Convening and Collaborating

Convening & Collaborating

The bedrock of the Federation’s work to support Jewish life in the Bay Area is convening our partners and collaborating with them to build Jewish community. 

We believe that there is an inherent and deep value to Jewish life, and we strive for a creative, diverse, welcoming and active Jewish community with thriving institutions, cultural and spiritual entrepreneurs, and many portals to Jewish life and community.

By deepening partnerships with local agencies and synagogues, donors, philanthropists, and others who share our vision, we feel we can have the greatest possible impact within our Bay Area Jewish community. Such collaborations – coming together, sharing knowledge, engaging in thoughtful discourse – serve as the foundation for a flourishing Jewish community imbued with the richness of Jewish tradition.

Some examples of our work convening and collaborating:

  • Communities of Practice bring together lay leaders and professionals at Jewish nonprofits to meet regularly for professional development, mentoring, and networking. Serving finance professionals, program officers, and everything in between, the groups also help upgrade planned giving and fundraising skills.
  • The Irving Rabin 2016 Community Building Mission to Israel, a Federation pilot program in partnership with philanthropist, Varda Rabin, convened leaders from 24 Bay Area Jewish organizations. The trip focused on community building and deepening relationships among community partners who are committed to pluralism, building community, and supporting Jewish life.
  • Day of Philanthropy, the Federation’s flagship annual philanthropic event, convenes our community's greatest philanthropic assets – our donors, leaders, and tax & estate planning professional advisors – to connect, to explore personal, technical, and cutting-edge issues that impact philanthropy today, and to inspire our collective impact. The day-long activities include the community luncheon with a renowned keynote speaker and a community leader honoree, plus afternoon philanthropic workshops and a reception.