tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post8301281554290983253..comments2024-03-24T05:22:27.179-04:00Comments on Orthonomics: Don't Hate!Orthonomicshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892074485262548496noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-36009028607382112882016-11-26T23:01:59.780-05:002016-11-26T23:01:59.780-05:00It is very sad that I am getting spammed by the gr...It is very sad that I am getting spammed by the group DerechEmet-owner@yahoogroups.com, this is a hillul Hashem and terrible. I try to opt out and the link does not work. Someone should really be ashamed of themselves... prosecuted and jailed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-88162960249222732062011-07-11T17:37:37.514-04:002011-07-11T17:37:37.514-04:00>If the blog is supposed to be about making fin...>If the blog is supposed to be about making financial choices, how do you deal with a segment that won't make compromises, and looks to other segments to make up the difference?<<br /><br />What happens in a mixed community like mine, when those not willing to compromise with reality need the local tzedakah orgs to bail them out and there's no money for the chumps like me who might fall on hard times here or there or have a medical emergency where we need, r'l, a helping hand?<br /><br />btw, the Word Verification that I have to type is 'synat'. Go figure!! :( / :)Dovynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-88440142481635475632011-07-07T12:18:54.073-04:002011-07-07T12:18:54.073-04:00I sent my child to public school because it was th...I sent my child to public school because it was the best choice for her. However, I have personally seen at least one other family, who also chose public school, cover it up.( I only know about it because my daughter saw their child there!). I have also seen another family choose the "socially unacceptable" day school and at that child's Bat Mitzvah, they sat there thanking the principal of the "socially acceptable" one. My child, at the time also went to the socially unacceptable school-so I was horrified at their cover up and have never felt respect towards that family again.<br />I may not have the guts to confront Rabbis etc over the sustainability of day school and its tuition implications, but I freely tell people where my child goes to school and I do not cover it up when my child goes to the socially unacceptable school ( which was a much ,much better school) and I do tell people that my daughter went to Public school ( she has since graduated and I have no regrets- and yes she is frum!).<br />As SL says, I answer honestly and confidently, so others may know that they too ultimately, have a choice!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-54566138411857339892011-07-07T12:08:09.232-04:002011-07-07T12:08:09.232-04:00Any community that has more than one school will b...Any community that has more than one school will be split in their support of those schools. The more senior members of the community may be more willing to donate to their grandchildren's schools (or may already be paying those grandchildren's tutions) than the local community schools. While I have a serious problem with more and bigger social halls, and Hatzholah dispatch centers being built, I have no idea how to get people to give that money to Jewish schools instead. The Jewish future will not be assured by social halls or by Hatzolah, but it may very well be by Jewish education. Living in Brooklyn, though, I am fairly certain that anyone (other than my family)donating to a Jewish school will not be donating to a school my children attend--modern, co-ed, emphasizing strong secular academics along with Judaic studies.Bklynmomnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-40475607728916393402011-07-07T11:51:10.521-04:002011-07-07T11:51:10.521-04:00Thanks all for your comments. I don't really i...Thanks all for your comments. I don't really intend to do "direct mail". I intend to do individual letters, written personally, on school stationary. I will volunteer to do the writing, mailing, and pay for 44 cent stamps. Why? Because the first thing I do when I see a bulk mail stamp on an envelope is throw it out. I also throw out any envelope where my name is on a label. Anything that looks like a mass mailing, throw out. I plan to hand address every envelope and enlist my large family to help.<br /><br />Thanks for the advice about how to speak to people without children. As someone in that position myself, I do not look at childlessness as a tragedy as you do. I do not view people without children as nebechs. Thanks for all the advice, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-8169578771841746082011-07-07T11:48:38.346-04:002011-07-07T11:48:38.346-04:00When I was single, I supported a lot of shul progr...When I was single, I supported a lot of shul programming. I gave a bit to schools to. <br /><br />Before we had kids in school, we paid regular dues and a few extras to the shul and gave to area schools.<br /><br />Now that we have kids in schools, we give what is left to give after paying basic shul membership to organizations that help people stay afloat such as bikur cholim ad tomchai.<br /><br />If my anon poster succeeds in getting more people to support K-12, great.Orthonomicshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07892074485262548496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-46822734761140074052011-07-07T11:30:12.300-04:002011-07-07T11:30:12.300-04:00Targeting childless alumni:
