In The Know Make Winter Worthwhile Moria Byrne JANUARY 09, 2004 The New Year always begins with an exercise in mental aerobics: deciding what resolutions to pursue, which ones are too time-consuming, which ones are only interesting enough to mull over until it's too late to sign up, and which ones aren't even worth giving up an evening of "Friends" reruns to complete. But this year take a different approach. Choose an activity that is so addictive, so rewarding and so fulfilling that come spring thaw it will be so much a part of your routine that you can't imagine how you lived without it. What better incentive to get off the couch than getting involved and giving back to the community. Get Moving -- Start Volunteering Begin with the Associated. The Associated's website has many ways that you and your friends can begin your volunteering efforts. Through the assistance of the Jewish Volunteer Connection (JVC), an organization that matches Jewish volunteers with local activities, many young adults in the Jewish community are giving and going back for more. As the first volunteer agency to organize volunteerism for Baltimore's Jewish community, JVC has long-standing relationships with many well-established Jewish charities. So, depending on your interests and talents, surely within the long list of connections there will be a good match for you. Direct service and volunteering among younger adults has become so popular through the Associated that last year JVC formed a young adult sub-committee, YAD (Young Adult Division). YAD runs educational, social and community service programming for young adults between the ages of 22-40. Many long-standing, seasonal and on-going volunteer projects are available, enough to make the most agile, child-like, nurturing or wildly entertaining volunteers satisfied. Athletes can show off athletic prowess on the basketball court this winter by coaching for the Jewish Community Center's youth basketball league. Return to your Thespian roots and work as an usher at the Gordon Center for the Performing Arts. Or show off your artistic sensibilities as a docent at the Jewish Museum of Maryland. Have a sunny personality that puts Doris Day to shame? Work as a greeter for the Jewish Community Center. Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital and Weinberg Place are also always in need of visitors to sit and chat with seniors. Did you miss your chance to belt out a tune at Levindale's holiday karaoke-fest? Maybe your vocal talents will bring a need for an encore performance in spring. Steven Kaufman AIDS Outreach Project needs artistic people to create homemade gifts for HIV and AIDS patients. There's also a chance to help those living in Israel. JVC has an ongoing program to visit the Sar-El army base as part of Israel Defense Forces. Activities range from renovating the homes of victims of terror and/or the elderly to assisting the families of soldiers. Mike Rosenfeld, 36 Mike is the founder and CEO of WebConnection.com, and gives to a variety of causes through his company's corporate giving efforts. Mike is a former co-chair of the Digital Bridge Initiative at the Greater Baltimore Technology Council, in partnership with Maryland Nonprofits, an effort to provide technology information and resources free of charge to the nonprofit sector. Lynn Neckler, chair of the JVC, attests that in today's flagging economy, organizations' need for volunteers has expanded. Over the past few years, JVC has also increased its scope of marketing and outreach. "(In the present economy) not as many people can give as much money, but they can give time," said Neckler. And while Maryland is the only remaining state to require community service in high school, community service is an elemental part of Jewish upbringing. "We want to give time and money, or tzedakah, " Neckler says. It is part of Jewish culture to give back to the community. "It's a mitzvah," she said, "to go out and repair the world and (help) others less fortunate, or Tikkun Olam." Greater Gifts -- Thoughtful Giving It would make sense in this tight economy that new philanthropists would be hard to find, right? Wrong. In the greater Baltimore region a relatively new philanthropic vehicle called "giving circles" has attracted and engaged donors in the art of philanthropy. For the fiscally curious, giving circles are a great way to get your feet wet if you are a first-time giver or to enhance your giving if you are a more experienced philanthropist. Giving circles are donor-run funds that allow participants the opportunity to learn more about the many facets of philanthropy. They are typically organized around a particular issue or area of interest, such as women's issues, quality of life, or the environment, and are considered a high engagement form of philanthropy because donors usually participate in collective decision making and educational activities. The circle's grantmaking functions, proposal reviews, and site visits engage members in a participatory process that, when combined with the increased impact of pooled charitable dollars, has strong appeal to many donors. "Fourteen giving circles have developed in the greater Baltimore region in the last several years, and they have the potential to bring many new faces to philanthropy and to get donors excited about connecting to giving" said Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, director of the Baltimore Giving Project at the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers. "Philanthropy is changing, and many donors are no longer satisfied with only writing a check ... they want an enriching experience and they want to make a difference. By joining with other like-minded individuals, they can realize the power of their giving." Kimberly Flyr, 36 Kim is a member of the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County at the Columbia Foundation, which gives to programs that benefit women and girls. She is co-chairing the giving circle's BRIDGE initiative, Bridging Relationships in Developing Giving for Everyone, with the goal being to recruit the next generation of women into the Women's Giving Circle. She is also the co-founder of a nonprofit website dedicated to helping families in Howard County called http://www.howardcountykids.org/. Donors in a giving circle not only learn about their chosen charitable organizations, but also become more engaged in the community overall. Giving circles also give donors the opportunity to take part in the grantmaking proposal process and attend site visits, which some might not otherwise have the opportunity to do. Some giving circles that you may be interested in are the B'MORE Fund at the Baltimore Community Foundation, which has a commitment of $500 a year, for at least a two-year period. This group of next generation philanthropists awards cash gifts to social entrepreneurs in Baltimore who are making a difference (http://www.bmorefund.org/). The Baltimore Women's Giving Circle at the Baltimore Community Foundation (http://www.bcf.org/) brings women together at $1,100 a year for at least a two-year commitment, and gives grants to programs that benefit women and their families. The Associated has a new Jewish Women's Giving Initiative giving circle (http://www.associated.org/) that allows Jewish women in Baltimore to pool their resources and fund programs that will impact the lives of women and girls. Any giving circle that you choose to be a part of will have you working, learning and loving the entire process. If you are interested in joining a giving circle, the Baltimore Giving Project has a number of resources and a section on the BGP website specifically on giving circles. If you would like a copy of the Baltimore Giving Project's "Giving Circle Toolkit" or a copy of their just released report entitled "Growing Philanthropy Through Giving Circles: Lessons Learned from Start-up to Grantmaking," go to http://www.baltimoregivingproject.org/or or http://www.jewishtimes.com/scripts/mail%20to:%20bgp@abagmd.org To learn more about giving, volunteering and getting involved, contact any of the agencies below. All are happy to assist you in getting started on your road to a wonderful and very worthwhile winter. Abby Glassberg, 43 Abby gives through the Columbia Foundation as a trustee of the Glassberg/Staines Family Fund, and is a second generation board member of the Columbia Foundation. She started the Birthday Club at Howard County General Hospital, which honors or memorializes the birth of any child through the Howard County Hospital Foundation and benefits the Special Care Nursery, Neonatal Intensive Care. She is also a volunteer with Special Olympics in Howard County and Rosewind Hospital. Questions & Answers Often, when we give, we don't know if what we offer is too much or too little. We want our gift to make a difference, but also want to be sure that we are doing enough and doing the right thing. A few local experts, Jimmy Berg, chair of the Associated's 2004 Campaign, and Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, director of the Baltimore Giving Project at the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG), offer solid answers to often asked giving questions. What would you tell someone who wants to give back to the Jewish community and get the most out of the experience? What's the best way to get started? "Get involved," offers Jimmy Berg. Donors can get involved in three ways: through donating money, time or leadership. Participants can contribute to a cause by taking on a leadership role and educating others about the organizations the Associated supports and the different options for giving. "Get to know the charity you choose to contribute to," said Berg. "Find out what they do and develop a connection with that organization." Volunteering is another good way to learn what the organization does and get the most out of the experience of giving. Check the Associated website. Read their newsletter. Volunteer opportunities are always listed there. The Associated website has links to their agencies and programs, and other Jewish organizations throughout the Greater Baltimore area. Douglas Hoffberger, 31 Doug is a member of the B'MORE Fund, a donor-run giving circle comprised of next generation philanthropists at the Baltimore Community Foundation that celebrates the work of social entrepreneurs in Baltimore making a difference. He is also the development chair for Teach for America, Baltimore and an advisory member of the Hoffberger Foundation. "There is a wonderful publication entitled 'Inspired Philanthropy' by Tracy Gary, which helps donors who are just starting their philanthropic journey to explore their interests and values and align them with their giving. The book also helps seasoned