H eadlines
Nonprofits Revamp Fundraising Strategies
L OCA L
SASHA ROGELBERG | JE STAFF
IN MARCH 2020 at the
dawn of the pandemic, Philly
Friendship Circle canceled
its annual gala — its largest
fundraising event — just two
weeks before it was scheduled.

“Everybody was just so
shocked that people didn’t even
know what to do,” organization
co-founder Chani Baram said.

“Nobody was thinking about
where they’re giving; everyone
was just so worried about
their health and their family’s
health and how we’re going to
survive.” But after a second pandemic
year, Philly
Friendship Circle and other Jewish area
nonprofits have adapted to
ever-changing circumstances
to overall meet fundraising
goals, designing creative
solutions to pandemic-era
restrictions in the process.

In 2021, the friendship circle
held a virtual gala with a Zoom
“after-party,” which Baram
deemed “really successful.” It
opened doors to new ways to
think about engaging donors.

“A big part of how organi-
zations view fundraising is
in-person events and in-person
interactions with donors,”
Baram said. “That’s something
that people — that we all —
have to get more creative about:
finding ways to connect with
people that aren’t necessarily
seeing them in-person.”
Other nonprofits had similar
experiences getting creative
with engaging donors. Jewish
Family and Children’s Service
used Zoom events to its advan-
tage, booking big names it
wouldn’t otherwise be able to
for in-person events, Senior
Vice President of Community
Engagement Pia Eisenberg said.

Our Closet, JFCS’ free
clothing program, held a
virtual Fashion for All event in
November 2020 with Neiman
4 JANUARY 6, 2022
The Philly Friendship Circle was able to exceed its fundraising goal for
its 2021 Philly Friendship Walk. 
Photo by Jay Gorodetzer
Marcus, hosting Aerin Lauder,
the luxury lifestyle brand
designer and granddaughter of
Estee Lauder. Three hundred
guests attended the event,
raising more than $170,000.

To raise dollars for food relief,
JFCS hosted celebrity chefs,
such as Michael Solomonov
and Frankie Oliveri, owner of
Pat’s Cheesesteaks in South
Philadelphia. “If we were in person, we
wouldn’t have been able to get
these speakers,” Eisenberg said.

The Anti-Defamation
League Philadelphia began
better accommodating donors
for its events, keeping them to
less than an hour and holding
large fundraising events, such
as its annual the Good Fight
gala, in the mornings, when
more people were available.

ADL Philadelphia sent
out gift baskets to donors
attending the gala in advance,
so they were able to enjoy the
contents during the event,
according to Lisa Welsch,
ADL Philadelphia’s director of
development. “At any nonprofit event,
people come and expect
wonderful food, wonderful
entertainment, wonderful
drinks and programming,”
Welsch said. “And this was a
way for us to send a nice box
and say thank you.”
As nonprofits have adapted
to pandemic conditions,
however, the more they’ve
realized some of these changes
are for the better in a post-pan-
demic world. Building deeper,
more personal relationships
with donors is one thing these
organizations intend to keep in
the long term.

“I like to think of JFCS as
‘boutique giving,’” Eisenberg
said. “You can come into
our organization and pick
something off the shelf that
speaks directly to you, as if you
were going to a boutique and
picking out the sweater that’s
your best fit.”
Eisenberg found that during
the pandemic, there have been
many restricted donations,
specifically for COVID relief.

Because the donors take a
personal approach to giving,
nonprofits wanted to take a
more personal approach to
engaging donors. Over the past
two years, JFCS has sent out
emails and written updates to
their donors, as well as made
phone calls and one-on-one
Zoom calls.

In 2021, JFCS had a
matching challenge: the board
membership doubled its gifts,
and members of the commu-
nity responded.

JEWISH EXPONENT
For its 2021 Walk Against Hate, the Anti-Defamation League
Philadelphia emphasized the importance of grassroots organizing and
fundraising. Courtesy of Lisa Welsch
“That is an important
message — that the key stake-
holders of your organization
are setting the tone and setting
an example, walking the walk,”
Eisenberg said.

For Philly Friendship
Circle and ADL Philadelphia,
grassroots organizing efforts
were prioritized for the
future. Both nonprofits held
respective fundraising walks
outdoors during the pandemic,
attracting communit y
members to the causes.

“So many people have been
introduced to Friendship
Circle because their friends
or family brought them to
the walk,” Baram said about
the 2021 Philly Friendship
Walk. “So it’s more than just
fundraising. We see our big
fundraising events as commu-
nity programs and a way to
engage the community.”
While the friendship circle
met its 2021 fundraising
goal with the help of a few
big donors and government
support, Baram asserts that
those who donate $18 a month
are just as important.

Navigating pandemic-era
restrictions has not only helped
organizations adapt to future
models of giving, but has given
them a chance to reaffirm their
values. “Especially as an inclu-
sive organization that serves
a diverse population, we pride
ourselves on making sure that
we are there to accommodate
everybody,” Baram said. “We
want to make sure that every-
body can participate.” l
srogelberg@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0741
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM