Olympic Campaign Events

Hello Jewish Nashville!  By the time you read this, we will have finished most of Q3 of 2024 and the good news is we are doing great as we surge ahead in our campaign.  But as I think we all know you just can’t give up when you think you are ahead.  I was watching the Olympics this month, and there was an iconic moment as a racewalker (yep, like break dancing, that is an Olympic sport), was celebrating her win in a 20 km race as she approached the finish line, only to be overtaken by someone at the very end – the look on her face was shocking and tragic as she realized that she was no longer winning.  My goal is to never have that face. 
 
When people come to my office, they are sometimes freaked out by the web of post-it notes on my wall, or the white board covered with notes and plans.  When I convince them I am not a conspiracy theorist, the second thing is that they often note how I sometimes look above their heads.  And that is because posted above the door of my office is a clock and a countdown timer to the end of our campaign year.  And with 134 days left in the year as of writing this, I feel great about where we are, but I will not let up on the gas. 
 
Because the reality is that hitting our goal this year isn’t enough for me.  We have so much more potential as a growing Jewish community.  I do have a much larger stretch goal.  I won’t say what it is, but if you ever come in my office, you’ll see it.  It’s also above my door, and it is paired with a Ted Lasso sign that says “Believe.”  Because in my heart, I believe in that goal, and I believe in Nashville.  And I believe in this amazing Jewish community I get to brag on to my peers all around the country.  We have something special here, and we can grow our philanthropic goals accordingly.  
 
One thing I wanted to mention that many people don’t realize is that many major corporations and organizations offer employer matches for donations.  As in, if you give $1000, your employer will match that gift which means you just contributed $2000 to the community.  And there are many organizations headquartered here that offer this opportunity, like AllianceBernstein, Nissan, Oracle, First Horizon, and so many more.  Check with your company’s HR department or check out our website for more details.  There is a common misconception that Jewish Federation is a religious organization, which would make these matches invalid, but that is simply not the case as we are a non-religious philanthropic umbrella organization.  Again, we are always happy to help navigate those challenges if you encounter them. 
 
So, as we approach the end of this campaign, I urge everyone to keep pushing - finishing with Gold is just a beginning.  Jewish Nashville has the capacity for so much more. Visit our website at www.jewishnashville.org.