donors to become more strategic in their giving by developing a giving plan. I highly recommend this book for all donors looking to get engaged or further engage in their philanthropy," said Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz. My family works very hard to keep two children in a private Jewish Day School. Giving really is a stretch for us. What can we do until our financial situation changes? The traditional guideline for giving is 10% of a person's income. Berg says this rule should be flexible. "Giving is not done by guidelines but from the heart and to make a difference. The important thing is to give a quality gift. Tikkun Olam is not always done with money, or tzedakah." Beaudoin-Schwartz adds that "giving circles are a terrific way to maximize personal contributions because they are leveraged along with other people's gifts, which can have a much greater and more satisfying impact for donors." Part of a new trend, which some are calling community-based philanthropy because you do not have to be rich to participate, a giving circle is a pooled fund, generally hosted or sponsored by a charitable organization such as a community or public foundation, through which members make grants together. Giving circles have strong appeal because they engage donors in a more enriching and rewarding philanthropic experience, plus they allow anyone to become a philanthropist. Sarah Davison, 31 Sarah is a member of the Jewish Women's Giving Initiative at the Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, which gives to women and girls. She is also a volunteer with Young Leadership, Dor Tikvah, through the Women's Department of The Associated. I have a newborn. My husband and I really want to start teaching our child about giving to others. Do you have any suggestions? "I try to create a culture of giving in our house," Berg said. "In our house we have a tzedakah box that family members put coins and small donations in all the time. The box is a physical reminder of the children's need to incorporate mitzvah, or the good deed, into their every day life. "Also, when my children were preparing for their bar/bat mitzvah, they picked a charity and then donated a percentage of their gift money to that charity. I try to create a culture of giving in our house," Berg said. "My kids have three boxes in each of their rooms — one marked "allowance," another marked "savings" and the last marked "tzedakah." Typically, at the end of each year, our family sits down and we review the kids' giving interests (Jordan - 11 and Alec - 8); we count their tzedakah money, and we assist them in sending their year's worth of tzedakah savings to the organizations of their choice," said Beaudoin-Schwartz. "This year we will be sitting down as a family and going through some of the exercises in 'Inspired Philanthropy' and using some of the worksheets to work with the kids to discuss their interests and values and see if their giving is aligned." Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, 37 Buffy is a founding member of the B'MORE Fund at the Baltimore Community Foundation, and a founding member of the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County at the Columbia Foundation. She is on the board of the International Union of Councils for Soviet Jews, the Women's Information Network in Washington, D.C., and the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County. She is also a former board member of Bet Yeladim Jewish Preschool and Kindergarten and is a founding member of the Bet Yeladim Alumni Association. Is it possible to create an on-going project within our family that will still be around when the children are my age? Beaudoin-Schwartz is a member of the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County at the Columbia Foundation, which has about 250 women donors (some girls!). The women started an endowment fund so that their giving circle will also be available for their daughters and grandaughters. They give 20 percent to their chosen charities and the remaining 80 percent goes into the endowment fund. "The giving circle is currently working on developing a next generation outreach initiative and a young girls giving club — both components of the Women's Giving Circle, in order to ensure that young women and girls will learn about giving at an early age and experience how their money can make a positive impact within the community," said Beaudoin-Schwartz, "as well as provide an ongoing project for young women and girls to get involved in at an early age that will be available to them throughout their lifetimes. Giving circles have really galvanized women's giving," said Beaudoin-Schwartz "and they are a great way to incorporate a tradition of giving in a family." Maury Garten, 36 Maury gives through the Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, and is the past chair of the Yad Tzedakah Project, which brought $75,000 in grants to the Baltimore area to be divided between initiatives in Baltimore and Israel. Maury is also the vice president of the Franklin and Marshall College Alumni Association. The Associated, http://www.associated.org/getinvolved/general_info.htm, 410-369-9325, volunteer@jcfb.org Young Adult Division, 410-369-9284 Baltimore Giving Project: http://www.baltimoregivingproject.org/, bgp@abagmd.org, 410-727-0719 Copyright ©2003 the Baltimore Jewish Times