Mersky, Jaffe & Associates (MJA)

This or That? Executive Search edition. Often, the tradeoff depends on the candidate. But it is helpful to know your priorities before you embark on an executive search for your nonprofit. #NonprofitSearch #HiringPriorities https://lnkd.in/gC9xD4wn

Put Yourself In Your Donor’s Shoes. How would you feel if somebody kept asking you for favors or borrowing money without ever thanking you? Well, that is how your donor feels if you do not express appreciation for their contribution. No donor wants to be your ATM! >> https://lnkd.in/ekZrD8ey

Understanding a Donor’s Whim. Enhancing Donor Experience: What if every new donor received a picture drawn from a child in your program (parents can only keep so many!). Or they were sent a special email, personalized to all first-time donors “video-thanking” them for joining the community. #DonorAppreciation #CreativeThanking https://lnkd.in/ergxQXRx

Fundraising isn’t just about dollars — it’s about people. 🤝 Too often, however, nonprofits focus too much on transactions and neglect to create the kind of deep engagement that inspires lasting generosity. In today’s newsletter, David highlights the power of donor relationships and explains why meaningful connections lead to greater long-term support. 💌  Strong relationship aren’t just nice to have; they are essential to an organization’s fundraising success. https://lnkd.in/givjE_uE #DonorEngagement #DonorRelations #RelationshipFundraising

Jennifer Zwiebel has joined American Friends of Leket Israel as the Senior Development Officer for Long Island and the Greater NYC Area. We're proud of our partnership with American Friends of Leket Israel in their search for this key position, and we celebrate Jen as she steps into this role. Leket Israel, the National Food Bank, is the leading food rescue organization in Israel. To learn more about their important work, visit:  https://lnkd.in/gJCRb4kv #NonprofitLeadership #Placement #HelpingFoodInsecurity

Mayor Ruth Anne Fuller of Newton, MA, my hometown, deliverd her final state of the city address the other evening. I was the end of sixteen years of service to our fair city--8 years as a city councilor and nearly 8 years as Mayor. She concluded her speech by quoting Dr. Vivek Murthy's final speech as Surgeon General before he concluded his term of service. Murthy spent much of his term trying to discover the deeper root cause of the unhappiness he encountered so often across the United States. After much study and many conversation with colleagues and researchers, he said the the "three essential elements that fuel well-being and help overcome unhappiness are relationships, service, and purpose." For many, he stated, these are in too short supply. --Relationships are a powerful source of joy, support, and resilience. --Service, whether formal volunteering or informal small acts of kindness, foster connections, bind us to each other, and deepen relationships. --Purpose gives our lives direction and meaning. As a doctor, Murthy noted. that relationships, service, and purpose reduce the risk of a wide range of illnesses from heart disease and hypertension to anxiety and depression, as well as cognitive decline and early death. These three essential elements underpin personal fulfillment and serve as the core pillars of community. Mersky, Jaffe & Associates is devoted to strengthening the nonprofit sector, increasing its philanthropic revenue, and enhancing the talent that leads it. Please join our learning community so that together we may make the organizations we lead and serve ever stronger. With us, double down on relationships that sustain us, service that connects us, and purpose that guides us.

💭 Thinking about a capital campaign? You’re not alone. A lot of organizations understand a capital campaign is necessary, but don’t understand if a feasibility study is worth the money. When a nonprofit moves forward with a Feasibility Study with MJA, we ask donors about their perceptions. This can confirm what the leadership thinks or give a much-needed reality check. Click below for more on the importance of feasibility studies in a capital campaign and how they help nonprofits align leadership assumptions with donor perceptions to strengthen fundraising efforts. https://lnkd.in/g9X7RJiC #CapitalCampaign #DonorEngagement #FeasibilityStudy #NonprofitFundraising

✨ The start of a new year represents an opportunity to reassess, recalibrate, and reimagine how we lead. In the nonprofit world especially, success begins with engaged leadership. In today’s newsletter, David shares seven practical suggestions for fostering deeper commitment and engagement within your organization, so that you may begin 2025 with maximum purpose and impact. 🚀🌟 https://lnkd.in/gHSzmYkx #BoardEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #NonprofitLeadership #OrganizationalCulture

Paying Attention to Your Donors 🔎 Between Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the week after Thanksgiving, I received 73 emails to support nonprofits on Giving Tuesday. That does not include social media. I have also received 27 letters in the past week. ✉️ Will these solicitations be successful? Will the $20,000 raised for an organization on #GivingTuesday make a difference? Does a letter that hits the same time as Giving Tuesday work better? Maybe, it depends on the metric you use. 💡 By now, you know how you did. So now is the time to track it all for the future. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gsQJmATk #DonorRelations #Fundraising

Simon Klarfeld has been named Executive Director of the Soviet Jewry Movement Archives Project (SJMAP). A lifelong advocate for Soviet Jewry, Simon brings decades of experience in preserving and sharing the grassroots movement's legacy. Selected from over 60 global candidates, he was the search committee’s unanimous choice to expand SJMAP’s reach, making its history accessible to scholars and educators, while inspiring future generations. "This is a passion project for me. To fulfill SJMAP's Mission is the culmination of my career," said Simon. #NonprofitLeadership #ExecutiveSearch