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Time for Change
Although Targum Shlishi
(Third Interpretation) has been in existence for
more
than 10 years and has funded over 60 initiatives,
the foundation has maintained an extremely low profile,
almost to the point of anonymity. The release of
this report marks the first time we have publicized
our philosophy and focus. This report is not only
a record of the foundation’s history but is
also a means by which potential co-funders and recipient
organizations can learn about Targum Shlishi and
determine whether our philosophy and style are a
good match for theirs. As we look forward to the
next decade, we believe that joining with other funders
is key to effecting positive change in the Jewish
community. We hope this openness will inspire significant
cooperative initiatives with new partners and new
funders.
Projects described herein include those
that were funded through a private foundation (Targum
Shlishi),
personal family funds, a family trust, and/or a communal
fund. These sources are collectively referred to
as Targum Shlishi. Targum Shlishi invests in the
present and future of the Jewish people while honoring
the past by concentrating on four core areas: education,
women’s issues, the State of Israel, and justice
for Nazi war crimes. In funding projects in these
four areas, we focus significant attention on and
investment in technology, because we believe that
when used effectively, technology can be an invaluable
tool in
furthering our goals.
While Targum Shlishi has allocated
a small percentage of its distributions to traditional
charities, the
better part of our focus—and all of our heart—is
on innovative initiatives that have the potential
to positively change the status quo. We tend not
to fund the groups we grew up with. Because of the
size and budgets of long-standing, well-funded national
Jewish organizations, we would not be able to meaningfully
impact projects and their direction. Rather, we seek
out groups that can help us look at problems in a
new light and that
stimulate us to find forward-thinking solutions.
Unsolicited grant applications account for less than
five percent of our annual distributions.
Today, more than 5,000 family foundations
contribute to Jewish causes. According to some sources,
these foundations give more in aggregate than the United
Jewish Communities. A figure often cited, but not verified,
is that such family foundations have assets exceeding
$25 billion. Some of these organizations are venture
philanthropists and they are truly making a difference
in Jewish life. In addition to their capital, venture
philanthropists invest their time, energy, and know-how.
In true entrepreneurial fashion, they encourage taking
risks. They work with organizations on the fringes because,
all too often, it is only from the margins that meaningful
change can emerge. These are the qualities we wanted
Targum Shlishi to embody—to serve as an agent
of real, tangible change.
The amounts we distribute are small compared
with the mega-funds available in the broader Jewish
landscape. But we allocate our grants strategically,
with specific goals and achievements in mind and with
built-in follow-up mechanisms. Our objective is to employ
the same creativity, efficiency, and criteria for accountability
in the philanthropic world that we successfully employed
in the for-profit world.
Targum Shlishi was founded in 1992,
after I sold my publication company in New York.
When I looked
at the organized Jewish community I saw parameters,
priorities, and structures into which I knew I could
not fit. I saw funding organizations that were well-intentioned
but that were guided by priorities I considered misplaced.
There was overlap of purpose; there were organizations
collecting huge sums of money but representing only
their own very narrow interests. Little power was
in the hands of thought leaders with genuine commitments
to their communities—the clergy, academics,
and activists.
While we understand and respect the
roles of the larger mainstream organizations and
the generous
donors who fund them, we focus on projects that include
these often-neglected thought leaders in the process.
We are interested in projects that allow us to contribute
financial and venture resources in manners that amplify
the potential of the grantee, with the hope that
each successful project will impact the community
in a significant way and eventually alert the larger
organizations to such opportunities.
After years
of stagnation, a renaissance—spearheaded
by a new generation of activists and funded by a
few visionary philanthropists—is underway within
the Jewish community.
If this renaissance is to continue, the Jewish community
needs to tap into this rich vein of energy and funding.
If we fail to do so, donors will go elsewhere, activists
will find other causes, and we will miss out on extraordinary
opportunities.
As a people we have always believed that
history has a purpose and that all Jews areresponsible
for one another. We face formidable challenges to our
physical well-being and spiritual survival in both Israel
and the Diaspora. These challenges require creative
and novel approaches if we are to find solutions and
to endure as a thriving people. It is time to redouble
our efforts, time to take action, if we are to uphold
our proud tradition as a “light unto the nations.”
It is time for new ideas.
At Targum Shlishi, we are seeking these
new ideas. We invite you to join us
in our quest.
Aryeh Rubin
Aventura, Florida
5 Iyar, 5763
May 7, 2003
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