THE ROOKIE RUNS UP THE SCORE
BJF Executive Director Richard Friedman, at right, congratulates intern Daniel Odrezin on completing 50 fundraising solicitations. (Posters in the background celebrate the success of past BJF campaigns.)
By Richard Friedman,
Executive Director
Truth is, I'm dumbfounded. Daniel Odrezin, a rookie no less, has chalked up an incredible streak -- maybe even a Birmingham Jewish Federation record.
Twenty-three-year-old Daniel, who will complete his Birmingham Jewish Federation summer internship at 5 pm Thursday, was assigned the task of doing 50 fundraising solicitations as Update readers know. He surpassed that total, doing 56 -- mainly because as he neared the finish line people wrote him asking to be solicited.
Of the 56, 53 were for the BJF Annual Campaign. (The other three were for Our Next 100 Years.) Of the 53 individuals or families he solicited for the annual campaign, he's heard back from 49 -- all of whom either increased or made a first-time gift.
"Beginner's luck!" I just grumbled rather than let it all go to his head. Of course, I was smiling on the inside, both for him and the BJF. Daniel's solicitations have raised $92,472, including $12,647 in increases and new gifts. Anyone who's raised money knows these are impressive results. And what one donor early on dubbed Daniel's "Nifty Fifty" will continue until 5 pm Thursday even though he's surpassed his goal.
SOMETHING TO BEHOLD
It was something to behold down the stretch as more and more people learned through Update of Daniel's fundraising assignment. "Please ask us for money!" wrote an out of town Update reader who has family in Birmingham. "We love the Birmingham community and would love to be part of your effort!"
Wrote another out of town reader to Daniel, "I have done a fair amount of fundraising. I always tell people not to dread asking for money. 1) You are not asking for yourself. 2) You are asking for a worthy cause. 3) They cannot take your firstborn child!! I will send a small check to the BJF with a notation to credit the gift to your required 50 solicitations. Although small, it will be a new gift to the BJF."
And this came from a Birmingham couple, who Daniel wrote and asked for $100: "We would be honored to make a $500 donation instead and be part of your Nifty Fifty," they wrote back. "I want you to know how much we have enjoyed reading your articles in Update this summer and following your journey."
Daniel also met with a couple a few days ago who increased from $10,000 to $11,000; received a check from another family adding $1000 to their contribution, and received $100 donations from another out of towner and someone in our community who isn't Jewish in response to Update's coverage of his "Nifty Fifty."
FAITH IN THE INSTITUTION
Daniel also learned what every good fundraiser knows. Fundraisers don't "get" gifts. It is donors who give gifts, and as much as they might like the person doing the asking, they ultimately give gifts because of their faith in the institution. "The results of my fundraising were gratifying, of course, on a personal level," said Daniel. "However, more than anything this process and my entire internship demonstrated to me in a very powerful way the great and wonderful work our Federation does."
Daniel's going to be starting his second year of law school at the University of Alabama on Monday. He's gotten hooked on Jewish non-profit work and is going to be shaping the remainder of his law school career accordingly. He'll be taking courses in estate planning, tax law, employment law, religion & the law etc. He plans to develop a model that integrates a legal background and non-profit work.
However, he has promised us that even after he returns to school -- and begins focusing on his classes and, of course, football (he's a huge Alabama fan) -- he's going to remember us folks here at the BJF and continue doing solicitations.
"I'm going to keep soliciting," he promised. "It will be my pleasure! So anyone who would like me to solicit them for the coming 2011 BJF Campaign, please email me at danielo@bjf.org. Unless I'm in class, studying or at a football game, I will get back to you immediately!"
