Highlights
2010 – 2011
Financial Resource Development
The Federation had a resoundingly successful year under the Center for Jewish Philanthropy model, a holistic approach to financial resource development that encompasses securing annual, planned, supplemental and corporate gifts, as well as government and foundation grants.
The Annual Campaign reached an all-time high of $12.8 million and included nearly 800 new donors and record numbers attending Campaign events. The Federation's Jewish Community Foundation raised more than $14.4 million, bringing total assets under Foundation management to $150 million. The Foundation's Centennial Fund for a Jewish Future (CFJF) exceeded $16 million and made essential contributions to the community by supporting vital programs in Jewish education, Israel travel experiences for teens and young adults and Jewish overnight camping.
Bringing the financial resource development accomplishment to more than $33 million this year were efforts through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program and government and foundation grants to the Jewish Federation and its agencies.
Community Building and Funding
During 2010-2011, thanks to a wealth of programs, individuals of all ages with varying backgrounds and interests found ways to engage in and strengthen the Jewish community.
Our youngest community members connected through PJ Library, which provides free Jewish books to young children, programming for families and training for local Jewish preschool teachers. PJ Library is in partnership with the Agency for Jewish Learning, the Jewish Community Center and Community Day School. Meanwhile, the Teen Engagement Initiative involved many teens through J-Serve, a volunteerism program; Culture Clubs at local schools; Teen Mentoring; and much more.
Shalom Pittsburgh, the outreach arm of the Young Adult Division, collaborated with many community organizations on the Fast Track Dating program, which attracted 110 local singles for an evening of meeting and greeting. Touching Jews of all ages was JFilm: The Pittsburgh Jewish Film Forum, which encompassed the 18th annual Film Festival featuring 20 films from nine countries – and drawing some 3,700 people, as well as educational programs for Jewish and non-Jewish teens and young adults.
The Federation connected community members to Israel in a variety of ways, from offering scholarships that enable youth to participate in educational travel programs… to engaging hundreds of people in Partnership 2000 work with our sister communities, Karmiel and the Misgav region… to staging the annual Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration and the Israel Memorial Day commemoration… to sponsoring Israel booths at cultural events around town.
The Community and Public Affairs Council reverted back to its former name, the Community Relations Council (CRC). This year CRC worked to forge interfaith relations, most notably with the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, resulting in a journey by a group of Catholics and Jews to the Vatican and Israel. CRC also actively advocated for the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh continued to heighten public awareness of the Holocaust and preserve the memories of the Six Million, this year launching the Survivor/Liberator Testimony Project in collaboration with WQED Multimedia, to create DVDs containing testimonies of local eyewitnesses to Holocaust history. The Center also sponsored the annual community-wide Yom Hashoa Commemoration, focused on Liberation and Hope, and explored the importance of free speech and resistance efforts during World War II at the annual Kristallnacht commemoration.
