PHOTO : Matthew Septimus JFNA

by Eva Ludvig
CHAIR, COMMUNITY PLANNING & ALLOCATIONS COMMITTEE

Thanks to the 2012 Combined Jewish Appeal Campaign and the generosity of our over 16,000 donors, Federation CJA is allocating $31.7 million for our Jewish community here in Montreal, in Israel and for Jewish communities in need around the world. This includes $23.5 million to our local agencies and communal organizations.

This year, we faced a tough challenge: maintaining critical funding to a network of organizations providing important services, while dealing with a reduced amount of available funds. In order to address this challenge, our dedicated cadre of volunteer and professional leaders worked collaboratively with our beneficiary agencies to review key information and develop the most appropriate recommendations.

We assessed the potential impact of reduced funding on agency service provision, and we explored the potential for other sources of funds to offset reductions. Our aim was to preserve essential services to vulnerable members of our community, while continuing to fund programs that promote and support community vibrancy. Despite the challenges of limited financial resources this year, we continue to fund 11 constituent agencies, 3 associated organizations, a network of Jewish Day Schools and 25 grassroots communal organizations.

I am proud to be a part of this thriving and vibrant local community that is deeply connected to sister communities across Canada, in Israel and other parts of the world.
Although the budget and allocation process for the 2013-14 fiscal year is now complete, our planning work will continue. Our Community Planning and Allocations Committee (CPAC), in collaboration with other Federation departments and constituent agencies will continue to monitor the impact of allocations and ensure that we are prepared to address any future challenges, while taking advantage of our collective potential. In the coming months, we will be implementing Imagine 2020 recommendations which will enhance our ongoing work at many levels, and provide a platform for continued long-term strategic planning.

We will also continue to work with our family of agencies on best practices with regards to governance, effectiveness and efficiency to ensure that we maintain a vibrant, healthy and sustainable communal system that continuously improves. The success of this year’s allocation process reflects the commitment of our stellar group of volunteers, and the expertise and skill of our team of professionals in the Planning Department, as well as the close collaboration of our partners throughout Federation CJA and its agencies.

I deeply appreciate working with all of these members of the community, whose tireless efforts serve the betterment and future of our community, and look forward to continued collective work.

Posted in Edition 90 | May 2013, Federation CJA |