Strategic Plan 2020 - 2023: Here for Good.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2020 – 2023

HERE FOR GOOD.

Summary Through an extensive community outreach and listening process during the fall of 2019, the Jewish Alliance selected three primary goals and four supporting goals to focus the work of the organization over the next three years and beyond. These goals respond to the community feedback, while also building on the areas that the Alliance is uniquely qualified to address in our community. While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things about life, these goals remain meaningful, and perhaps, more meaningful than even before the crisis.

Primary goals:

COLLABORATION

Increase the number of partnerships between the Alliance and Rhode Island’s Jewish organizations and synagogues, the Alliance and agencies outside of the Jewish community, and between Jewish organizations in Rhode Island.

ENHANCING JEWISH LIFE & CONNECTION FOR ALL

Create conditions by which all members of Rhode Island’s Jewish community may connect more deeply with one another and with Jewish life.

RESOURCES

Ensure the Alliance and the community have the funds and resources necessary to accomplish the goals in this plan.

Supporting goals:

GEOGRAPHY

Increase the presence of the Alliance throughout all of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, supporting Jewish communities throughout the region where there is a need.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY & SOCIAL ACTION

Provide members of greater Rhode Island’s Jewish community with opportunities and tools to repair the world and help those in need in our community and beyond.

FIGHTING ANTI-SEMITISM

COMMUNITY SECURITY

Mobilize greater Rhode Island in the fight against anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred.

Ensure the safety and security of every Jewish agency and synagogue in greater Rhode Island.

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Background In 2017, the Alliance developed a strategic plan designed to lay the foundation for future community work, evaluating program effectiveness, increasing revenue, and putting the Alliance on firm footing to move into the next decade.

Many of the strategies in that plan have been accomplished, and in September 2019, the Alliance began a planning process to develop the next strategic plan for the organization.

A Strategic Plan Work Group was formed that included Board members, staff members, and community members: Oswald Schwartz, Work Group Chair James Pious, Board Chair Harris Chorney Susan Froehlich Sharon Gaines Alan Litwin Sara Miller-Paul Andy Palan Mara Ostro Dick Silverman Rabbi Rachel Zerin

Adam Greenman, President & CEO Daniel Hamel Carissa Hill Sara Masri Fran Ostendorf Gail Putnam Brian Sullivan Jennifer Zwirn

Unlike the previous plan, which focused on the Alliance and its organizational needs, this plan focuses on the greater Rhode Island Jewish community, its needs, concerns, and proud moments.

As part of the planning and listening process, the Alliance:

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Launched a community survey that was completed by 425 people

Engaged in 25 living room or coffee shop conversations with more than 250 Rhode Islanders

Conducted 75 one-on-one conversations with key stakeholders in the community

Hosted virtual conversations and focus groups with 50 people during the COVID-19 pandemic

Additionally, the Alliance conducted research into what other communities have done to address these issues; compiled 25 years of documents from the Alliance and its predecessor agencies to look at programs that may address the concerns and issues raised by the community; and evaluated current Alliance programs through the lens of how they might directly address these concerns and issues going forward.

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What We Heard

COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS

ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS

COMMUNITY SURVEY

Through a variety of outreach efforts, the Alliance learned the following: • Creating opportunities for people to connect was seen as the number one element of a strong, vibrant community by people ages 20-69 on the survey.

• Creating an inclusive community was seen as the most important element to a strong, vibrant community in the small group conversations.

• On the community survey, three of the top four answers to the role of the Alliance in the future involved collaboration.

• Facilitating collaboration was the most popular response in the small group conversations for the role of the Alliance in the future.

• Outside of Providence, it was very important to small group participants that the Alliance have a presence in their communities.

• Helping people in need was seen as the most important role the Alliance should play in the community.

More than 80% of survey respondents felt this way.

• Fighting anti-Semitism was seen as the second most important role for the Alliance in the community, according to survey respondents.

• Keeping our community secure also rated highly.

Become a true center of activity and assembly for the widest possible segment of the community.

