JCC of LBI

Almost every successful fundraising endeavor has consisted of a small group of its more affluent and generous donors contributing substantial gifts.  It also has a large number, the majority, making what for them are generous pledges but are of modest dollar amounts.  However, a fund drive won’t be successful unless it also has a sizeable amount of donors making pledges and gifts of significant dollar amounts.

A ratio of 80/20 has been proven over and over again to be a factor in most activities.  It says that about 80% of the funds will come from about 20% of the participants.  Or that 20% of its members provide 80% of the volunteer hours of an organization.

Here is what this means for the JCC of LBI’s building fund capital campaign.  To get these results, I have used a membership base of 260 family units and a fundraising goal of $1.5 million.  For us it means that six to ten families will hopefully commit amounts between $50,000 and $250,000.  It means that 100 or so families must contribute between $500 and $5,000.  But, ESSENTIAL FOR OUR CAMPAIGN’S SUCCESS, it means that 35 to 50 families must contribute $15,000 to $25,000

Obviously these grouping estimates are not rigid.  Some families that might be considering a gift in the neighborhood of $5,000 will hopefully step up and pledge 8 or 10 thousand dollars.  And some monies will be raised by people who can only donate a few hundred dollars. Also, we still hope that some of the money for this project will come from grants and other sources outside our membership, but we can’t count on this.

The JCC membership consists of many retired or still working accountants, doctors, educators, engineers, lawyers, other professionals, and successful business persons.  I am sure that most of us, male and female, have been successful financially.  Many of us have homes valued at $ I million or more, and an even larger number live in homes valued between $300,000 and $500,000.   And how many of us over the age of 70 have really needed the mandatory distributions from our IRAs or 401Ks to live on?  If we reach down, extend ourselves a little, and give generously, I believe the goal of $1.5 million can be attained.  But it has to be new money.  It can’t be donations, High Holiday Appeal pledges, tributes, or other monies that you normally give to the JCC.  Those dollars are needed as they are– to operate our congregation.

We will commit the necessary funds for soil testing, test borings, civil engineering, and architectural drawings of a plot plan and elevations to get the necessary approvals from land use, zoning and other township or county boards.  But, as president, I cannot recommend to our Board of Trustees that we commit the substantial money necessary to have full architect’s plans including all the necessary structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, kitchen design, , etc. plans for this complete project until it looks like we have a chance to reach our goal.  And we seem to be a long way from that.

Most of us have taken a financial hit in the last part of 2008, and for many this hit was huge.  But in times of adversity we Americans and we Jews pick ourselves up and move forward. And so we must for our Rebuild Project.  We must look at the big picture, the long range picture.  Our project, a new JCC home, is for us and for future generations.  It is for something that is necessary and that will make us all proud.  Your commitment is a gift to you and to future generations.

If you are like me, you saw a significant improvement in the value of your portfolio when you received your 2009 year-end statements. True, the value may still not be where it was in mid-2008, but the 12/31/09 is probably considerably better than 12/31/2008.  On average, for every $100,000 value, you may have seen a $10,000 or more increase. Hopefully you are now in a better position to make an initial pledge or increase a previous one.

Our Bible asks us to tithe. Jews don’t, but many Christians do.  There are many churches, mostly but not all fundamentalist, that require members to tithe.  Tithe not only 10% of their income, but also 10% of their time and talent.    And this seems to be a growing percentage of the population.   Think of all the Mega-churches you have seen or read about

Have you done all you can in making your Rebuild Campaign pledge? Or as our Rabbi said on Rosh Hashona   “All you can and a little bit more”    Estimate your total income over the next 3 years.  This is from wages, pensions, dividends, interest, withdrawals from IRAs, and disbursements from annuities, etc.   And don’t calculate 10% of that 3 year total; just do 5%, or even 3%.   For most of you, I’ll bet that number is a lot more than what you have pledged or plan to pledge to the Rebuild Campaign.   But without these substantial pledges, the rebuild project that you have approved will not come to fruition. Even one dollar a day over 3 years is a pledge of $1100.

I am not asking you to make a pledge that you think I might want you to make.  I am asking you to make your initial pledge or increase your previous one to an amount that you and your family will be proud of.  Please don’t wait until later to do so.  DO IT NOW. Call Rose Valentine and take care of it right away.  Our building needs to be replaced, and we can’t start the process until sufficient funds have been pledged.  NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Rose Valentine has taken on the tremendous responsibility of chairing our Capital Campaign.   Please call her at (609) 361-0892 to discuss your pledge.          SHALOM,  Don Pripstein