Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how organizations operate, communicate, and deliver impact. For Jewish Federations, AI presents a powerful opportunity to enhance community engagement, streamline operations, and amplify mission-driven work—when used thoughtfully and responsibly.  

This introductory workshop is designed specifically for Federation professionals across departments—development, marketing, planning, HR, IT, and beyond. It will demystify AI, showcase practical tools, and provide a clear framework for using AI safely, ethically, and in alignment with your Federation’s values and policies. Participants will leave with a foundational understanding of AI, real-world use cases, and actionable best practices to begin experimenting with confidence. 

Speaker

In today’s world of limited resources, effective budgeting and outcome measurement are critical to program success. This interactive session equips both non-finance and finance professionals with essential tools to develop robust program budgets and evaluate their effectiveness.    

Immediate Takeways   

• Understand the basics of budgeting   
• Understand why Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are crucial for measuring the success and can be effectively used in decision making  
• Examine real-life scenarios that help illustrate how budgeting and KPIs can be effectively used in decision making.  

Participants will explore the full budgeting cycle, from identifying costs (both tangible and intangible) to constructing budgets that align with organizational goals. The session emphasizes practical skills for presenting budgets, evaluating performance metrics, and revising budgets to improve acceptance.  

Through hands-on group activities, attendees will gather the information needed to build and refine operating budgets and evaluate outcomes against agreed-upon KPIs. Gain the confidence and expertise to craft budgets that help your organization overcome obstacles and achieve its strategic objectives.  

Speakers

Belonging goes beyond access and inclusion; it’s about co-creating structures reflecting Jewish life’s diversity. In this workshop, you’ll define belonging, assess your current efforts, and explore adaptable resources to enhance belonging in your work. This interactive workshop is for team members, managers, and all professionals.  

Through a community charrette model, we will explore a case study to apply Belonging design principles as well as have opportunities to bring your own belonging challenges to the table for input.  

Participants will: 

• Develop an understanding of current Belonging frameworks  
• Have opportunities to apply Belonging design principles in their work and  
• Be inspired to help co-create a body of best practices for belonging in our Jewish Communal Ecosystem 

Speaker

What if you could see the future of your community more clearly—and plan for it with confidence? With the right data, you can. This interactive session will explore how Federations can harness the power of forecasting, community mapping, and demographic analysis to guide strategic decision-making. Whether you're new to data or already using it in your work, you'll gain practical tools and fresh perspectives to help you uncover emerging trends, challenge assumptions, and translate insights into action. 

Participants will: 

• Understand how data can illuminate shifting demographics and community needs 
• Learn to use forecasting and mapping tools to support strategic planning 
• Explore real-world case studies that show how data-driven approaches lead to meaningful change 
• Practice applying insights to your own community context through hands-on activities   

By the end of the session, you’ll feel more confident using data to tell your community’s story—and to shape its future with clarity and purpose. 

Speaker

This workshop will help you gain the knowledge and resources necessary to navigate the Israel space more effectively and more bravely both within the Jewish community and with members of other faith and ethnic backgrounds.  Rather than approaching this as a full history of Israel and Zionism, this workshop will focus on key inflection points in the history of Israel and Zionism to help leaders better understand the nuance of many of the issues around Israel that may seem particularly controversial or politically hazardous.  

Questions to be addressed include: 

• Was land in Israel acquired legally or illegally?  
• How did the settlements begin?  
• Is the conflict fueled by religion? Or politics?  
• What do some of the accusations made against Israel and Zionism mean and where do they come from (Zionism as racism, colonialism, etc.)? 

Speaker

Many people struggle to turn good intentions into consistent action. Tasks linger, ideas go unrealized, and the stress of disorganization builds. Whether you’re juggling multiple priorities or trying to stay on top of everyday responsibilities, this session is designed to help. 

In this session you will examine common obstacles that lead to delay and learn practical strategies to strengthen accountability, reduce stress, and manage tasks with greater clarity.  

In this session you will explore simple, repeatable systems for prioritizing responsibilities, tracking progress, and ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. 

• You will learn how to: 
• Turn intentions into consistent action 
• Create clarity around tasks and responsibilities 
• Reduce mental clutter and improve efficiency 

Ideal for anyone looking to work more deliberately, meet deadlines more reliably, and build habits that support long-term follow-through. 

Speaker

What if you could communicate more effectively with senior leaders—and advance your ideas, your team’s work, and your own career in the process? Managing up is a crucial skill for mid-level managers, but it’s rarely taught. In this interactive session, we’ll demystify the dynamics of managing up and offer concrete tools for building productive, trust-based relationships with senior leadership. You’ll learn how to navigate ambiguity, communicate with clarity, and contribute strategically to organizational goals. 

Participants will: 

• Practice ways to clarify priorities and expectations when instructions are vague or shifting 
• Explore techniques for raising concerns and offering feedback in a constructive, upward-facing way 
• Learn how to propose new ideas so they align with leadership’s interests and vision
• Reflect on how managing up can support your own visibility, leadership presence, and growth trajectory 

By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with practical strategies—and greater confidence—for engaging senior leaders with intention, integrity, and influence. 

Speaker

Strong lay/pro relationships are at the heart of every thriving Federation. But building them, and sustaining them through challenge, change, and growth, requires more than just good intentions. This interactive session equips professionals at all levels with the frameworks, language, and tools to deepen their partnerships with volunteer leaders, whether you're setting the tone with a new chair or navigating complex dynamics on a long-standing board. 

Participants will explore real-world case studies and practice skills to help foster trust, clarify roles, and communicate across difference. Whether you’re newer to working with lay leaders or a seasoned professional looking to sharpen your approach, you’ll leave with actionable strategies to strengthen your lay/pro collaboration and lead more effectively, together. 

