Iantha Sidell to Lead New Gifts Initiative

• The power to make our community the best
• Focusing on goals, setting priorities
• Empowering our donors to make Seattle a stellar example to all other Jewish communities
• Through philanthropy we can make Seattle a great place to be Jewish

These are the messages that Iantha Sidell wants members of Seattle's Jewish community to absorb through her role as New Gifts Initiative Chair for the Jewish Federation.

Iantha, a past Jewish Federation Board Chair and respected community member, is leading this effort to reach out and engage new people from all sectors of the Jewish community with the intent of showing them how their support can impact Jewish life in Seattle and beyond.

"It is exciting to share our new philanthropic options with members of the community," Iantha noted. "For people who have not connected with the Federation previously, or perhaps not in a long time, it's a pleasure to speak with them about how they can help enhance and improve Jewish life in our community. The new gifts initiative is an invitation to them to learn about the philanthropic choices they have with the Jewish Federation to support the communal priorities about which they care the most."

Iantha and her team of volunteers will be reaching out to potential supporters at all levels with the goal of raising $150,000 in new gifts for the 2012 Campaign. "While we have an ambitious financial objective, our real intent is to build and strengthen relationships with donors who care about Jewish life," she noted. "It is about building a better Jewish community today and for future generations."

"We are thrilled to have Iantha leading this effort," said David Chivo, Vice President of the Center for Jewish Philanthropy. "Her passion for the Jewish Federation and the Jewish community are infectious and through her efforts she is sure to engage more people in the Federation's mission."