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