Contributors asked to follow their hearts

ANNE RACKHAM
Associate Editor

"This is about coming up with something new and different to reach out to people with a specific interest - something they can put their arms around," explained Follow Your Heart chair Berry Sweet.

Designated giving (as opposed to centralized giving) is not the exclusive domain of the Phoenix federation. Other organizations, including the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay in the San Francisco area, are trying it as a way to bolster their ranks of donors, and perhaps convince existing donors to add to last year's contribution with an extra gift for a particular program.

Traditionally, federations have accepted only "umbrella" contributions and then doled out the funds based on federation goals and plans. When the Phoenix federation was preparing its strategic plan this year, leaders realized that there were three local areas that needed particular attention - singles, seniors and families with young children - plus there was a strong desire to fund an Israel program, said Fred Zeidman, director of planning and allocations at the Phoenix federation.

"All over the country," said Sweet, "we're having the similar reality check that the needs of the community locally and overseas (are growing). It's a frightening reality."

Across the country, campaign contributions have been flat in recent years, and in some cases have actually declined. In the Greater Phoenix area, contributions in 1996 were up, from about $3.86 million in 1995 to approximately $4.18 million this year, said Zeidman. But Sweet said that's the first time donations have increased here in recent years.

It has been decided that for the purposes of this pilot program in Phoenix, past donors to the local campaign will be required to match last year's donation before giving to Follow Your Heart, but new donors will be allowed to target their entire contribution, if they so choose.

"The new twist is to satisfy two masters," said Sweet. "We wanted to address the needs targeted in the strategic plan. We fear the general campaign may not be able to address them."

But allowing everyone to target all their donations, or allowing people to narrowly target one congregation or one agency's program "would be compromising the whole process," she continued.

So Follow Your Heart will simply allow donors to target one of four, need-specific federation funding programs that will, in turn, give to a variety of facilities and organizations meeting those needs. The four programs included under Follow Your Heart are the Elder Care Project, which funds programs to help the elderly; the Jewish 20s and 30s Singles Network; the Family Jewish Education Partnership, through which the federation partners with congregations, bureaus and congregations; and an as-yet-unspecified project in Israel.

"There are so many (Jews) who don't participate (in the campaign), and we want to give them additional reasons to participate," said Zeidman.

Follow Your Heart program funds will be allocated by the Commission on Jewish Continuity and Community of Greater Phoenix and its new allocations committee.

"You don't need a federation to (give) to a certain agency. People can do that on their own. Our programs involve various agencies," Sweet said. "We have to stop this turf thing."