The Charity vs. Foundation Match

Jewish Federation of Ottawa (JFO) vs. Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation (OJCF)

From the beginning of time, Charities and Foundations have been stuck in a boxing ring competing for support, money and leadership from the same pool of donors in the same community.

Tonight in the ring, sitting in the hot seat dressed in luscious white, is Team JFO and in the left wing, in all mighty blue is her “opponent”, Team OJCF.

DING DING DING - ROUND 1 - BEGIN

Did you know that if you see the word “Foundation” in the name of a NFP, it might not actually be a Foundation? The word "Foundation" has no legal meaning in and of itself. This for the average Joe is quite confusing when they are looking to donate, open a fund, buy life insurance, create a bequest, send a tribute card, etc. Today let me break it down for you, because not only did it take me a half hour to find a clear enough definition to use, I myself find it extremely confusing, so I could only imagine how you feel.

Charity - char·i·ty - Charities generally derive their funding or support primarily from the general public, receiving grants from individuals, government, and private foundations. Although some public charities engage in grant-making activities, most conduct direct service or other tax-exempt activities.

Foundation- foun·da·tion - A foundation is a non-governmental entity that is established as a non-profit corporation or a charitable trust, with a principal purpose of making grants to unrelated organizations, institutions, or individuals for scientific, educational, cultural, religious, or other charitable purposes.

In other words…

JFO- J·F·O - to preserve and enrich Jewish life in the Ottawa area, Canada, Israel and overseas, by planning for the evolving needs of the community, raising and allocating funds for communal priorities, coordinating community action and representing the views of the community.

OJCF- O·J·C·F - is a donor centered organization that receives your hard earned dollars and invests it prudently in accordance with a long range investment strategy to yield solid financial returns in both fixed income and equity portfolios. We are a communal organization for planned giving in the Ottawa Jewish Community.

In other words again (in case you are still confused)…

Picture the JFO as your “checking account” and OJCF as your “saving account.” You use your checking account daily to support your desired lifestyle. Your savings account on the other hand, is hardly touched because it was opened with the intent of securing your lifestyle for the future.

This is precisely what the Federation and Foundation do for Ottawa’s Jewish Community. The Federation allocated all money raised in our Annual campaign to our 25 funded agencies. The Foundation invests and manages funds to ensure we have a vibrant and thriving Jewish community for the future.

Why do we care?

On November 27, 2013, the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation (OJCF) was proud to open its first ever fund to specifically support the Emerging Generation Division of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. The “Fund for the Next Generation” will provide an annual allocation which will go directly into the programs, events and initiatives geared towards engaging young adults aged 18-45.

The beautiful thing about the JFO and OJCF is that they work together day in and day out to meet the needs of our donors and to educate the community on philanthropic opportunities. While legacy giving, endowments and life insurance might not be top on the priority list for young professional today, becoming educated on when and how to embark on these opportunities are. 

To sum everything up, the JFO uses our gifts today, and now with this new fund, we have the opportunity to give a little to the Foundation for our children to use tomorrow.

Pretty sweet deal if you ask me!

Our Grandmothers, Mothers and Aunts get us!

             On November 6^th, AFP’s Diversity to Inclusion Series held its sixth conference on Women and Philanthropy. In the spirit of getting ready to Chair the Next Generation conference in March, I’d like to share some thoughts on how this conference opened my eyes towards realizing that Women and Next Gen are a whole lot alike.

People say that women and young adults are complicated, needy and emotional. While that may often be true, the way to our wallets runs through our hearts.

At the conference, it became apparent to me that women and Next Gen’ers share nine common traits:

1.       We want to create a better world for our children.

2.       We want to share with those who are less fortunate.

3.       We want to make an impression on our communities.

4.       We like to see the impact of our gifts.

5.       We give to many people, places and causes (which doesn’t make us cheap).

6.       We hold our charities accountable.

7.       We want volunteer opportunities that are challenging.

8.       We like a balance of social and educational events.

9.       We feel left out when we are not asked.

Women and Next Gen thrive off of the collective model of giving. Giving together and volunteering together in the amount and time we want, is the recipe for sustained fundraising. Focusing as much effort on the programming as you do on the development, will cultivate enough of a relationship to open the door for the ask.  

At this stage in the game, your charity might be getting many small gifts from a wide array of donors. However, if you align the integrity of the organization with the trust of the donor, the future of philanthropy, which is also known as Planned Giving, will fall into your lap.  Bridging the gap between generations will only happen if our parents and grandparents teach us the value of leaving our legacy (ideally on paper so that the bequest actually gets delivered!)

Another similarity is that both Women and Next Gen like to see the final product. We want to be educated on what needs to be done and where we need to focus our time. We want to use our talents and skillsets the best way possible. Sometimes we do that by getting our hands dirty. Sometimes it’s by having our voice heard around the table - or sometimes it’s just by giving a cheque and getting a thank you note.

Next Gen loves sparking change. We start a discussion, implement an action and deliver. And guess what? Our mothers taught us that. Women and Next Gen ARE the voice of philanthropy in the future. So let’s go charities! Now is the time to start investing in the complicated, needy, opinionated and emotional ones!

More info about the Diversity to Inclusion Series @InclusiveGiving or afpinclusivegiving.ca