THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN: WHERE YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

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As Jews, it is our responsibility to take care of one another and to care for those less fortunate than ourselves during times of need. This is a lesson that has been taught time and time again throughout our history; a lesson that has its roots in the Torah. A lesson our ancestors have passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.

One of the most significant ways the Jewish  Federation of Delaware makes a difference  in Jewish lives is through our annual  community-wide fundraising effort, the  Federation Annual Campaign. Money raised  through the Campaign benefits thousands of  Jewish people in need, here in Delaware and  the Brandywine Valley, across the United  States, in Israel, in Argentina, in the Former  Soviet Union, in Ethiopia, and in nearly 70  other countries around the world-in a variety  of ways: 

• Feeding the hungry 

• Educating the young 

• Caring for the old 

• Comforting the sick 

• Counseling the troubled 

• Rescuing the oppressed 

• Calming the frightened 

• Providing a voice for those unable to  speak for themselves 

• Offering vital assistance to those  unable to meet their own basic needs 

But Federation’s Annual Campaign is about  more than raising money. It is about helping  people across our community to fulfill the  mitzvah of tzedakah—the commandment to  act righteously. 

The Annual Campaign is characterized  as the preeminent unrestricted fund in the  Jewish non-profit universe. As a Federation Board member, your commitment to the  Jewish Federation of Delaware Annual  Campaign supports Jews locally and  worldwide. Our goal is to grow a vibrant  Annual Campaign that is the centerpiece and platform for all of our fundraising. 

For nearly a century, Federation has been  at the center of the Jewish community. We  are the safety net that enables Jews to fulfill  our obligation to take care of each other.  We are the vibrant hub of a community that  celebrates Jewish life. 

Federation cares for people in need here  at home, in Israel, and around the world. We  respond in times of crisis. And we nurture  the Jewish community today and for future  generations. The Jewish Federation is all of  us—the members of our community, working  together to repair the world and to keep  Jewish life strong and thriving. 

YOU have the power to make a difference in  the world. When you connect with Federation,  you put the Jewish values of compassion,  generosity and responsibility into action.  Every day, together, we improve the lives  of people in our community, in Israel, and  around the world. 

• The funds raised through the Annual  Campaign save lives every day: When  rocket attacks were launched into Southern  Israel from Gaza or the North from Lebanon,  or wildfires swept through Haifa, we helped  rebuild damaged homes and brought  thousands of people out of harm’s way, caring  for them until it was safe to return to the area. 

• It is our best method of engaging  new donors and building community: When we have a truly moving event, like our  WOW Event, we see how that experience  produces more donors and makes current  donors want to give more. 

• Giving to the Annual Campaign  forges a link between the donor and  the Federation: It is often the start of a  long and fruitful relationship. We encourage  Annual Campaign donors to consider endowing  their gifts and we cultivate and steward our  major donors and prospects, as we learn which  special projects will appeal to them. 

• Unrestricted gifts enable us to  meet the basic, day-to-day needs of  our global Jewish community: When  Hurricane Sandy struck, Jewish Federations  raised and allocated more than $7 million  for housing, health care, reconstruction,  and counseling.  

• Jewish Federation of Delaware works  with local, national, and international  agencies to transform lives and deliver hope,  dignity, and comfort to millions of people— ordinary people facing extraordinary needs. 

• Educating our youth, reducing  poverty and hunger, rescuing and  resettling new immigrants, or spurring  Jewish renaissance worldwide:  Federation is the one place that belongs  to every Jew, the place where philanthropy,  volunteerism, and a shared commitment  come together to make a difference, to repair  the world. 

• Cost should not be a barrier to  Jewish life: We support institutions  that shape and strengthen Jewish identity—camps, schools, Hillel, JCC,  and leadership experiences. 

• We are facing challenging times: Every one of us is trying to make do with  less. Our agency budgets are stretched to  their limits and services may be reduced  if we cannot increase our funding. Only a  substantial increase in resources will allow us  to build programs and services that meet the  needs our local, national, and international  Jewish communities. 

Thank you for taking this responsibility  seriously. On behalf of the people we touch  locally and globally, Todah Rabah! 

To make your secure online  

donation to the  

Annual Campaign, go to  

www.ShalomDelaware.org/donate