Communities Reported Surpassing Last Year’s Campaign Results

The Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds announced today that early reports from 1955 Spring fund-raising campaigns in communities throughout the country show both large and intermediate cities “moving well ahead of last year’s pace ” The announcement emphasized “many cities indicate that they will equal or surpass last year’s total while others are far enough out in front to assure it.”

“Comparable figures for 1955 over 1954 reveal that with pledges approaching the halfway mark the large cities are seven percent ahead of where they were at the same stage last year, ” the CJFWF report says “intermediate cities show a 12 percent advance over 1954. Reports are pegged on comparison of pledges on the same cards in both years and generally do not yet include new contributions. Among the factors influencing the success of the campaign to date is the reassessment of fund-raising organization and techniques which was initiated nationally by the General Assembly in November 1954.

“There-examination studies reflected the determination of communities to halt and reverse the declining trend in fund-raising ” the CJFWF states “Reports from over 75 communities indicate that these studies were carried out on the basic community organization level involving leadership in thorough review of strengths and weaknesses In addition to developing new ideas and approaches to strengthen campaigns the study process has heightened enthusiasm among leader and workers and brought deeper understanding of the campaign needs to contributors.

“In every case the basic reappraisal of the central campaign in relation to the community organization has had an effect on planning for the 1955 campaigns as well as for the years ahead The results of these studies are seen in the many programs instituted by communities emphasis upon the primary of the campaign and its worldwide scope — the “biggest campaign” requiring the “biggest effort” and the “biggest gift” changes in approach to top givers; special organization to solicit intermediate givers tailoring campaign events to fit particular local situations; more intensive education of workers; more thorough interpretation of the campaigns All of it has added up to a much greater readiness by communities to change campaign methods to meet changed conditions.”

The report stresses the role played by the CJFWF through central campaign services and through its field staff this year “The national office has provided consultation for special campaign problems and the seven regional offices have given direct assistance to many cities in campaign organization and planning particularly in relation to the reassessment process The CJFWF also produced campaign also which were directly utilized locally by the communities “the report says.