Pretty straight-forwa...Targeting childless alumni:<br /><br />Pretty straight-forward. You talk about historical events that happened at the school and how wonderful it is providing opportunities like the ones that they received for other children.<br /><br />There is no reason to get into their childless state, that's creepy, they don't need to know that that is why you are targeting them.<br /><br />Targeting childless community members:<br /><br />You give a story about some great Tzaddik that funded a Yeshiva for the children of the poor and how wonderful it was, acknowledge that they don't have children in your school, but talk about the good works you do in the community.<br /><br />It's all about what you'll do with the money and why they should give to you, it's not about them and their fortune/misfortune.Miami Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977503720972852329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-7354131984005457802011-07-07T09:58:41.113-04:002011-07-07T09:58:41.113-04:00Additionally, a school which is free to accept and...Additionally, a school which is free to accept and reject children seemingly at whim cannot truly be called a communal institution. While it is true that private schools can set their own standards, it could be insulting to hit up those parents whose children would neve be accepted into the school.<br />We have to decide if our schools are truly communal institutions or not. A shul is a communal institution because anyone can daven there without a lengthy interview, questions about lifestyle choices, or a background check into the attendees' lineage and finances. The same cannot be said of many schools.AztecQueen2000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-74060561628311324202011-07-07T09:44:40.761-04:002011-07-07T09:44:40.761-04:00Please be very careful about how you target the ch...Please be very careful about how you target the childless. Remember that most of those without children are already going through a lot of silent misery due to their childless or single status. Some may be spending a fortune on fertility treatments or attempts at adoption. Some who are childless because they are young and are saving up before starting a family so that they can be self-sufficient should not be expected to deplete their savings for those who chose a different path. Those who are older may realize that they need to save a lot more for retirement/disability, etc. than those with children because there will be no one to move in with in the event of hard times and no one to care for them - do basic chores, drives to dr. appointments, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, etc. when they are too old/sick to do so so they will need to pay for people to do what grown children would otherwise do for their parents.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-67277235603483179762011-07-07T09:30:44.738-04:002011-07-07T09:30:44.738-04:00Direct Mail is REALLY REALLY REALLY hard.
If done...Direct Mail is REALLY REALLY REALLY hard.<br /><br />If done wrong, you pay first class postage and get clobbered. If done right, it can work.<br /><br />The math isn't hard:<br /><br />Response Rate X Price (average donation) = Revenue<br />Printing + Postage = Cost<br /><br />Plus the fixed costs of developing printed materials and testing to see what works.<br /><br />Shooting a letter to all alumni, cheap. Maximizing the profits after expenses, hard.<br /><br />Not sure how well Frum charities do with the direct response game. A bunch do it, so that would imply that it works, but given how many Frum charities are shell games to enrich the insiders, they might break even or lose money but give "parnossah" to their brother in law, the printer.Miami Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977503720972852329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-59524049410443774672011-07-06T19:35:56.217-04:002011-07-06T19:35:56.217-04:00Tesyaa, that's a good point. That's why I ...Tesyaa, that's a good point. That's why I will I've been thinking of asking the administrators at the school that they involve a professional marketing company owned by a religious member of the community to get some advice. We will enlist whatever professionals are willing to help on a pro bono basis. <br /><br />My issue at this point is, how do I identify the demographic of childless members of the Jewish orthodox community? How do I cross-reference the Eiruv directory with the alumni list? The Eiruv directory tells me who is not married. The alumni directory will tell me the strength of their potential interest in the school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-72212081698134985542011-07-06T16:56:02.606-04:002011-07-06T16:56:02.606-04:00Anon, you didn't stop the conversation dead in...Anon, you didn't stop the conversation dead in its tracks. Threads peter out on their own, and most regular readers had already had their say. If you want more of a response, why not offer a guest post?<br /><br />I was intrigued by your line saying "I know nothing about direct mail - but it can't be that hard to learn." Maybe, maybe not, but some direct mail professionals might look askance at that statement.tesyaanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-87538539859813416002011-07-06T16:35:34.348-04:002011-07-06T16:35:34.348-04:00Good luck!Good luck!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-80450983124098370822011-07-06T16:26:40.059-04:002011-07-06T16:26:40.059-04:00Honestly? Knock yourself out.
