We could not have done it without you

Paula Filler, Annual Community Campaign Chair

This is a community of generous donors and dedicated leadership. When we began planning for Campaign 2022: Here for Good a little more than a year ago, our campaign goal was set very high. This is as it should be. With ever-growing need here in our community and throughout the Jewish world, we need to raise more so we can do greater good in the world. This is what defines us as Jews and as a community.

Campaign 2022 officially closed June 30, 2022, and I am delighted to report that it was another record-setting year. As of June 1, 2022, $1,585,821 was promised by 1,107 donors. This is an increase of almost $80,000 over last year. Incredible! And we could not have done it without you.

Every single donor to campaign deserves the lion’s share of thanks. It is the generosity of every donor, of every gift, that propelled the campaign forward. Long-time donors, new and returning donors, donors who give consistently and willingly, donors at every gift level who increased their gifts if they could, redefined what it means to be Here for Good. Thank you, all!

There are a lot of savvy Jews in Greater Naples. They know how important giving is, how its impact is felt throughout our community and the Jewish world. They also know campaign is a lot of work and that, done right, the message speaks to each of us. Our donors also want their gifts acknowledged personally and promptly. They want and deserve to be appreciated.

For this to happen, it takes more than great professionals. It also takes a great team of volunteers. For this, we must thank the members of our campaign cabinet for their vision, defining the message, communicating with donors about their giving and thanking them for it. For some on cabinet, this meant meeting with our donors to secure a campaign gift. For others, it meant sending a personal note to donors. And, for others still, it meant calling donors to simply say “Thank you!”

Thanks to each of the volunteers who served on campaign cabinet this year: Frank Baum, Alvin Becker, Rosalee Bogo, David Citrin, Harvey Cohen, Karen Deutsch, Amanda Dorio, Dr. Judith Finer-Freedman, Cheryl Ginsburg, Burton Hirsch, Tammy Katz, Merlin Lickhalter, Robin Mintz, Joel Pittelman, Susan Pittelman, Dr. Nat Ritter, Michael Rubenstein, Marc Saperstein, Jamie Satz, Jane Schiff, Betty Schwartz, Michael Sobol, Michael Suffian, Jay Weiss, Beth Wolff and Jeff Zalasky.

Thanks to our professional campaign leadership for their creativity, dedication and talent: Jeffrey Feld (President & CEO); Marcy Friedland (Capital Campaign & Planned Giving Director); and Kirk Wisemayer (Annual Campaign Director). A small campaign staff, with mighty outcomes. Cabinet or staff, we could not have done it without you. Thank you!

In truth, being here for good is a partnership. It is a partnership between donors, volunteers and staff. It is a partnership between our community and Jewish communities across North America that form part of a collective system of Jewish Federation donors and volunteer leadership that make the impossible possible year after year.

Thank you. We could not have done it without you.