Dear Friends,

For over 90 years, the Jewish Community Center has played a unique role in Kansas City’s Jewish and general community as the first point of connection for newcomers from all parts of the globe; a safe haven where minds and spirits are nourished; and a place that embodies and imparts Jewish values and traditions while welcoming people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds.

Our enduring vitality results from the emergence, in each generation, of staff and lay leaders who step forward to carry out a highly intentional process of honest self-assessment and decisive action.

This generation’s leaders have engaged in such a process. In doing so, they defined critical challenges related to flat or decreased funding from historically reliable sources, volatility on the part of consumers, increased competition, and normal wear and tear on our facilities over twenty years.

At the same time, they identified unprecedented opportunities resulting from our access to advanced technology, keen understanding of people’s needs and interests, and expanding sphere of influence as an outcome of strategic partnerships.  

Embracing these challenges and opportunities, the Board of Directors created a plan of action including the most ambitious renewal project in generations: a Capital and Endowment Campaign with the goal of raising $5,000,000. Hard as it is to believe, this is the first such campaign in the history of the agency!

• Approximately half of the proceeds will replenish and add to board designated funds that were used to create our magnificent Center for Health and Human Performance. We believe there is nothing more important to the health of our community - and no greater Jewish mitzvah - than to provide safe, well-supervised opportunities to practice life saving, lifestyle-enhancing habits.
• As important as we believe our Center for Health and Human Performance to be - and we consider it critical to people of all ages who strive to be strong and independent for the length of their days - this is not what defines our Capital and Endowment Campaign. What defines the campaign is a deep understanding that a strong and vital Jewish Community Center is not a certainty, but rather a gift that was protected and prepared for our enjoyment by those who came before us. Willingly, families and individuals contributed funds in order to assure that a strong Center would be here for us, and now it is our turn to ensure that what we enjoy will be available to our children and our children's children. Therefore the balance of campaign proceeds will be placed in endowment funds, ensuring our ability to retain excellent staff and provide top quality programming in every department of the agency for years to come. 

We ask you to stop and consider how the Center has impacted your life and the lives of people you love. Has it been a place where you’ve made long-time friendships…become stronger or more knowledgeable….learned about Jewish culture, or celebrated Jewish events proudly and without fear? 

If you are among the thousands of people served by the Center each year, we’re betting that you have your own “How the Center has Impacted My Life” story. And we know you understand the future of this great institution is dependent upon the generosity of each and every person who has such a tale.  

We ask for your support as we strive toward our $5 million dollar goal.

If you’ve not already done so, plan on participating in this effort…and after you do, talk to your friends. Tell them why it was important for you to contribute, and why they need to do the same. For the sake of our children and our children’s children, together we will succeed.

For more information about how you can contribute, please contact Interim Co-Executive Director Jill Maidhoff, at jillm@jewishkc.org or 913-327-8077. We look forward to hearing from you soon.  

Sincerely,

Stacey Belzer             David Porter        Gary Weinberg

Capital and Endowment Campaign Co-Chairs