Participants will: 

• Learn and apply JFNA’s lay/pro partnership framework to a range of scenarios 
• Practice tools for alignment, shared leadership, and navigating challenging dynamics 
• Explore real-world case studies that illustrate common tensions and how to resolve them
• Identify key stages in the partnership life cycle, from onboarding to co-leadership, and apply appropriate strategies at each stage 

By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with concrete tools and approaches for building resilient, productive relationships with lay partners—ones that elevate both your leadership and the mission you serve. 

Speaker

Your time is one of your most valuable assets…. And not all prospects are created equal.   

Who are the people who will truly make an impact? This workshop is designed to help you stop guessing and start targeting.  Chances are, you already hold more insight than you think. You'll learn to assess a donor’s capacity (can they give?), propensity (will they give?), and affinity (why would they give?)—and how those elements combine to uncover your best prospects.  

We’ll explore: 

• The difference between warm leads and timewasters 
• Why focusing on fit and mission alignment yields greater long-term impact 
• How to stop chasing volume and start cultivating value 

Whether you’re working with major gifts or building annual campaigns, this session will sharpen your prospecting skills so you’re spending time where it matters most. This is your blueprint for smarter strategy and deeper relationships. 

Speaker

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how organizations operate, communicate, and deliver impact. For Jewish Federations, AI presents a powerful opportunity to enhance community engagement, streamline operations, and amplify mission-driven work—when used thoughtfully and responsibly.  

This introductory workshop is designed specifically for Federation professionals across departments—development, marketing, planning, HR, IT, and beyond. It will demystify AI, showcase practical tools, and provide a clear framework for using AI safely, ethically, and in alignment with your Federation’s values and policies. Participants will leave with a foundational understanding of AI, real-world use cases, and actionable best practices to begin experimenting with confidence. 

Speaker

Committees can be engines of vision, accountability, and community connection—or they can stall out without the right foundation and fuel. This interactive session will walk through the full committee lifecycle: from intentional recruitment and role clarity to effective meeting design, chair partnership, and long-term engagement. Whether you’re launching a new group or revitalizing an existing one, you’ll leave with practical tools and strategies to help your committees thrive. 
 
Participants will explore common challenges in committee culture and function, examine successful models across Federations, and walk away with adaptable templates to strengthen their committee work from the inside out. 
 
Participants will: 

• Learn a framework for the committee lifecycle: build, launch, engage, sustain, and sunset 
• Explore how to recruit with purpose, onboard with intention, and structure meetings for productivity 
• Identify methods to cultivate strong lay/pro co-leadership and clarify roles and responsibilities 
• Gain tools to keep committees mission-aligned, motivated, and outcomes-driven over time  

By the end of the session, you’ll feel more equipped to turn your committees into collaborative, empowered spaces that drive Federation goals, and build deeper community ownership. 

Speaker

Belonging goes beyond access and inclusion; it’s about co-creating structures reflecting Jewish life’s diversity. In this workshop, you’ll define belonging, assess your current efforts, and explore adaptable resources to enhance belonging in your work. This interactive workshop is for team members, managers, and all professionals.  

Through a community charrette model, we will explore a case study to apply Belonging design principles as well as have opportunities to bring your own belonging challenges to the table for input.  

Participants will: 

• Develop an understanding of current Belonging frameworks  
• Have opportunities to apply Belonging design principles in their work and  
• Be inspired to help co-create a body of best practices for belonging in our Jewish Communal Ecosystem 

Speaker

Every professional at a Federation is in the business of stewardship so this workshop is for YOU, whether you are a formal fundraiser or not! 

You secured the gift—now the real work begins. 

We all know that the cost of acquiring a new donor can be 5 to 7 times higher than retaining an existing one. AND retained donors tend to give more frequently, make larger gifts over time, and are more likely to become legacy givers and advocates for your federation. This workshop will show you how to steward lifelong partners through empathy, consistency, and mission-centered messaging. 

You’ll walk away with: 

• A stewardship strategy you can activate tomorrow 
• Messaging tools that speak straight to the heart 
• An engagement calendar tailored to your donor base 
• Fresh insights into why connection—not just communication—is everything 

If donor relationships matter to you, this is the workshop you can’t afford to skip. 

Speaker

This workshop will help you gain the knowledge and resources necessary to navigate the Israel space more effectively and more bravely both within the Jewish community and with members of other faith and ethnic backgrounds.  Rather than approaching this as a full history of Israel and Zionism, this workshop will focus on key inflection points in the history of Israel and Zionism to help leaders better understand the nuance of many of the issues around Israel that may seem particularly controversial or politically hazardous.  

Questions to be addressed include: 

• Was land in Israel acquired legally or illegally?  
• How did the settlements begin?  
• Is the conflict fueled by religion? Or politics?  
• What do some of the accusations made against Israel and Zionism mean and where do they come from (Zionism as racism, colonialism, etc.)? 

Speaker

Many people struggle to turn good intentions into consistent action. Tasks linger, ideas go unrealized, and the stress of disorganization builds. Whether you’re juggling multiple priorities or trying to stay on top of everyday responsibilities, this session is designed to help. 

In this session you will examine common obstacles that lead to delay and learn practical strategies to strengthen accountability, reduce stress, and manage tasks with greater clarity.  

In this session you will explore simple, repeatable systems for prioritizing responsibilities, tracking progress, and ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. 

• You will learn how to: 
• Turn intentions into consistent action 
• Create clarity around tasks and responsibilities 
• Reduce mental clutter and improve efficiency 

Ideal for anyone looking to work more deliberately, meet deadlines more reliably, and build habits that support long-term follow-through. 

Speaker