report
From Daniel H. Shapira and Jeffrey H. Finkelstein
For any volunteer-based philanthropy to be considered effective it must demonstrate an ability to raise funds successfully to meet a spectrum of community needs while being recognized as an efficient community building organization.
At the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh we are proud of the fundraising and community building work we have accomplished and proud to be considered one the most trusted and admired non-profits in Western Pennsylvania. We have consistently sought new and innovative ways to increase our financial resource development each year, and we are among the distinguished non-profits to receive Charity Navigator's highest rating for “exceeding industry standards and outperforming most charities in its cause.”
Our excellent reputation has resulted in increased charitable dollars being entrusted to us by individuals, organizations, foundations, corporations and governmental agencies. To this end, we have positioned ourselves under a new model, as Pittsburgh's Center for Jewish Philanthropy, which enables us to centralize resource development to meet all the charitable desires of donors.
This online segment of this report shares highlights of the work we have accomplished and details the recipients of our distributions. The link to the right will enable you to download a PDF of the printed version that recognizes our donors, their commitment as volunteers and the programs they support.
Our primary work over the last year has been focused on overcoming the challenges of the current economic downturn. We have aggressively sought the maximum in resources for the social, health and educational programs we support here in Pittsburgh, Israel and throughout the world.
We are pleased to report that we raised $29.3 million this year through our many streams of financial resource development. This encompasses funds from our Annual Community Campaign, the UJF Foundation, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, family and private foundations, supplemental giving, corporate support, government grants and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Our fundraising achievements have been among the best compared to other Federations throughout North America.
Beyond our successes in resource development we are gratified by the excellent working relationship that has evolved with our partner beneficiary agencies. Through this partnership we have helped improve the quality and quantity of services provided to those in need. We are particularly proud of our efforts to strengthen the internal financial controls and the governance at UJF and our partner agencies.
As we complete the current term of volunteer leadership, we welcome Bill Rudolph and his new leadership team to guide us as we continue the good work that has been achieved. Bill brings a wealth of community experience and commitment along with a tremendous sensitivity to our community's broad spectrum of needs.
In 2012 we will mark our Centennial year and, as we approach that milestone, we are mindful of our mission to secure a flourishing Jewish community. With that purpose as a priority, we have launched a major endowment effort that will focus on supporting programs that foster Jewish continuity. Only through the success of this endeavor coupled with all our other efforts will we be able to ensure the future vibrancy of our community.
 Daniel H. Shapira |
 Jeffrey H. Finkelstein |