Federation Leadership Briefing: 2021 Campaign Results and Updates on Security

As Federation officially closes the book on 2021, I want to extend my gratitude to Jewish Greater Washington for another amazing year together. Guided by your leadership, partnership, and support, Federation is poised and ready to continue furthering vibrant Jewish life in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. In this update, you’ll find details on our 2021 campaign results, as well as the many ways in which we are continuing to keep our community safe and secure in 2022 and beyond.

Together, we’ve made incredible strides. I’m grateful to be a part of a community so devoted to strengthening and sustaining Jewish Greater Washington, now and well into the future. None of this could happen without you. Thank you, as always, for all that you do.

Gratefully,
Gil

Gil Preuss, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
301-230-7205

FEDERATION FOCUS: January-February 2022

2021 CAMPAIGN RESULTS

In 2021, Federation continued to respond to ongoing and evolving needs locally, in Israel, and overseas. This crucial work is only made possible with the generous support of donors like you. We are proud and grateful that through our 2021 campaign, $51,977,483 in total resources were raised by our generous donors, funders, and investors, representing a 21% increase in total resources year over year.

We move forward with deep gratitude to the 7,500+ donors who placed their resources and trust in Federation. We are thankful to help lead our committed, caring, and generous community in furthering vibrant Jewish life.

We also saw significant growth through our United Jewish Endowment Fund. In 2022, following our recent strategic planning process and approval by the UJEF Trustees and Federation Board, UJEF will take on a new name and expanded role as the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Washington. More to come on this front!

The success of the 2021 campaign ensures Federation will be able to continue addressing the most critical issues facing our community this year, including caring for individuals and families in need, strengthening and sustaining security in our region, and expanding opportunities for all community members to engage in Jewish life, learning, and journeys.

I extend my sincere appreciation to Federation’s extraordinary lay leadership and talented professional team for their role in this successful campaign. A very special thanks to our President, Samuel Kaplan, Vice President for Financial Resource Development, Robin Hettleman Weinberg, UJEF President, Deborah Ratner Salzberg, and Chief Development Officer, Zach Briton, for their incomparable leadership.

2021 Campaign by the Numbers

  • $51,977,483 in total resources raised.
  • $24,460,210 in Annual Campaign commitments.
    • $20,411,892 for the 2021 core unrestricted campaign.
    • $4,048,318 for Federation’s strategic priorities and impact initiatives.
  • $24,481,026 in resources newly invested in Federation’s UJEF by local philanthropists and organizations, bringing total funds under management to $319.6 million.

ADDRESSING SECURITY IN GREATER WASHINGTON

With antisemitism continuing to rise across the country, our Communal Security Committee chaired by David Yaffe along with our partners at the Secure Community Network (SCN) and the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) remain focused on and committed to safeguarding our community.

Since our partnership with SCN began more than two years ago, we have conducted 40+ security assessments of Jewish facilities across the region, secured millions in government security grant funding, and trained thousands of community leaders and members across Greater Washington. This work continues daily across DC, MD, and Northern VA.

If you were unable to join us on January 28th for our webinar on communal security with SCN National Director & CEO, Michael Masters, Federation and SCN’s Regional Security Advisor, Robert Graves, and Temple Rodef Shalom’s Rabbi Amy Schwartzman, I recommend watching it here.

We must all remain committed to ensuring our community members and institutions are equally prepared for a crisis. I encourage organization leaders to contact Federation and SCN’s Regional Security Advisor, Robert Graves, to request a consultation or a security assessment and learn about available safety, security, and preparedness training. If you belong to or regularly frequent a synagogue or other Jewish institution, advise those leaders to connect with Robert as well. This support is wholly subsidized by Federation’s allocation of security funding and available to all organizations. Federation will continue to raise critical funds to support the security of Jewish Greater Washington’s institutions and community members.

2020-21 Security Stats

  • 20+ facility security assessments per year in 2020 and 2021.
  • 27 community organizations were awarded $3.46 million in NSGP grants (up from 19 awardees and $1.75 million in 2020).
  • 70 trainings for 2,050 people at Jewish institutions throughout Greater Washington.

Learn more at shalomdc.org/security

Thank You
As we continue to pursue our mission to inspire, build, and sustain vibrant Jewish life in a changing world, your partnership continues to be invaluable.

I look forward to our ongoing partnership throughout 2022. I welcome the opportunity to connect with you, including on and beyond the efforts outlined above. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time at [email protected].