The Jewish Federations of North America’s Board of Trustees gathered this week for its annual winter meeting in Dallas, engaging in a dynamic discussion about the future focus of the Jewish Federation movement.

Trustees held in-depth discussions about five areas of focus for The Jewish Federations of North America and for the Jewish Federation movement. Those areas are:

These areas represent best thinking on how to move the organization and Federation movement forward to address challenges facing the Jewish community and non-profit organizations today.

The board had an opportunity to discuss these ideas and provide valuable feedback on the proposed focus areas and specific initiatives in each area.

"We were thrilled with the candor and creativity these discussions generated," said Jerry Silverman, President and CEO of The Jewish Federations of North America. "The board’s response will allow us to move forward into an implementation phase, and we look forward to discussing our progress further with our leadership and movement."

"As we move into this new decade, the focus on these five areas will deliver real value to Federations and strengthen our movement’s ability to engage the challenges and opportunities of our global Jewish community," said Kathy Manning, chair of the Board of Trustees. "We are committed to executing these areas of focus with excellence."

For months Silverman and The Jewish Federations of North America have conducted in-depth discussions on data and market trends to help shape these focus areas. Teams from The Jewish Federations of North America then narrowed the information to the areas of focus and initiatives within them.

"Working on these areas together, we will achieve maximum results for our communities in North America and around the world," Manning added.

Trustees also participated in a panel discussion on "The Future of Philanthropy" moderated by Professor Joel Fleishman, Professor of Law and Public Policy, and Director of the Heyman Center on Ethics, Public Policy and the Professions at Duke University. Panelists included Jay Sanderson, President and CEO at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles; Cynthia Shapira, United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, and an independent management consultant for non-profit organizations; and Jaynie Schultz, Vice President of Garrett Creek Ranch Conference Center in Paradise, Texas and a partner in Retreat Central, a new company helping summer camps enhance off-season revenue through sales and marketing.

The Board of Trustees and Delegate Assembly will meet next in May in Jersey City, N.J. For details, please contact Communications Director Joe Berkofsky.