Penny and Jim Deshur must believe in the adage that two heads are better than one. The longtime Milwaukee Jewish Federation volunteers will serve as general chairs of the annual Community Campaign 2004.
The campaign theme is “Together, we make it possible… we can’t do it without you.” According to Penny, “Obviously, the theme is designed to motivate the entire community to participate in the fundraising effort. But for Jim and me, it has special meaning. We’re the first husband and wife team to chair the campaign, and as such we will definitely spend a lot time together over the next two years. While it is a consuming job, hopefully we will be able to find other things to talk about at the dinner table.”
In a recent interview, the Deshurs agreed that their biggest challenge is to raise more money to meet the increasing programming needs of Jews in Milwaukee, overseas and in Israel. MJF’s Campaign Cabinet recommended a goal of $8 million, which the couple believes is a realistic increase from the close to $7.6 million raised last year.
Jim noted, “Unfortunately, the campaign has been down or flat for the past 10 years, causing agencies to cut programs and services. We hope to turn that around by sending the message to donors that we all have an obligation to support our community.”
The Deshurs said their goal is to broaden the donor base. “We can’t rely on the generosity of a few to support the community’s needs,” Jim said. “It seems that it’s the same people who support the federation, temples, JCC and other community organizations. With many older people moving away or passing away, this pattern has to change.”
Penny said they plan to make the campaign more personal by showing donors pictures of those who benefit from campaign dollars. “I think donors will be moved to increase their gift if they see where their money is going and what it is buying. Our job is to better educate the donor base.”
And that involves training the volunteer workers. “It sounds trite, but we need to get the workers to feel the pain and to communicate it to the donors,” Penny said.
“There are some donors who give large gifts to the local arts community and small donations to the federation campaign. While I support the entire community, the fact is that only Jews care about other Jews. We have to help our donors feel this in their hearts,” Jim said.
Another focus, said the couple, will be to meet with donors who once supported the campaign but have stopped contributing and to find out why that is the case. “Hopefully,” Jim said, “we’ll be able to bring them back.”
Agency incentive added
A new incentive for the federation’s constituent agencies has also been incorporated into this campaign. Penny explained, “Half of any new gift acquired by a member of an agency board will go toward that agency once the gift is collected. We want to encourage agency users, not just federation donors, to pitch in. Again, through education, we need to help agency users understand that their dues alone aren’t enough to cover the cost of the programs.”
The couple also recognizes that pace is crucial to the campaign. Admitting that they think the campaign runs too long, their goal is to have a more defined beginning and end.
“Donors often say they’ve just been solicited only to find out it was for the previous campaign,” said Jim. “We want to get the momentum rolling next week and target the campaign for six weeks. If the volunteers make their calls, it can be done.”
“And, on November 3, said Penny, “we are planning to celebrate our campaign achievement to-date with a special performance by the Capitol Steps, a troupe of congressional staffers turned comedians who satirize the political scene. This will be a great incentive for everyone to make their pledges by this date.”
Though the couple acknowledges never having worked together before, they have both held major leadership positions. Both were president of Brynwood Country Club — with Penny being the first woman to hold the position. In addition, she was president and campaign chair of the MJF Women’s Division while Jim served as an associate (general) campaign chair last year and has chaired several campaign divisions.
“Though we’re just beginning our task, we have a lot of respect for our predecessors who have chaired the campaign alone while holding down full-time jobs. But so far so good,” Penny quipped.
Recognizing that she and Jim have different perspectives, Penny said, “[T]hat probably adds a sense of balance to our combined ability to get the job done. Jim looks at things from a business perspective while I come from a more emotional point of view. We seem to be able to play off his business tactics and my emotional approach.”
Jim added, “It’s great to share this because we can bounce ideas off each other to come up with better ones.”
Both are excited about the Campaign Cabinet, which they called “a blend of associate chairs, past chairs and young leaders. We have a great team that is committed to increasing the number of donors and to encouraging more people to be involved.”
Jim said, “The federation cannot continue to provide all the services and programs our community has to offer without the support of more of its members. In the past couple of years, we haven’t raised any money for new programs and services. Still, we believe, ‘Together, we make it possible.’”
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