Transparency Put into Practice
Hat Tip: Rabbi Torczyner
Not a post goes by on communal money on any blog without posters asking and begging for transparency. Unfortunately, transparency isn't always so easy to come by. And when we donate, we often do so with a bit of "blind faith."
Rabbi Torczyner is looking to change this and he has started to distribute an annual financial report for the Rabbi's Benevolent Fund (sometimes known as the Discretionary Fund) which shows "how much went for tuition, for special collections, for loans vs. gifts, for Maos Chittim, etc." See the Rabbi's post here.
He also points to three sources to help verify tzedakot.
Perhaps on day greater transparency will become standard! Chazak U'Baruch in leading the way.
3 comments:
In Teaneck there are a number of rabbonim that issues annual lists of which institutions benefitted from there funds.
Sephardi Lady-
Thank you very much for the praise and the link; chazak ve'ematz!
Anonymous 6:42 PM-
I certainly agree that what I am doing is not ground-breaking in that regard.
What is novel, in my experience, is that I also break down the report in terms of the types of aid provided to local individuals (without identifying them, of course), and provide dollar amounts, so that people have a more full understanding of how their tzedakah is spent.
I think what you are doing will not only help increase transparency, but will help evaluate the "State of the Union" and see what needs are not being met.
Post a Comment