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Help connect Jews across Rhode Island to one another and create a vibrant and safe Jewish life in this state.

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In March 2020, nearing the end of our strategic planning process, the COVID-19 global pandemic forced a pause on the Alliance’s final touches to the strategic plan. Yet as the pandemic took root in Rhode Island and throughout the world, it became clear that the goals and themes from the data collection of this plan are more important than ever.

People are craving community and togetherness, especially after isolation. And the economic fallout from this virus will force the community to collaborate more succinctly and creatively in an effort to ensure best use of community resources.

The pandemic forced the Alliance and every Jewish agency and synagogue to create a virtual programming presence, erasing what once was our geographic boundaries.

In May 2020, The Alliance staff conducted small focus groups or one-on-one conversations with 50 community members to ensure that the goals in this plan remain relevant, and indeed they have. While the tactics to achieve those goals need to be more aggressive to meet the new challenges our community faces, the goals of collaboration, resource sharing, and enhancing Jewish life for all remain at our mostfocused forefront.

Strengthen relationships with other faith-based groups to promote mutual respect and friendship.

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Find common ground amongst the various Jewish denominations and promote tolerance across the various levels of observance in the community.

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The Jewish Alliance has an important role to play as an organization that can reach out and stay connected to the many denominations of Judaism within the greater Rhode Island area... Continue to support the broad diversity of Jewish life. Uplift, amplify, and support Jews who have been historically marginalized.

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PRIMARY GOALS: COLLABORATION

Collaboration: Increase the number of partnerships between the Alliance and Rhode Island’s Jewish organizations, the Alliance and agencies outside of the Jewish community, and between Jewish organizations in Rhode Island.

Key Tactics: • Create a fund for grants that support innovative and collaborative initiatives.

• Ensure at least one-third of Alliance events and engagement opportunities are done in collaboration with other organizations.

• Provide a series of professional development opportunities for agencies and synagogues, including opportunities for leadership development.

• Continue the success of regular meetings with agency and synagogue lay leadership and professional staff.

• Develop collaborative groups to address some of the community’s biggest areas of need, including Jewish education, engagement opportunities, and programming for all ages.

Key Performance Indicators: Every Jewish agency and synagogue (43 in greater Rhode Island) develops at least one meaningful collaboration with another in the next three years.

• Increase the number of collaborations between the Alliance and other Jewish organizations by at least three each year.

• Increase the number of collaborations between the Alliance and agencies/organizations outside of the Jewish community by at least three each year.

• Increase the number of collaborations between Jewish agencies, facilitated by the Alliance (non-Alliance partnerships) by at least three each year.

• Increase the number of collaborations that lead to greater access to Jewish learning and education by at least three each year.

• Increase connections between Jewish agencies, facilitated by the Alliance, by at least two each year.

• Conduct at least five professional learning opportunities for agencies in areas where the Alliance has unique expertise to support others.

Encourage and support innovative programs and services reaching beyond the defined Jewish community... Be a beacon of justice that works in collaboration with other religious and community organizations.

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PRIMARY GOALS: ENHANCING JEWISH LIFE AND CONNECTION FOR ALLs Enhancing Jewish Life and Connection for All: Create conditions by which all members of Rhode Island’s Jewish community may connect more deeply with one another and with Jewish life.

Key Tactics: • Create a fund for mini-grants that allow and encourage Jews in Rhode Island to get together in their part of the state.

• Expand Alliance programming options to other parts of Rhode Island, as needs are identified.

• Create additional opportunities for community to gather virtually.

• Reposition Jewish Rhode Island as a multi-media communications platform, moving beyond the newspaper to better connect and include the community.

• Continue the success of living room conversations, committing to 15 per year, either virtually or in person, focused on how we build community together.

• Establish affinity groups for special populations within the Jewish community, including, but not limited to, interfaith families, LGBTQ+ Jews, Jews by choice, and persons with special needs and abilities.

