UJA-Federation of New York raised $4.5 million at a dinner on Dec. 10 that attracted 30 percent more attendees than last year’s event, a federation fundraiser said.
Hosted by the federation’s Wall Street & Financial Services division, the dinner attracted 1,500 attendees, according to a press release. It honored Robert Kapito, president of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm with over $3.7 trillion in assets, and Boaz Weinstein, who founded the hedge fund Saba Capital Management.
One of the ways the local federation raises money is by providing professionals or other individuals with something in common a way to band together to support the federation while networking and socializing. The Wall Street & Financial Services division is one of those groups; there is also a Russian Division and a Lawyer’s Division, for example.
The Wall Street & Financial Services division has raised $23 million this fiscal year, which starts in July, $1 million more than last year at the same time, said Mark Medin, a senior vice president for financial resource development. Its dinner typically raises the most money of all similar events, said federation spokesman Levi Fishman.
An individual ticket to the dinner cost $350, while a sponsorship package of $5,000 bought a table for ten and a page in the journal, Medin said. Sponsorship packages ran up to $150,000.
Mayor Michael Bloombeg gave the keynote address, acknowledging the federation and the social service agencies it supports for their work providing relief during Hurricane Sandy. The federation is commonly considered the Jewish community’s social safety net. Its agencies also provide services to the general population.
Last year, the federation’s annual campaign, to which the Wall Street division contributes what it raises, collected $136.7 million from 56,711 donors. The total number of donors dropped 3.5 percent last year, federation spokeswoman Jane Rubinstein told The Jewish Week when the results were announced, citing the weak economy.
helenatjewishweek@gmail.com; @thesimplechild
The New York Jewish Week brings you the stories behind the headlines, keeping you connected to Jewish life in New York. Help sustain the reporting you trust by donating today.