I don't think ...Honestly? Knock yourself out. <br /><br />I don't think the math works out (figure the number of childless people in the frum community, figure scope of the problem, and add in the annual increase in tuition costs, and you are at best treading water -- if you managed a miracle), any more than NNJKIDS math works out. <br /><br />But it's not my effort, and it's not my money, so go for it.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391023891253673160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-3690733065462610692011-07-06T16:08:25.425-04:002011-07-06T16:08:25.425-04:00I'm Anonymous 6:45, 7:11 and 9:16. My posts se...I'm Anonymous 6:45, 7:11 and 9:16. My posts seem to have led to a long period of silence. I have single-handedly and unintentionally stopped the conversation dead in its tracks. Come on, isn't the idea of volunteer fundraising for my school a "fantasy", at the very least unrealistic, at worst, lunacy? Or is it so realistic that it is beyond criticism? I can't believe that!<br /><br />My conversation with the Development Director of my school was productive. He was glad to speak to someone who was interested in raising money, targeted to a specific demographic. He is giving my name and number to the Ladies Auxiliary head, and I hope we can brainstorm together how to fundraise among people who don't have children in the school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-57198193843074805012011-07-05T21:16:54.547-04:002011-07-05T21:16:54.547-04:00I'm not afraid to do things differently. I hav...I'm not afraid to do things differently. I have nothing of the sheep in me. I plan to call the Executive Director of my former school and ask him whether the demographic I've described has been targeted, and if not, discuss how to identify people who don't have children in the school but would be interested in contributing. I will offer my organizing abilities as a volunteer. I can write a mailing piece and the office staff can send it out to people identified (for example, through the Eiruv directory) as the target demographic. By the way, I know nothing about direct mail - but it can't be that hard to learn. I'll quickly find out from the Executive Director if this has already been tried, if there's no point in proceeding. But I'm an action person, and the pervasive negativity that I see here - oh, this can't be done, no one will go against the crowd, single people won't give money - you all have challenged me to a task I never would have considered if in a more benign environment. I was born to do what others don't. I may have found a cause.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-89413816753177142902011-07-05T19:32:10.989-04:002011-07-05T19:32:10.989-04:00Anon 7:11 (please choose a name. Makes conversatio...Anon 7:11 (please choose a name. Makes conversations easier),<br /><br />Oh, I know. Tuition can crowd out nearly everything else, even - especially when - the family is being responsible. I have friends who are responsible, and it means that they are living in a tiny/undesirable house or an apartment and working longer hours/multiple jobs and don't have the iDevices and vacations and time home with their children that their neighbors do. <br /><br />Expanding the donor base is definitely a worthy goal, both to people without children, people with grown children, and people outside our specific branch of Orthodoxy (this is something the RW do well, asking MO for money. MO used to do a better job asking unaffiliated Jews for money, they don't seem to even try any more other than invite the honoree's coworkers to the dinner). <br /><br />I'm all for fundraising and lowering costs. But at the end of the day, people have to make decisions on what do to with their lives and their money. There is way too much sheepism, where people are afraid to do things differently from the communal norm. Sometimes the norm "bar" is simply set too high. Sometimes people need to understand that they aren't "normal enough" and need to choose their own path. Aliyah, home schooling, choosing lower cost schools, public school + tutors, moving to a lower cost area, changing your career, lowering your expenses... there are almost always options available. I'm not for a minute suggesting that you won't need help from Above even if you change your circumstances, but hanging out and waiting for Eisav to come and kill you is no way to plan. You split the camp, send gifts, and then you pray.Avi Greengarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14267040237664555562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-1236865679094472912011-07-05T19:22:59.300-04:002011-07-05T19:22:59.300-04:00What makes you think aunts and uncles and extended...What makes you think aunts and uncles and extended families have not been appealed to? Schools make a real effort to reach out to people they view as possible sources of cash.<br /><br />Why not offer your extended family money in a direct way, as a gift?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-81629578097194341072011-07-05T19:11:40.278-04:002011-07-05T19:11:40.278-04:00Avi, I reread your post. I'm not talking about...Avi, I reread your post. I'm not talking about one philanthropist, but about a lot of smaller donors from a source previously untapped and unappealed to - people who don't have children in the schools but who are aunts and uncles and extended family, people without children of their own. What's the argument against asking, organizing, an appeal to people who can afford to help but are not aware of the need? When I see my extended family with 7 and 8 children, and I see the way they live - I'm not seeing lattes, expensive vacations, expensive anything. I'm seeing a lifestyle stripped to the essentials. We without children have more money, those with children have more happiness. Maybe we can make a fair exchange?