• Work with an inclusion resource specialist from Jewish Community Centers of America (JCCA) to make the Dwares JCC more inclusive.

• Establish an online platform and mobile application that allows Rhode Island Jews to connect with each other and find opportunities to gather in their area.

Key Performance Indicators: Increase the number of people stating that they attended a Jewish cultural event to 80% from 68% (collected via survey data).

• Increase the number of people engaged in more than one opportunity or program by 10% each year.

• Create at least eight new opportunities for formal and informal connection per year.

• Create at least six opportunities and exchanges that invite and engage underserved populations per year.

• Increase the number of people engaging with Jewish Rhode Island media products by 10% each year.

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PRIMARY GOALS: RESOURCES Resources: Ensure the Alliance and the community have the funds and resources necessary to accomplish the goals in this plan.

Key Tactics: • Move to a total Financial Resource Development model that looks at each donor individually, and determines whether annual campaign, endowment, donor advised funds, special designated campaigns, or a combination is the best option for the donor.

• Create a culture of philanthropy by training all board members, committee leadership, and staff in prospecting and solicitation.

• Create supplemental giving opportunities that are tied to key supporting goals of the strategic plan to provide additional designated giving options to donors.

• Create naming opportunities to target specific donors who have capacity to make significant gifts and help raise additional funds.

• Increase our corporate and foundation support through additional outreach for grants and sponsorships.

• Conduct greater outreach to Donor Advised Fund holders who are not currently Alliance supporters.

• Create and implement a comprehensive strategy to get Pacesetters/Lions of Judah to endow their gifts.

• Create three to five multi-year asks for targeted donors, including naming opportunities.

• Use a series of programs of interest (either virtual or actual) to engage Pacesetters, Lions of Judah, and other special giving groups.

• Develop an alumni fundraising model that encourages giving from those who lived in Rhode Island, but no longer have a primary residence here.

• Evaluate and sunset Alliance programs that are not essential to fulfilling the mission and/or are not sustainable and would free up resources to support more mission-focused programming.

Key Performance Indicators: $10 million raised over three years of the plan ($3.3 million annually from a combination of annual community campaign and endowment gifts).

• 5% increase in the number of members at the Dwares JCC each year.

• 10% increase in the number of donors each year of the plan.

• 5% increase in the number of donor-advised funds or endowments.

• 10% increase in funds raised through corporate sponsorships over the duration of the plan.

• Increase the number of campaign solicitors by five each year.

• Run one supplemental campaign each year, offering opportunities for donors to support additional initiatives beginning in the second half of FY2021.

• 1.5% increase to the pool of funding for agencies each year.

• Transition or sunset at least one program.

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SUPPORTING GOALSwish Life and Connection for All Geography: Increase the presence of the Alliance throughout all of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts, supporting Jewish communities throughout the region.

Key Tactics: • Deploy staff to travel throughout greater Rhode Island to connect local communities to Alliance resources.

• Re-establish local area representatives as part of a community advisory board for the Alliance.

• Utilize virtual tools to enhance engagement and programming throughout the state.

NOTE: There are fewer key tactics for geography because there is significant overlap with tactics to accomplish other goals.

Key Performance Indicators: See Collaboration • At least ten resources and opportunities provided to communities beyond the East Side of Providence per year.

• At least four partnerships/collaborations beyond the East Side of Providence each year.

• Increase the number of donors/supporters/volunteers from beyond the East Side of Providence by 5% in year one, and 10% in years two and three.

Social Responsibility and Social Action: Provide members of greater Rhode Island’s Jewish community with opportunities and tools to repair the world and help those in need in our community and beyond.

Key Tactics: • Establish the Center for Tikkun Olam to organize anti-poverty efforts, volunteerism, and other Community Relations Council (CRC)-related initiatives in the state.

• Secure a JOIN fellow to coordinate grassroots organizing efforts on key CRC issues.

• Work with Jewish agencies and synagogues to make their buildings and facilities more environmentally friendly.

• Work with non-Jewish coalition partners on the issues on the CRC agenda.

