Volunteer Leadership Profile—Neil Pollock and Andrew Merkur
Major Gifts Co-Chairs, Federation Annual Campaign
Every gift directed to Federation Annual Campaign matters, as we all pull together to support the needs of our local and global Jewish communities. Gifts come in all sizes, with those greater than $10,000 designated as major gifts. Neil Pollock and Andrew Merkur are at the helm of Campaign’s Major Gifts portfolio, and pool their business and community experience to build relationships with individual, family and corporate donors in our community. Neil has extensive experience with Federation’s Annual Campaign, serving as a canvasser before becoming Major Gifts co-chair. He has also served on Jewish Federation’s Board of Directors and its CEO search committee.
Helping the Whole Community
The Major Gifts co-chairs are members of the Federation Annual Campaign’s working cabinet, which provides overall leadership to the campaign. The Major Gifts portfolio is focused on face-to-face canvassing and donor cultivation. Neil and Andrew lead the Major Gifts division with the support of a designated campaign staff liaison. They participate in setting division goals for fundraising, increasing the donor base, and developing leaders and successors. They ensure the campaign strategies are being implemented and serve as leaders and ambassadors for the campaign.
For Neil and Andrew, being the Major Gifts co-chairs is about helping our entire community. “By giving our time and financial resources to Jewish Federation, as an umbrella organization, we have the ability to impact many important, diverse institutions. As Campaign’s Major Gifts co-chairs, we can help steer the committee in the right direction through the leadership that Jewish Federation provides.”
An Investment in the Future
For both Neil and Andrew, volunteering has been an investment in our community for present and future generations. “Judaism teaches us communal responsibility. When you live in a community, you don’t live in isolation,” Neil explains. “By staying involved, I’m able to contribute to creating a place that will showcase our Judaism for generations to come and help create a solid Jewish future for our community. By volunteering, I set an example for my kids and have been able to help them realize great satisfaction from giving, sharing, and doing the right thing.”
“It’s very valuable to me to see people’s needs taken care of,” he continues. “Seeing people touched by the work that we’ve done and seeing changes we’ve made happen in our community motivates me to continue to give of my time and financial resources.”