Federation absorbs budget cut
BARRY COHEN
Editor
Over the past four years, to prevent decreasing funding to constituent agencies, the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix has cut its budget and reduced its staff.
The annual campaign, which increased from $4,873,993 in 1998-1999 to $5,231,151 in 1999-2000, fell to $5,074,353 in 2000-2001, then rose slightly to $5,110,229 in 2001-2002.
"The federation budget has been cut back $150,000 to compensate, to make sure agency allocations are not cut significantly," said Ted Zinman, federation treasurer.
An additional pressure has been the creation of an "emergency reserve" with 1 percent of last year's annual campaign contributions, reducing the money available for agency allocations. For fiscal year 2002-2003, $1,544,650 was available for allocations, nearly 2 percent less than the year before.
To date, a $50,000 emergency grant went to the Tri-City Jewish Community Center to help with its move to a new location in Tempe.
The emergency fund may be used in the future to assist the federation and local day schools move to the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus at Scottsdale Road and Sweetwater Avenue in Scottsdale, or to address international needs, such as aid to the Argentine Jewish community, said Zinman.
At the same time, federation staff has been reduced. In 2001-2002, there were 33 staff members, of whom 29 full-time and four part-time; currently there are 31 staffers - 25 full-time and six part-time.
Though the staff has decreased, their responsibilities have only increased, said Zinman. An example is the fund-raising pressures of the Israel Now campaign, he explained, which in the past year has raised $1,198,250 earmarked for Israel's security.
Zinman stressed that despite the cutbacks in staff and budget, programs and services have not been affected.
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