Charitable giving

The gift of time.

By Jeff Zalasky, Jewish Community Relations Council Chair

Members of our Jewish community generously support numerous charitable organizations, including Jewish Federation of Greater Naples (JFGN). The money raised by our Federation is allocated to many well-deserving nonprofit organizations and individuals locally, nationally and internationally. Monetary charitable giving makes an enormous difference in the lives of people worldwide.

Charitable giving is defined as “the act of giving money or property to a nonprofit organization to help it accomplish its goals, for which the donor receives nothing of value in return. Charitable giving can include donations of cash, property, clothes, household items, or even a vehicle” *

While it is extremely important, monetary charitable giving is not the only form of giving. What is missing from this definition is the donation of time.

The amount of time many JFGN members donate to organizations, causes and individuals is significant and impressive. Without that donation of time, our Federation would not be able to serve people in our community and beyond.

Donation of time by JFGN members is seen in numerous ways. Our wonderful new Federation building would not be here today were it not for the effort of Marc Sapperstein, his building committee team and the people who helped raise money to build it. The time donated by the presidents of WCA and MCA, the book festival chair, the IOC chair and their committee members and volunteers are responsible for an array of programs unparalleled by any Jewish community or organization in the country, including those much larger.

Our Federation would not function without the contribution of time of the Federation president, the executive team, committee chairs and committee volunteers, who selflessly volunteer to create, promote and staff programs and causes that benefit our community culturally, intellectually, socially and recreationally.

The level of charitable giving of time does not stop there. Current community tension resulting in animosity and blatant antisemitism is becoming more prevalent globally and locally. One of the best ways to counter antisemitism is to get involved in our community. The work of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), specifically its subcommittees, has assumed a leading role in institutional community participation.

The Stand Up for Justice Committee identifies educators in the Collier County School District who create and implement innovative teaching techniques and programs to combat hate, racism and antisemitism and to help students with educational challenges. Those educators that meet the criteria of the committee are awarded grants and are invited to participate in our annual Power of Community Celebration. News of these awards is well known in the Collier County School District.

Our Human Needs Subcommittee identifies 501(c)(3) organizations that work hard to address the needs of our community in a significant way. They are also awarded grants and are invited to attend our annual Power of Community Celebration.

Our Catholic/Jewish Dialogue Committee (CJD), with Jewish and Catholic co-chairs, oversees our annual Kristallnacht program attended by members of the Jewish and Catholic community, including clergy and the local Bishop. The CJD also organizes several programs each year that are attended by Jews and Catholics in significant numbers.

One of our JCRC members is on the steering committee of the Interfaith Alliance; an organization that includes people from several minorities and religions that strive to fight hate, bigotry and antisemitism.

Our annual Day of Learning program is intended to educate Jews; however, non-Jews are also invited to attend that program. Committee members of JCRC promote attendance at, and participate in, the Martin Luther King parade every year. Our antisemitism task force tracks incidents of antisemitism and works with the Jewish and non-Jewish community to deal with incidents of antisemitism. Each JCRC subcommittee has a chairperson and a committee to work on initiatives resulting in significant participation in our local community.

One of the best ways to fight antisemitism is to get involved in the community in which we live and to participate in a meaningful way in organizations that are not necessarily tied to the Jewish religion. JCRC has been doing that and will continue to do so.

None of the JCRC programs generate income, but they do generate a tremendous amount of goodwill toward Jews in the community. That goodwill is significant and important given the tough times we are experiencing.

Please consider the charitable gift of time in addition to your monetary charitable donations. While monetary charitable giving fuels our Federation, the donation of time by our members is what drives it.

Please also remember to thank our non-monetary charitable donors for the terrific job they do for our community and the many organizations they support.

*Investopedia.com