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By Rabbi Gershon Avtzon

Dear Reader: I want to make it clear from the beginning: This week’s column is not a paid advertisement or fundraiser for any specific institution or program. This is to speak about a unique approach to fulfilling the Mitzvah of Tzedakah and the Mivtza (from the 10 Mivztoim!) of Tzedakah. It will be up to each of you to decide if this approach resonates with you and if you would like to adopt it and incorporate it into the way you go about fulfilling this special Mitzvah. I will be writing from the perspective of an administrator of an educational institution and will share my personal experiences in this area.

It is no secret that educational institutions and Chabad Houses need money to operate, function and grow. While the primary purpose of the institution is to cater to the spiritual needs and their students or congregation, it would not be possible without the special partner and funders giving their support. That is why so much time, effort and energy is put into fundraising strategies and events that cultivate donors and grow the relationship between the institution and the donor.

One of the strange ironies of the “Yeshiva system”  is that – in many cases – the Rosh Yeshiva is expected to also be the main fundraiser of the institution (Od chazan L’moed to write about this). Instead of spending the necessary time and energy to prepare classes and to invest in the spiritual growth of his current students, he is busy working with administrators and fundraisers to cover the budget of the institution. It is very tedious, and sometimes degrading, work and it can be emotionally and mentally exhausting.

That is the feeling that I was experiencing one day, where I found myself sitting in my office and feeling extremely frustrated as to what was going on in my life. It did not seem right or fair that I should be spending so much time calling people and reaching out to collect money. Afterall: If the Torah is the foundation of the world, shouldn’t the world be calling me to give money? Would that not give me the peace of mind to focus on my holy work in education?

[ I already see the reader of these thoughts smiling or laughing to themselves. Surely, Rabbi Avtzon understands that this is the reality that we live in during the times of galus and he is expecting the donors to come give him money like we are in the times of Moshiach? Please read on and see for yourself.]

I decided that I must figure out a way to change the paradigm. To do that, I must first review the way that I was told to raise money for the Yeshiva. Everyone told me that for a Yeshiva (or any institution) to be sustained financially, there needs to be (in addition to some big fundraising events and campaigns) steady donors on a regular basis. These monthly commitments become the base of your support.

I was advised to reach out to people and ask for monthly commitments of a specific amount of money (let’s use the number $100.00 a month as an example) which they would put on a credit card. If I would be able to get 100 people to do that monthly, that would mean that the Yeshiva would generate 10,000.00 a month in a passive way and on a steady basis.

It sounded like a good idea, and I had tried doing that. I noticed three fundamental difficulties with this approach: 1) People were afraid to commit to a specific monthly amount, as they did not know what their income would be in the future. 2) The amount committed monthly did not grow significantly over time. 3) Most important: It did not forge an ongoing relationship between me and the donor. On the contrary! There were times that I just hoped that I would not meet the donor as he might tell me that he won’t be able to continue the monthly commitment.

[Let’s be honest: There are a few institutions that I give monthly donations to. The ONLY time that I hear from those institutions is when the credit card expired, or was shut down because of fraud, or was declined due to lack of funds. Sounds familiar to anyone reading this article?]

I instinctively knew that there must be a better way and that – as with everything – it must be written in the Torah. I started doing research and came to a simple, yet shocking, realization that there is a completely different approach that must be taken with Tzedakah. I tried that approach and have BH seen tremendous Hatzlacha! It is only because I have seen the success of this approach in my own institution, that I am sharing it with all of you.

What is that approach you are asking? We will IYh elaborate next week.

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Rabbi Gershon Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well-sought-after speaker and lecturer. Please feel free to share your thoughts on the above by sending me a R’ Avtzon email: [email protected]

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