBER 24 • 2019 

Jews in the D

W

hen Scott Kaufman became 
president and CEO of 
the Jewish Federation of 
Metropolitan Detroit 10 years ago, he 
faced a discouraging environment. The 
recession had been especially harsh to 
Michigan, resulting in many closed busi-
ness, foreclosed homes and population 
loss as some residents, including mem-
bers of the Jewish community, sought job 
opportunities in other regions.
A colleague at another city’
s federation 
told Kaufman his assignment was “sun 
setting” Detroit’
s aging and shrinking 
Jewish community. While Kaufman 
viewed his initial role partly as keeping 
up community morale, he kept his eye on 
the future as well. 
“
An emergency fund was in place from 
donors. We were helping people to nav-
igate the system and keep them in their 
homes,” Kaufman recalls.
“I had two ideas at the beginning — 
how to stop the out-migration of young 
adults. I made the attraction and reten-
tion of young people a top priority. We 
had to rebuild the future because in 2009 
young people were saying, ‘
I know every-

one. There is nothing for me to do here.’
” 
NEXTGen, Federation’
s new program 
for young Jewish adults, began in 2012 
and Kaufman compares its growth to 
Detroit’
s revitalization. 
“It was about engagement. We con-
verted some participants to donors and 
leaders. They saw the need to donate and 
their first donation was to a Detroit proj-
ect, which was unusual,” he says.
Kaufman was also interested in building 
endowments. “We needed to help older 
funders think of their legacy, so we created 
the Centennial Fund. The fund has $240 
million in assets, some of it in directed 
funds, from 120 donors. “The two ideas 
— NEXTGen and the Centennial Fund — 
kind of mesh,” he says.
He quickly points out, “I didn’
t do 
them alone. This is a team sport.” He says 
he sees himself as a community builder 
who has helped develop more positive 
energy, providing the opportunity to raise 
more money. 
During his tenure, Federation’
s total 
endowments and other assets increased 
from $450 million to $700 million — the 
highest in its history. Per capita giving 
was within the top three of all Jewish 
communities and the overall donor base 
increased.
Community building meant changing 
Federation’
s “command and control” 
management model to “convener and 
collaborator.” There are challenges with 
change, and it was important not to go 
too fast, he explains.

COLLABORATION AND VISION
He has also focused on getting Jewish 
social service agencies to work better 
together and to put “mission before brand.
”
“We needed to be customer-centric ver-
sus organization centric,
” Kaufman says. 
JHelp — the newly coordinated access 
point for all kinds of agency assistance to 
individuals — is an example. “There’
s no 
magic, but it made it easier.
”
Perry Ohren, CEO of Jewish Family 
Service, says Kaufman “was very helpful 
and visionary in getting the various orga-
nizations to see how they could do better, 
to look forward in a sustainable way. He is 
very passionate about human services in 
the Jewish community.
”
Both professional colleagues and lay 
leaders compliment his ability to develop 
and lead a great team. 
“There are things that wouldn’
t have 
happened without him,
” says Federation 
President Beverly Liss, citing growth in 
NEXTGen and the Centennial Fund. “He 
has built a team of professional and lay 
leaders and looks at them as partners. 
That’
s how he motivated them.
”
Kari Alterman, senior program officer 
for Jewish Life at the William Davidson 
Foundation, says Kaufman was “able to 
get everybody on the same bus and drive 
it.
” She met him while staffing a 1998 
singles mission that included Kaufman. 
“Scott stood out as someone who has a 

Forward-
Thinking 
Leader

Outgoing Federation CEO 
Scott Kaufman leaves a 
stronger, more connected 
community.

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Scott Kaufman in his office at Federation surrounded 
by things that inspire him. 

JOHN HARDWICK

