2011 AnnuAl RepoRt - Jewish Family and Children's Service

Photo by Laurie Schneider Photography
Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis is a strong and healthy organization and is among
the top 20% of nonprofits in the state of Minnesota. Even so, the net effect of the past several years of a
struggling economy has had a significant impact on our ability to meet the needs of more than 17,000
people we served this year. In recent years, JFCS has experienced a loss of $1.4 million in funding resulting
in a 20% reduction in staffing—big numbers for even a strong, healthy organization. We have consistently
communicated that the needs of our community continue to rise while resources continue to decline. The one
silver lining in this gray story is that our caring supporters have truly stepped up and demonstrated their desire to
help strengthen our community one person at a time.
With the help of our generous donors and dedicated supporters, JFCS was able to serve the most vulnerable in
our community and those individuals who have never needed help before but now find themselves without a
job, potentially without a home or enough to eat, or without the support to manage unplanned-for struggles.
Nearly $350,000 was raised through our Membership Campaign, and
an equal amount was raised through our Annual Benefit. Other donors
generously contributed more than $1 million through new Program
Sponsorship opportunities and our Endowment continues to grow,
with more than 300 funds and a value approaching $8 million.
We are planning for a continuing “rocky road” that will likely follow us
through the end of this decade. Through strategic planning efforts
of our administrative team and Board, the dedication of our talented
and hard-working staff, and the generosity of our community, JFCS is
creating new avenues to maintain the viability of the agency.
To ensure leadership from generation to generation, JFCS launched the NextGen Program—a Fund, Club and
Board that promotes philanthropy and community involvement among young adults ages 21 to 36. NextGen
encourages young philanthropists by offering hands-on giving opportunities, professional experience and a
vibrant social network to build a more cohesive community. We welcome the involvement of the NextGen Board
and we know that our future is brighter because of its contribution to the agency.
JFCS has also established a business advisory council to develop strategic partnerships, explore social enterprise
and seek business relationships that will provide more employment opportunities for JFCS’s job-seeking clients.
As we look back on the past year, we are grateful for our dedicated and engaged Board of Directors, a community
of 900 volunteers, support from the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, the Greater Twin Cities United Way and JFCS’s
generous donors in helping to ensure the continuation of all that JFCS does for the community today and for
generations to come.
With best wishes for a healthy and happy year,
Judy Halper
Chief Executive Officer
Robin Sharpe Landy
Board President
DiFFiCult thingS
we Do quiCkly. the
iMpoSSible tAkeS A
little longeR.
DaviD Ben Gurion
www.jfcsmpls.org
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