MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR AND CEO

 

As we marked the 30th anniversary of our Jewish Federation, we continued to move from a position of strength to a position of excellence. Our work is guided by our 2020 Strategic Priorities, and in this Annual Report we highlight a selection of the programs and initiatives that represent areas in which we made significant progress toward reaching our 2020 goals.

 

One of those areas is financial resource development, and we are very proud to announce that Jewish Federation generated an incredible $18.6 million dollars this year to address needs in our community, in our partnership region in Israel, and in Jewish communities in need around the world. This total is comprised of funds generated through the Federation Annual Campaign, the Jewish Community Foundation and special project funding.  LEARN MORE.

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Jewish Federation generated an unprecedented $18.6 million in 2017-18 through the Federation Annual Campaign, the Jewish Community Foundation, and Special Project Funding.

 

Meeting changing community needs requires transforming the ways in which funds are generated, and providing multiple pathways for partner agencies to access support. By diversifying the ways in which we generate funds, adapting to changing philanthropic trends, and working proactively with donors, we will be better positioned to address escalating and evolving community needs. 

  • 2017 Federation Annual Campaign - $8.7 Million

    The 2017 Federation Annual Campaign surpassed its goal and generated $8.7 million to meet community needs, including $850,000 in targeted funding. As our Jewish community’s primary fundraising initiative, the Federation Annual Campaign supports vital programs and services delivered by 35 partners locally and globally.

  • Jewish Community Foundation - $8.8 Million

    It was a record year at the Jewish Community Foundation, our endowment program. The Foundation realized unprecedented asset growth, including a record $8.8 million in contributions, bringing the overall assets under management to $60 million.

  • Special Project Funding - $1.1 Million

    Many steadfast supporters of the Annual Campaign have the capacity and motivation to fund special projects that meet high-priority needs in our local community and in our partnership region in Israel.

  • Jewish Day Schools

    Increasing access to both day school and supplementary (part-time) Jewish education options continues to be a significant priority. Day school affordability, identified by the Jewish Education Task Force as a significant issue, dominated our conversation about day school education this past year.

  • Supplementary Jewish Education

    We have also been actively working to implement a variety of new approaches to attract families that are not currently connected to any existing part-time Jewish education options. Our work has greatly benefited from special project support that is enabling us to identify and pilot some specific initiatives...

  • Community Security

    Jewish Federation created and hired for the new position of director of security, marking our organization’s single most important investment to date in the ongoing safety of our community and its institutions.

Jewish Federation plays a critical role as a provider of consistent, predictable funding for our 28 local partner agencies. Through the community consultations that led to the development of our 2020 Strategic Priorities, stakeholders asked for multiple and more flexible opportunities to access funding outside of the Annual Campaign allocations process. In addition to allocations from the Annual Campaign, our partners can now receive funding from multiple sources, including new grant programs and special project funding.

  • Special Project Funding - $380,000

    Jewish Federation worked closely with donors to generate $380,000 in special project funding to provide support for local programs and services above and beyond the Annual Campaign allocations that our partners receive.

  • Grant Programs - $115,000

    - Security Grants
    - Community Engagement Grants
    - Inspiring Inclusion Grants
    - Connect Me In Community Engagement Grants
    - Supplementary School Innovation Grants

Regional Communities

 

Over the past year our work in the regional communities has focused on meeting three key objectives:

  • Support and strengthen our partner agencies to extend their reach;
  • Nurture and expand grassroots initiatives; and
  • Design and deliver specific programs to families, youth and seniors residing in emerging communities.
  • Planning and Community Engagement Council

    Jewish Federation is the central planning organization for the local Jewish community. Our Planning Council has restructured to facilitate greater engagement in the community planning process under the new title of the Planning and Community Engagement Council.

  • Community Engagement Grants

    With the introduction of the Connect Me In Community Engagement micro-grants we are providing financial assistance to community members who want to pilot a new program or activity to address community needs.

  • Connect Me In

    Our Connect Me In initiative is playing an increasingly important role in the regional communities, delivering over 36 programs and events over the past year.

  • Shinshinim

    One unique component of our regional communities programs has been the involvement of the Shinshinim, teen emissaries from Israel who spend a year volunteering in our community to help children form meaningful connections to Israel.

  • Food Security Task Force

    A joint initiative of Jewish Federation and Jewish Family Services, formation of the task force was an outcome of the 2017 Affordability Summit.

