WINNIPEG — For the past 16 years, the Jewish community institutions that receive funding from Winnipeg's annual Combined Jewish Appeal campaign have been able to look forward to higher allocations from year to year.
As reported earlier this year, however, the 2014-2015 campaign came up about $300,000 short of its goal. The amount of money raised was even less than the year before. As a result, beneficiary agencies will have to make do with about $85,000 less in total than the year before.
The allocations committee recommended cuts across the board for almost every beneficiary agency. The only exception was the Shalom Residences, the group homes in Winnipeg for Jewish adults with developmental disabilities, which will receive $28,250 for this year, a bump of $750 from last year, but far less than the $12,500 more than the organization requested.
The Jewish Child and Family Service (JCFS) received the largest reduction in its allocation for this year. Last year, the allocation for the JCFS was $786,000. This year, the agency is receiving $754,000, a $32,000 decrease.
“While the depth of needs seen by JCFS continues to increase in our community, their ability to acquire outside funding and their strength as an organization reflect years of fine leadership,” said the allocations committee in its report. “Emily Shane’s retirement as executive director left them in good condition, and the smooth transition seen with Al Benarroch’s promotion were both reflected in their presentation and material.”
The Gray Academy of Jewish Education, the federation’s largest recipient of community funding, will be receiving $20,000 less than last year – $986,000 as compared to $1,006,000 last year. The Jewish day school, which teaches students from junior kindergarten to Grade 12, saw a roughly 15 per cent decrease in enrolment last year, but the administration is reporting that registration for this fall is on the rise again.
The Rose and Max Rady Jewish Community Centre (Rady JCC), the third-largest recipient of CJA dollars, will be receiving $11,500 less than last year –$486,000, compared to $497,500.
“We are looking to see what adjustments we can make,” said Gayle Waxman, the Rady JCC’s executive director.
“We are confident that the shortfall this past year was just a blip and that this year’s campaign will be back on track.”
The other eight beneficiary agencies were cut back a total of $15,000 while the federation held back $20,200 from the United Israel Appeal grant request for Israel and other Jewish needs for 2015-2016.
The allocation committee recommendation for 2015-2016 for UIA is $525,000.
“In several key ways – new volunteer canvassers, new young leaders and donors, new Lion of Judah donors in Women’s Philanthropy, and breadth of participation that increases year after year – the 2014-2015 campaign was the strongest ever,” said Elaine Goldstine, the longtime CJA campaign director, who was appointed interim CEO of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg following the resignation of CEO Adam Bronstone earlier this year.
“Unfortunately, the final total available for allocations is less than last year, a situation that has not arisen for 15 years. The focus of the committee’s deliberations this year was how best to minimize the impact of necessary cuts,” Goldstine said.
“We are working hard on next year’s campaign and hope to make up for last year’s shortfall,” she added. “We are trying to be conservative. We have set a target of $5.75 million, slightly more than we raised last year.”