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-47897033880430893742011-07-05T18:45:31.042-04:002011-07-05T18:45:31.042-04:00More cynicism. As a childless graduate of a midwes...More cynicism. As a childless graduate of a midwestern day school with discretionary income, I would be happy to give my school $1000 for tuition scholarships. I would also be happy to organize a mailing to all the school's graduates who are in my position - without overwhelming responsibilities - asking them to join me in giving our school $1000 earmarked for scholarships for large families. Why doesn't someone give up their summer vacation and do this? Hey - why don't I???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-20891917710513788902011-07-05T17:41:40.105-04:002011-07-05T17:41:40.105-04:00It might be a bit controversial to give to a schoo...<i>It might be a bit controversial to give to a school that calls you a Jewish goy.</i><br /><br />Be fair. If you're wealthy enough, you're just one check away from turning "Jewish goy" into "teyere yiddishe neshuma".Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391023891253673160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-50267840306413237932011-07-05T17:39:45.860-04:002011-07-05T17:39:45.860-04:00Why is it hard to imagine that a donor would be wi...Why is it hard to imagine that a donor would be willing to fund a social hall rather than a scholarship fund? The social hall is only a one time commitment, and usually a manageable amount for someone fairly wealthy (judging from the naming rights shuls sell, most big donors to shuls are in the $50K - $100K range). In the fantasy above, you are asking for someone to come up with $2 million every year indefinitely just to partially fund one school! You'd need to be a billionaire to have any real impact on a broad scale. In your fantasy, who's the billionaire? And who's the billionaire for the kids in Queens and Teaneck and Skokie and... Besides, throwing money at problems is not always the best way to solve them. There's no guarantee that people will go to your subsidized school. There's a subsidized girls high school here that is in danger of closing due to low enrollment. What's the problem with it? I have no idea. I just know that being less than half the cost of the other school isn't good enough. Even the Bill Gates Foundation -- with the combined wealth of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett -- isn't trying to spend its way to better education, it's funding studies to find what methods are most effective.<br /><br />Besides, in my neighborhood there are plenty of people who could afford full tuition if they hadn't bought more house/car/camp/latte than they could afford knowing that they would have tuition expenses. <br /><br />Or they would have more income if they chose to work more, but the schools discourage working more by refusing to offer aftercare that would enable both parents to work a full day. They also do themselves no favors by offering scholarships to parents with no sense of personal responsibility -- any additional income "just goes to the school." Yeah, it does. And it's your responsibility to pay your own bills, so get moving. Oh, wait, there I was being all judgmental again.Avi Greengarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14267040237664555562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-4048706367740303172011-07-05T17:36:56.102-04:002011-07-05T17:36:56.102-04:00Let's see, school's often have a Hashkafa ...Let's see, school's often have a Hashkafa that is to the right of the parent body that sends there, since parents are comfortable with a more right wing orientation as "more frum" and nervouse of a left wing orientation as "not religious enough."<br /><br />Big donors tend to be older, wealth accumulates over time, not having children in the school, and likely are to the left, since communities slide rightward as younger and more rightwing families move in.<br /><br />It might be a bit controversial to give to a school that calls you a Jewish goy.Miami Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977503720972852329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-28178604919556430232011-07-05T17:25:39.721-04:002011-07-05T17:25:39.721-04:00When the schools wont open their books it makes it...When the schools wont open their books it makes it hard to want to give to them.aunt of nephew aka female life actuarynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21976303.post-16749136371325376182011-07-05T17:20:56.653-04:002011-07-05T17:20:56.653-04:00But why giving to the schools would be controversi...<i>But why giving to the schools would be controversial is hard to understand. </i><br /><br />Well, they aren't really communal institutions. Or rather, in many cases, they are communal institutions when it serves them to be, and they are private institutions when it serves them to be.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391023891253673160noreply@blogger.com