Key Performance Indicators: • Increase the number of people participating in social action and social responsibility programs and events to 50% from 40% (collected via survey data).

• Increase the number of people volunteering with a Jewish agency to 45% from 36%.

• Increase the number of people helped through Alliance anti-poverty projects and initiatives by five percent per year.

• Maintain at least eight organizations participating in social responsibility and social action initiatives in collaboration with the Alliance.

• Achieve at least 75% of goals on CRC action agenda.

• Anti-Poverty Platform • Climate Change Platform • Immigrant and Refugee Support • Racial Justice Platform

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SUPPORTING GOALSwish Life and Connection for All

Security: Ensure the safety and security of every Jewish agency and synagogue in greater Rhode Island.

Key Tactics: • Provide ongoing trainings communitywide to increase awareness and preparation among members of the community.

• Establish a permanent fund to support security upgrades to synagogues and agencies on an annual basis.

• Establish a full-time security director position to coordinate security efforts across the community.

Key Performance Indicators: All 43 Jewish agencies and synagogues have access to the tools and resources needed to be safe and secure.

• One-hundred percent of Jewish agencies and synagogues that partner with the Alliance to meet security needs are determined safe by security experts.

• At least eight trainings per year provided to the Jewish community and other communities related to security.

Anti-Semitism: Mobilize greater Rhode Island in the fight against anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred.

Key Tactics: • Create a method to track anti-Semitic incidents in Rhode Island that do not rise to the level of criminal activity, but require reporting. Annually release a report of anti-Semitic activity in greater Rhode Island.

• Establish a group of non-Jewish messengers who can speak out against anti-Semitism.

• Establish the Center to End Hate to coordinate initiatives fighting anti-Semitism and hatred statewide.

Key Performance Indicators: Reduce the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Rhode Island by 10% in years two and three of the plan.

• At least 25 partners outside of Jewish community supporting initiatives fighting anti-Semitism and other forms of hatred.

• At least 25 partnerships supporting anti-hate initiatives between the Jewish community and others.

• At least 250 people participating in initiatives fighting against anti-Semitism and hatred in greater Rhode Island each year.

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Conclusion The Alliance has built a foundation for success, and is poised to achieve all of the goals outlined in this plan. Doing so will require the Alliance Board of Directors, staff, and the community to think differently, experiment with new approaches, and open the door to new relationships with other community agencies and synagogues.

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the need for this plan, and has made achieving the plan more difficult.

The Board and staff of the Alliance will need to be flexible, and ensure this document remains a living document, where the tactics can be altered or amended as conditions dictate. The Alliance has a unique opportunity to transform the Jewish community in greater Rhode Island over the next three years to create the stronger, more vibrant Jewish community that is truly desired by and for all of us. Our thanks to all the community members who participated in the Jewish Alliance’s Strategic Planning process and listening tour.

To learn more about social action initiatives through the Jewish Alliance, please contact Stephanie Hague at 401.421.4111 ext. 127 or shague@jewishallianceri.org To get involved with programs and initiatives related to Jewish life and learning, please contact Larry Katz at 401.421.4111 ext. 179 of lkatz@jewishallinaceri.org.

To support greater Rhode Island’s Jewish community through the Alliance Annual Community Campaign, please visit jewishallianceri.org/donate.

Tzedakah: upholding the Jewish traditions of righteous giving and justice Dor L’dor: securing a future filled with Jewish tradition and heritage Tikkun Olam: repairing the world Hineni: standing with others so no one stands alone Klal Yisrael: supporting worldwide Judaism and the State of Israel Torah: pursuing knowledge and lifelong learning

Be a torch bearer for tolerance and diversity...

Be a bridge builder for unconnected Jews...

Be an example of care for elderly Jews and disadvantaged people of all religions in RI...

Be a protector of Jewish institutions and connector of synagogues and their congregants.

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HERE FOR GOOD. 401 Elmgrove Avenue • Providence, RI 02906 • 401.421.4111 • jewishallianceri.org