Jewish Communities Enlist Widespread Leadership for 1950 Fund-raising Campaigns

Against the backdrop of a changing fund-raising framework, Jewish communities throughout the United States are enlisting more widespread leadership in current efforts to develop “realistic” pre-campaign budgets, the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds reported today.

The report said that the major focus of negotiations now in progress throughout the country is on the position of the United Jewish Appeal in the 1950 campaign. A preliminery survey by the Council indicates that while it is not possible to trace a nation-wide pattern of allocations on the basis of present community experience, several clear-cut problems have emerged as the dominant factors in community pre-campaign considerations. These include the question of priorities, variation of percentages based on different levels of campaign achievement, local capital funds, budgeting by fields of service, and shrinkage and administrative costs.

Revealing that there was a decline of 20 percent in total funds raised in 1949 as compared with the previous year, the C.J.F.W.F. report says that budget-wise, communities reacted to the reversal by tightening their allocations. Local commitments were met, for the most part, with some downward revisions in allocations amended for capital funds purposes. “The cuts fell primarily on non-local beneficiaries. The U.J.A. received the sharpest decreases, an estimated 30 percent loss in 1949 than the amount received from welfare funds in 1948,” the report states.

“As communities enter the intensive planning stage for their 1950 campaigns, pre-campaign budgeting is receiving close and careful attention,” the report continues. “The U.J.A., in accordance with a resolution of its 1949 Atlantic City conference, is pursuing a policy of seeking pre-campaign agreements on its share of total funds raised, as a condition for participation in local welfare fund campaigns.”

COMMUNITIES ACCEPT U.J.A. REQUEST FOR PRE-CAMPAIGN NEGOTIATIONS

Reviewing their 1949 experiences, communities have recognized the need for pre-campaign planning and are accepting the request of the U.J.A. for a full opportunity to discuss and negotiate the terms of its inclusion, the Council states. In seeking solutions to the complex problems associated with pre-campaign budgeting, the communities are bringing into play all sections of community leadership. Discussions are taking place, not in budgeting committees alone, but in the full boards of local federations or walfare funds. Some communities have organized special leadership meetings to discuss pre-campaign planning and to obtain leadership advice and thinking on suitable formulas. In most cases, they are undergoing a thorough study and review of the basic elements of their own communal fund raising situations, the report establishes.

Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will give the U.J.A. a straight percentage of the net funds available without establishing any fixed priorities. Houston has set local needs as a fixed priority, in the event the 1950 total falls below the 1949 level. This was done after a review of local budgets, leading to a reduction of about nine per cent in operating funds and 50 percent in capital funds.

Miami has established a fixed ratio of two to one between the U.J.A. and all other local and non-local beneficiaries exclusive of refugee needs, shrinkage and administrative costs. If the minimum budget cannot be met, all non-local agencies will receive pro-rated cuts, and local agency budgets will be reviewed for possible savings. Newark has not fixed priorities, but has established a minimum budgeting base 20 percent below the 1949 campaign achievement. Local agency needs have been set somewhat below 1949, after intensive budget review.