  • PJ Library

    PJ Library offers free, high-quality, age-appropriate Jewish children’s books and music to families on a monthly basis.

  • Axis

    An initiative of Jewish Federation, Axis empowers young adults to build a community that reflects their passions and interests. Axis welcomes the participation of people of all abilities, backgrounds and sexual orientations; encourages meaningful participation; and creates a special sense of belonging.

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  • Shabbat Diner en Blanc

    In June, Axis hosted a Shabbat Diner en Blanc for 90 people at the VanDusen Botanical Gardens that provided opportunities for meaningful conversations and to welcome Shabbat together.

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  • Hanukkah Party

    The Dr. Dre-idel '90s Throwback Annual Hannukah Party was a huge hit, with over 250 young adults coming together to celebrate Hanukkah.

  • The Novel Bunch Book Club

    For those looking for a new way to connect, there’s now the Axis Novel Brunch Book Club, which has sparked new ways to find common ground and build friendships while sharing different perspectives.

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  • Follow-Up Programs for Birthright Israel and Masa Participants

    Masa, Birthright Israel and Axis staff launched a new initiative for Birthright Israel participants To harness their enthusiasm upon their return. Participants took part in a one-on-one meeting during which they were introduced to Masa and Axis and were guided through the various ways in which they can become more involved in the local Jewish community.

  • Beit Vancouver Network

    Already a successful youth centre that engages 65% of Kiryat Shmona’s young people, Beit Vancouver has evolved beyond being a physical building into a growing network of communities sharing services.

  • Youth Futures

    Youth Futures helps children, youth and families living in Israel’s socio-economic periphery by providing three to five years of essential services that address multiple challenges, including learning disabilities, behavioral difficulties, poverty, and familial instability.

  • Gesher Chai (Living Bridge)

    Gesher Chai (Living Bridge) programs promote global Jewish identity and unity through people-to-people connections between Canadians and residents of the Galilee Panhandle.

FRAIL ELDERLY IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION
We continued to provide a lifeline to more than 165,000 elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union through our trusted partner in addressing critical rescue and relief needs, the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). These Jews are among the poorest in the world. Many of them are Holocaust survivors. They have no safety net and no ability to obtain basic necessities – their meagre pensions do not even begin to cover what they need to survive.

 

Through the JDC we provide food packages and groceries, medicine, fuel to heat their homes, homecare visits, and winter relief through more than 160 Hesed welfare centres in the region. In addition to services for the elderly, critical nutritional, medical and other assistance is provided to 27,000 Jewish children and their families.

STRENGTHING JEWISH LIFE IN EUROPE

Jewish Federation’s ongoing support of Metsuda is helping to inspire active participation throughout Jewish communities in the Urals and Volga region in Russia. The Metsuda Young Leadership program continued to be a significant force of social empowerment and responsibility in 2017.

 

An innovative program, Metsuda helps increase community involvement by creating dynamic networks of young leaders. Through their participation in Metsuda and the follow-up alumni activities, young Jewish leaders learn valuable skills, engage in social networking, and strengthen their own Jewish identity. At the same time, they increase overall participation in Jewish life by offering projects that address a community interest or need. Engaging young Jewish leaders and providing them with support to develop community-driven projects, skilled and informed leadership, and capacity building will help sustain Jewish life in this region for years to come.

2017-18 IMPACT SNAPSHOT

2016 Federation Annual Campaign*

As our community’s central fundraising initiative, the Federation Annual Campaign provides stable and predictable funding so our partners can deliver the vital programs and services on which thousands of people rely.

*Funds from the 2016 Annual Campaign were allocated in the 2017-18 reporting year.

Jewish Community Foundation - Distributions From Endowments

The Jewish Community Foundation is the endowment program of Jewish Federation. It plays an important role in the long-term financial health of the Jewish community, serving as the centre for philanthropy and legacy giving.

Special Project Funding**

Jewish Federation connects steadfast supporters of the Annual Campaign who have the motivation and capacity to help address specific needs with high-priority projects that align with their philanthropic interests.

** Represents commitments from donors.

Finanicals

Condensed and full financial statements for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018.

Governance

List of volunteers on the Board and committees.

Our Partners

Agencies that receive support through the Federation Annual Campaign, our community's central fundraising initiative.