Slingshot Fund Accepting Nominations

Slingshot Fund:

October, 23 2008 - The Slingshot Fund is now accepting nominations for the 2009 / 2010 edition of Slingshot, an annual guidebook that celebrates Jewish innovation by highlighting 50 North American organizations that take innovative approaches to addressing age-old concerns of identity and community in Jewish life. Organizations that are selected for the guidebook gain significant exposure to a diverse funding community and become eligible for a capacity building grant from the Slingshot Fund.

The nomination form can be downloaded at this Web link:

http://slingshotfund.org/news/09-10_Nominations_Form.doc

In order to be considered for Slingshot '09-'10, completed nomination forms must be emailed to Barbara Taylor at Barbara@slingshotfund.org and received by December 1, 2008.

At a time when the Nation's economy faces recession and when funders are scaling back on their giving, Slingshot Fund leaders -- comprised of young philanthropists in their 20s and 30s -- are urging members of the Jewish funding community to "double down" on their efforts to fuel Jewish innovation.

Questions for Funders and Advisors: Is giving a luxury to be budgeted for only after all other wants and needs are met, or is it duty or a privilige to be funded come what may? Here is how a young Slingshot funder has answered that question, in the spirit of tzedaka:

According to Jessica Warren, a founding board member of the Slingshot Fund, "Funding innovation cannot be looked upon as a luxury, only applicable in times of prosperity. Innovation is the Jewish community's R&D department. To cut off funding for these innovative programs now would be destroying a bridge that connects our communal past to a vibrant future. It's in these challenging times of decreased giving when fledgling organizations are most vulnerable, that we must view Jewish innovation as a funding imperative."

Comments

[arnie draiman]

excellent - most of the foundations, tzedakah funds and philanthropists i represent work on a budget or some sort of financial plan. that is, it is NOT like large organizations that work on pledges and can only hope that the money comes in!

even if someone took a multi-million dollar hit over the last few weeks, if they budgeted $700,000 this year for giving, then they still have it! (of course, next year is a different story...)

arnie draiman
www.draimanconsulting.com

[Phil]

Thank you, Arnie for dropping by. Those not familiar with Arnie Draiman's work might click on his name.