Sustaining and enhancing Jewish life at home and around the world is important to Miriam Scharf. As chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, she helped the agency strive to meet that mission. Now that she is concluding her two-year term, she is proud and honored that she has been able to do her part to make the Kansas City Jewish community a strong and vibrant community.
When Patricia Werthan Uhlmann takes on the role of board chair on Tuesday, Sept. 10 (see story page 7), she, too, will focus on meeting the Jewish Federation’s mission while concentrating on energizing, educating and enlarging the agency’s base of stakeholders.
A top priority during Scharf’s tenure was to make sure that the most vulnerable families in our community received the assistance they need. Another goal was to enhance the image of the Jewish Federation. A new marketing campaign was launched during her tenure that helped people understand what the Jewish Federation does, and how it accomplishes it mission.
In an effort to make everything run smoother and enhance the organization’s image, Scharf spearheaded an internal review of the organization. When it concluded, a variety of policies and procedures were updated.
“We are proud to say that the organization is well run and salaries and benefits are competitive in the K.C. market,” Scharf said.
Knowing that the organization is well run, Scharf believes, gives donors the confidence that the Jewish Federation is a good steward of their gifts.
“We do a lot of cultivating of different members of the community. When we are talking to them and answering their questions, we are telling them we have looked at the internal structure of the organization. We have updated what we needed to update because our ultimate goal is to enhance the quality of life for all members of our community.
“Every donor wants to know how much of their dollar is being spent on running the organization and we can say with great confidence that we are very prudent and good stewards of your money and we can and we are willing to open our books to show you,” she added.
One thing that didn’t happen in Scharf’s tenure was an increase in the annual fundraising campaign. At one time the campaign raised as much as $5.1 million, but since the recession it has dipped to $4.6 million. However, Scharf said being prudent with the organization’s internal structure has actually made more money available for Jewish Federation to give to those in need.
“By having more money to spend on programs and initiatives in the community, we are able to better take care of those who are most vulnerable,” Scharf said.
As her term comes to an end, she points out that there is “always more work to be done,” and that the successes of her administration were not the work of just one person.
“It is a combined effort of both the lay leadership and the professional staff. It really goes back to making Kansas City a wonderful place to live. We have a Jewish community that is cooperative and works together and builds consensus and looks at the needs in a communal way so that we, as a community, can make it the best Jewish community that we can possibly make it.”
Passing the gavel
Scharf said she believes Uhlmann, her close friend and colleague, will be a good leader for the Jewish Federation.
“She brings her own unique talents to the job and that’s what’s great about this organization,” Scharf said.
Both women’s hopes and dreams for the Jewish community are that it continues to be an attractive, vibrant, interesting and welcoming place to live.
Giving to Jewish Federation, Uhlmann believes, is an “investment we each make in our community’s strength, vibrancy and sustainability.” She wants to see the annual fundraising campaign re-invigorated and restored to its previous levels as the campaign has been flat for six years.
It’s not just funds Uhlmann wants people to give to Jewish Federation.
“We all contribute in different ways by giving our time, talent and treasure, ensuring that this community continues to be such a great place to live.”
Over the course of the next two years Uhlmann wants to broaden the Jewish Federation’s base of stakeholders. She especially wants to include those in their 20s, 30s and even 40s — ensuring them a place at the table where they can help envision and make decisions about the future of the community.
“Our Federation is committed to making sure that Kansas City’s Jewish community is a vibrant, multi-faceted place where people want to live and raise a family,” she said.
Jewish Federation’s mission is to “be here every day, everywhere as we continue to care for the most vulnerable Jews here and around the world.”
“Therefore every message we present, every speaker we bring to the community, every event we plan, every training session we provide needs to be interesting, inspirational and motivational in a way that makes the next generation understand how important the Jewish Federation is to the strength of the community and how important each individual is in moving the community forward,” she said.
Uhlmann understands there are a variety of places people can choose to devote their time, talent and treasure. She wants them to proudly choose the Jewish Federation as that place.
She believes Jewish Federation is already making strides in its efforts to attract diverse and competent stakeholders and has put together an excellent leadership team.
“I envision that this will be a team effort of both the lay and professional leadership,” she said.
Uhlmann said she feels very privileged and honored to be taking on this role.
