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Friday January 25, 2008

E.B. federation calling for dollars on Super Sunday

by dan pine
staff writer

Jonathan Wornick is praying for rain.

Not to ease the drought or global warming, and not to improve ski conditions at Sugar Bowl. It’s to make sure Bay Area Jews stay snugly at home Feb. 10, available to answer the call from the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay.

Better known as Super Sunday, the yearly phone-a-thon brings in a significant portion of the federation’s annual campaign targets. As chair of Super Sunday this year, Wornick hopes to top last year’s take of $600,000 by at least 10 percent.

“We’re expecting about 200 volunteers during the day,” Wornick says. “We have shifts from 9 a.m. through 9 at night.” With the East Bay federation celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, Super Sunday 2008 takes on added significance for those volunteers.

Where does the money go? As part of the annual campaign, Super Sunday supports federation-affiliated agencies and institutions in the East Bay, as well as Jewish causes abroad.

“We’re improving on being the community convener, gathering Jews together under one tent for social reasons, educational reasons and for leadership training,” Wornick said.

The Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley’s Super Sunday takes place the same day. The S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation normally holds a Super Sunday event as well. This year, however, it will stage its phone-banking over a week’s time in four locations.

“We’re taking a de- centralized approach,” says Roberta Zucker Catalinotto, the federation’s chief development officer. “That will allow for more flexibility and convenience for our volunteers, and gives us the potential to reach more donors.”

The S.F. federation phone-a-thons will take place from March 2-9. Phone bank sites include the federation’s S.F. headquarters, Kehillah High School in Palo Alto, the Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Foster City and federation offices in Santa Rosa.

Catalinotto points out that all new or increased donations will be doubled, thanks to the Nancy and Stephen Grand Million Dollar Challenge Grant. The money raised benefits the federation’s 60 affiliated agencies.

The East Bay federation has a million dollar challenge grant of its own, sponsored by Richard Goodman and the Goodman Family Foundation.

“That’s something we are going to be pressing,” Wornick adds. “New increases over $100 and [first-time] donors are matched up to $1 million. That allows us to raise a great deal of money. We hope people see the value in that.”

Wornick will personally man the phones that day, along with scores of other volunteers from across the East Bay. The federation’s Young Leadership Division will take the night shift, which usually ends up part-fundraiser, part-pizza party.

“This works like a well-oiled machine, and costs virtually nothing beyond the few pizzas, bagels and M&M’s,” he said. “Our overhead for the event is so minimal that virtually every dollar we raise goes to the campaign.”

For information or to register as a volunteer for East Bay Super Sunday, call (510) 839-2900; for the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, contact Jonathan Berg at (408) 357-7503; for the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, call (415) 512-6290 or email campaign@sfjcf.org.

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