Community Campaign needs your help

Volunteers are our lifeline. For decades, Jewish philanthropy has relied on its community members for generosity, energy and connections between the needs we have and the outreach that’s done. The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island is so very grateful to the thousands of volunteers who have spent time sharing its story over the years.

Times have changed and the methods we once found successful are no longer as impactful. Super Sunday events nationwide have taken a backseat as a main method of outreach. With the rise in spam calls and cell phones, people are less likely to pick up when the phones ring, so we have worked to adjust our ways, and today we need you to help!

There are greater needs than ever before. Inflation has deeply affected giving and while our community volunteer base remains strong and dependable, fewer each year are comfortable soliciting donors and asking for donations. We look to you directly to help us raise $4 million this year in our Community Campaign and continue to tell our story, make community connections, and share the work we do, all geared toward ensuring a vibrant Jewish future – together. This year’s Community Campaign is led by returning chairs, Marisa Garber and Rich Glucksman. Both serve on the Jewish Alliance board of directors and have been dedicated to local Jewish organizations – our very partners – for years and deeply understand the needs of our tight-knit and proud community.

In July 2025, Garber will become the Alliance’s next board chair and says, “I have always told my kids, if you are unhappy with the way things are being handled, how you are being treated or if you feel something is missing from your surroundings, don’t just complain, do something to bring about change. It will take time and effort on your part and from others but once that change comes about, the amount of pride and satisfaction you will feel, knowing that you were an agent for that change, is immeasurable.”

Needs communitywide have multiplied. Community Campaign donations are appreciated, and increased gifts are critical to making a dent in the ongoing list of supports our local and overseas need, including day school tuition relief, counseling, social and food stability services, camp scholarships, domestic violence protections, and the list goes on.

If you are interested interested in joining the Alliance volunteer base, making personal calls, sending texts to those you know, and writing customized emails and thank you notes to fellow Rhode Islanders, let us know!

Glucksman said, “I’ll let you in on a secret – as good as you feel supporting our Jewish causes through the mitzvah of giving, you will feel equally wonderful sharing with other people the story of the Alliance’s strategic support for our community. Connecting with other people, helping them complete their mitzvah of giving – believe me, it’s a joy and it’s easier than you might think!””

Raising the funds necessary to support our community’s ongoing and increasing needs is critical and your involvement is key. It is easy – even fun – to engage in this kind of volunteer service. Solicitor training is available, and the work is flexible in accordance with the time you have to give. “I know firsthand the power behind giving – whether it be your time, your voice or your dollars. They all can have a profound impact on our community.”

Supporting the community requires commitment from the entire community. Be it as a volunteer, a donor, or both, we look to you to help us reach our $4M Community Campaign goal!

Glucksman continues, “We need you to make this happen. It is that simple. The Alliance needs you, and the kids, seniors, camps and food pantries need you! And you too will feel the mitzvah, the goodness of giving, that comes from helping other people also support our Jewish community.”

Over the next year we will feature our partnership work locally and overseas and how critical understanding the community investment (allocations) process is to the distribution of Community Campaign dollars raised. We will highlight partners, programs, and services that are supported through this work and how we consistently honor our community’s priorities and needs while relying on the Alliance’s vision and mission as guides.

As our tagline suggests, we are Here for Community. We are Here for Good. For information on our Community Campaign and the many ways you can contribute and get involved, visit: www.jewishallianceri.org/support-us/featured/donate-now, jewishallianceri.org or call 401-421-4111.

JENNIFER ZWIRN (jzwirn@jewishallianceri.org) is the chief philanthropy officer at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.