Faces behind the Data

By Yocheved Gottesman, Grantwriter at IsraelGrants

I was at my neighbor’s apartment one Friday night when her newly married daughter-in-law was there. As we conversed lightly, I asked her about her work. I had been aware that this young lady, while being well trained in computer programming, had encountered considerable difficulty finding a job. After many months of looking for a job, she had finally found work.

“I work at NetSource in Beit Shemesh and I really enjoy it,” was her reply. NetSource. The name rang a bell. Of course! NetSource is one of Temech’s projects!

As the IsraelGrants account manager for Temech, a Jerusalem-based nonprofit, I have written grant proposals for their Employer Based Training Program, a groundbreaking project which identifies employers willing to commit to hiring Chareidi women following specialized training under Temech’s auspices. The participants are ultimately integrated in the company’s work force.

“Oh, that’s Temech’s project,” I commented knowingly. She nodded enthusiastically. “That’s right! They’re unbelievable! They created a customized department especially for us. There’s a great bunch of religious women there. It’s because of them that I have this job! Do you know them? Do you know Yael?”

Do I know them? I’ve written countless grant proposals, letters, and PR materials for Temech. Of course I know who Temech is! Of course I know what they do! Of course I know all about their EBT Program!

Yes, I know who Temech is. But thanks to my neighbor, I have now come to know the personal angle of Temech. It’s not just about numbers and facts, geographical regions and interest areas, goals and objectives, income and expense figures. It’s about real people whose lives are being changed for the better. It’s about real women who are able to utilize their intelligence and training in a work place that respects their values and lifestyle. It’s about women who feel empowered by a satisfying job and respectable income.

Describing goals and objectives on paper, classifying and contacting potential funders, doing mathematical gymnastics on project budgets… It can get overwhelming and to be honest, at times, tedious. But when facing a smiling, intelligent, young Chareidi woman who is talking enthusiastically about her stimulating job and extolling Temech’s merits, I felt gratified to be having a share in their work.

When a large grant was approved for Temech a few weeks after this encounter, I celebrated not just the successful outcome of my efforts, but also how it would enhance the lives of countless others out there!

איך להפוך "לא" ל"כן"

לפני מספר שנים, ליוויתי תורם פוטנציאלי בביקורו בפרויקטים בשטח. אחד מהמקומות אותם פקדנו, היה כפר הנוער עיינות. צוות הכפר הציג בפנינו תוכנית להכשרה מקצועית עם מסלול מיוחד להכשרת שפים עתידיים. לאחר הביקור, התורם העביר ביקורת נוקבת בנוגע לרמת התחזוקה של המטבח וכליו, ובנוגע להיבטים אחרים של התוכנית. 

לאחר מכן, העברתי למנהל הכפר את הערותיו של התורם הפוטנציאלי והוא נעלב והגיב בהתגוננות. הוא טען כי מי שאינו מתמצא בהשקעה הרבה שהשקיעו  בתוכנית, אינו רשאי לבקר אותה כה קשות. במחשבה שנייה, הוא הסיק כי אכן בעיות אלה ראויות להתייחסות ולתיקון לפני כל פנייה נוספת לבקשת מימון. במשך השנתיים הבאות, המנהל שמר על קשר עם התורם ועדכן אותו לגבי השינויים אותם הנהיגו בכפר כתוצאה מהביקורת שלו. בחודש שעבר, התורם הסכים  לבקר שוב בכפר ואף זכה לטעום מארוחת מלכים אשר התקיימה במטבח מצוחצח, מעשה ידיהם של התלמידים במגמה, לבושי מדים לבנים נקיים להפליא. כל אחד מהשפים הצעירים הכין מנה נפרדת, תאר את המנה, דיבר על הרקע האישי שלו ועל תכניותיו לעתיד. לאחר הארוחה, הפנייה לתורם כללה בקשה למענק של $20,000. מוסר ההשכל: לפעמים התשובה "לא" כשהיא מתקבלת ברוח הנכונה, יכולה להפוך ל"כן", אם נקשיב עם אוזן קשובה לביקורת.     

Transforming "No" into "Yes"

A couple of years ago, I went on a site visit with a major donor. One of the places that we visited was Ayanot Youth Village. There they presented an employment training project with a culinary track for training future chefs. Following the visit, the donor had serious criticism of the program relating to the poor level of maintenance of the kitchen and equipment, as well as other elements of the program.

Following the visit, I shared the potential donor's comments with the director of the institution who felt insulted and reacted defensively, feeling that certainly someone who had so little knowledge of the work that had been invested to develop the program, was out of line to criticize so severely. On further reflection, he came to the conclusion that these were indeed issues that should be addressed before applying for funding.

During the next two years, the director kept in touch with the donor, updating him with changes that had been instituted as a direct result of his constructive criticism. Last month, the donor agreed to visit the youth village, and was treated to a dinner fit for a king, held in the spotless kitchen, prepared by the students decked out in their pristine white uniforms. Each young chef had prepared a different dish, and each in turn described the dish, as well as his or her background and vision for the future. The meal was followed up by a successful request for a grant of $20,000. The moral of the story is that sometimes a no, when taken with the right spirit, can be turned into a yes, by being responsive to the criticism.