For the past three years, JFGI’s Annual Campaign has been guided by the tremendous leadership of Co-Chairs Jen Schwartz and Larry Turow. In partnership with the professional staff, Jen and Larry helped navigate the Campaign through the pandemic and the transition of a new Chief Executive Officer, Marc Swatez. Marc has led the Federation for almost a year and this past summer, he implemented an important strategic change for the Federation’s fundraising efforts to be more donor-centric.

While Karen Rothbaum, Michael Rothbaum and Sandy Nachlis will take over as the next Annual Campaign Co-Chairs beginning in January, the Federation restructured the Charles A. Cohen Department of Planned Giving and the Annual Campaign Department to become one integrated Financial Resource Development Department now called the Development & Endowment Department.

“This integrated and collaborative approach puts each donor at the center of our outreach efforts,” Swatez said. “It provides a deeper connection between our cause and our donors.”
Led by Josh Lodolo, Senior Director of the Development & Endowment Department, this department has the hefty initiative to reimagine fundraising in many exciting ways:

• Realizing that donors give to multiple causes within the community.
• Improving the lay leader/professional staff partnership on donor engagement and solicitations.
• Reintroducing giving levels and giving societies.
• Enhancing stewardship and impact reporting.
• Ensuring the financial viability of the community in the short, mid, and long term. 

“We no longer have to talk to a donor about a campaign gift…or endowment gift…or a restricted gift to one of our agencies,” Lodolo said. “We now get to talk to a donor holistically about all of their philanthropic giving interests.”
While this model is new for the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, it is not new to the non-profit or Federation world. The success of other Federations to provide more personal service has resulted in more loyal donors who continue making more generous gifts for future generations.