Growing in More Ways than One - A Year-End Message from Marsha Cowan, CEO of the JFM
by
Marsha Cowan | Dec 19, 2016
Friends,
As I write this note, I am pleased to tell you that your Jewish Foundation’s endowed asset base has grown to $107 million. It’s a remarkable accomplishment for a community of our size.
We have achieved this growth thanks to prudent investment management and good market performance. Above all, though, we owe our growth to you – our donors and fundholders. You know that it takes investment today to build a strong community tomorrow. You value tzedaka. You give with sincerity, compassion, and pride. And when you give, we grow. And when we grow, we can provide more support in the form of grants and scholarships, and have a greater impact on the community.
We are growing in other ways, too. We have decided to expand our staff capacity to serve our donors better, grow our assets more strategically, and reach out more proactively to the organizations we fund to better understand our community’s needs.
I am very proud of our team. They are skilled and dedicated – people of character who have chosen to work in the non-profit sector because they believe they can make a difference.
As our staffing model has evolved, so has our governance model. Since the very early days of the Foundation, we have attracted the community’s most talented and passionate volunteers. Under our new strategic plan, we have created the conditions for our Board members to contribute and excel in new and exciting ways. We have reduced the size of the Board so all members can play a more meaningful role, and we have revamped the committee structure so that we can truly benefit from our Board’s expertise. Our new Distributions and Development Committees, for example, will offer insight, ideas, and inspiration as we pursue even greater growth. It is a privilege to work with the people who sit around our Board table, and indeed all of our volunteers.
With growth in our assets, our capacity, and in our governance model, there is much to be excited about as we end the year. We hope that your enthusiasm for the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba continues to grow, too.
Thank you for your generosity, support, and vision.
I wish you and yours a Happy Hanukkah. Chag sameach!
Marsha Cowan
Chief Executive Officer
Jewish Foundation of Manitoba