Conference of Jewish Welfare Leaders Discusses Fund-raising Problems

Problems of fund-raising for Jewish local, national and overseas agencies occupied the attention of more than 60 Jewish community leaders from 10 New England cities at the two-day executive conference of the New England Region of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, held here over the week-end. The conference heard a report on national developments in the war chest movement delivered by Sidney Hollander, president of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds.

Michael Appel, president of the Brooklyn Jewish Family Welfare Society and chairman of the accountants’ division of the New York Federation Business Men’s Council, reviewed the probable effects of the new Federal tax program on contributions to Jewish philanthropic agencies, discussing both the advantages and disadvantages. He discussed also the likely results, as far as philanthropic causes are concerned, of the recent executive order limiting individual incomes to $25,000 after deductions for taxes and “customary” charitable donations.

Milton Kahn, co-chairman of the Boston Combined Appeal, which last week concluded its record-breaking campaign, raising close to $1,300,000 for local, national and overseas Jewish needs, reported that the tax program had been a beneficial factor in the campaign. He said that Boston found that the tax program prompted givers to increase rather than decrease contributions since the Government now absorbs a greater proportion of the net cost to a contributor of his gift.

Sidney Wernick, chairman of the budget committee of the newly-organized Jewish Federation of Portland, Me., which recently entered the war chest for local services only, reported that active Jewish participation in the Portland war chest has promoted good-will throughout the community. The Federation will conduct a separate drive for national and overseas Jewish needs next Spring, he said. Other subjects discussed included services to Jewish men in the armed services, war-time problems of child care and family welfare agencies, Jewish education and Jewish youth in New England universities.