Thursday, April 28, 2011

THE OVERSEAS RED HERRING

Friends, a basic premise underlying the "rationale" for a JFNA kidnapping of the Israel and overseas allocations is that "...federations will no longer support a percentage split in core allocations decided by JAFI and the Joint." And this "argument" is as specious as is almost everything associated with the current Global Planning Table "plan." Yes, JAFI and the Joint have in place an expired agreement pursuant to which core allocations would be divided between them according to a 75/25 ratio. But, the reality, which JFNA leaders find convenient to totally ignore, is that at least a plurality if not a majority of federations, while continuing to support JAFI/Joint core, have, more and more and more, moved their dollars away from core to designated projects of both partner organizations -- while reducing their allocations to both organizations for all purposes by over $100 million.

In fact, after years of arguing that "the market" should drive allocations, it is doing just that. But...and this is "But" with a capital "B"...that isn't what the small group of leaders who have determined that we need a GPT want or demand. They do not want the market to drive decisions...or the federations; this small group wants JFNA to drive those decisions (under the guise of federations doing so). And, to that end, they ignore the consequences -- to the federation owners, to JAFI and JDC (and, for that matter, the national agencies whose expenditures they also want to control through this "process"), and to JFNA itself.

It's institutional insanity, but JFNA appears wholly willing to throw itself in front of the bus that it is driving. Why? Because it must control all things even as it has demonstrated time and again that it is incapable of executing in almost any activity. Control...for its own sake. Control...to give JFNA a reason for being. JFNA's leaders are already aware that pursuing this "plan" for the GPT will cost it the support of some of its most critical member federations...among them those that have for 11 years provided unquestioning total support. And, yet, these "leaders" continue down a path of self-destruction.

It's all so sad.

Rwexler

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Confidential Memorandum

To: JFNA leadership

From: The Presidential Committee on Leadership Credentials

After careful review in between stages in Las Vegas the following guidelines are submitted for consideration (KM,MG,JS eyes only).

A. Leadership bonifides are a prerequisite for participation on JFNA committees. Therefore, individuals assuming leadership positions on JFNA Committees must submit their long form pledge card before receiving their credentials. The long form is the one with the yearly gift and rating, and donors assigned and solicited found on the back.

A1. As a substitute for the long form pledge card, candidates may attend a challah baking session or a Matityahu concert. A letter of reference from a chabad Rabbi or a kugel from a chabad rebitzyn will be accepted in lieu of a pledge card.

B. Knesset member Rotem of Yisrael B'Aliyah has agreed to assist in developing a loyalty oath for JFNA. In the spirit of peoplehood the oath will be a composite of oaths as developed by governments in countries with historically significant Jewish communities such as Belarus, Argentina and Iran.

C. To mitigate institutional conflicts of interest, to create a level playing field, and to signal openness to start-up agencies and a new generation of future future future leaders, committee members with more than 10 years Federation involvement and persons with past leadership involvement in JAFI, JDC or ORT will be limited to 3/5 of a vote.

D. It is the committee's belief that subject to corporate counsel review and the agreement of the above troika of leadership these recommendations would assume the status of organizational policy. In the event that corporate counsel agreement is not forthcoming, a new corporate counsel will be engaged.

Anonymous said...

What, no birth certificate required?