Fear Mixes With Optimism as Top Jewish Donors Gather

Participants expressed a general sense that giving would stabilize along with the recovering financial markets mixed with notes of gloom at the Jewish Funders Network’s annual conference, which wrapped up Tuesday in Phoenix, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency writes.

Following a dismal 2009, in which the downturn and fallout from the Bernard Madoff fraud slashed giving to Jewish charities, a third of the more than 200 conference participants intend to increase spending this year, according to a survey by the network.

But donor adviser Phyllis Cook predicted 2010 would be “tougher and more painful” for nonprofit groups. Jeff Solomon, president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Family Foundation, said that while donors in the $25,000-$100,000 range are feeling more confident, truly high-end grant makers are less likely to increase their allocations.