By Richard Friedman, Executive Director

Ok, we admit it. We're a little nervous. We've accepted one of the most demanding fundraising challenges in our history. It's called Operation Grassroots.

A wonderful donor, who already gives generously to our Birmingham Jewish Federation Annual Campaign, has offered an additional $100,000, contingent on us raising ONE THOUSAND new gifts and increases of at least $100 dollars!

This will be a tough task. We only have 950 donor families to begin with and know that some of these folks won't be increasing their pledges. Some will, of course, and, in fact, already have, including increases beyond the $100 threshhold. Still, we are going to have to come up with at least several hundred new donors who will consider a first-time gift of at least $100.

We're already working on it. BJF Campaign Chair Randi Landy who is chairing the campaign with her gastroenterologist husband, Dr. Dave Landy, has been brainstorming with BJF staffer Lauren Klinner and myself. In fact, just from writing about it on Facebook and in Update, and telling a few folks about Operation Grassroots, we've already received 31 increases and new gifts of at least $100.

That's the good news. The other news is that we still have 969 to go! These initial responses, however, have left us upbeat.

These Operation Grassroots pledge increases and new gifts already have come from a broad spectrum of donors. They include three students at the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, who brought in money they had saved; a 22-year-old member of our Jewish community who made a first-time gift of $100; an out-of-town donor who has family in Birmingham and who became aware of this effort; another one of our young adults, who, on top of making a large endowment commitment, still increased by $100, and others.

The diversity of these responses suggests that once we formally launch Operation Grassroots on Jan. 1, it has the potential to succeed. The array of respondents has been heartening as we continue our "test marketing." We are going about it slowly, deliberately, to be sure that we are delivering our message clearly and effectively. And yes, it is fun!

LIFTING THE BJF

In addition to raising money, we have an opportunity through Operation Grassroots to LIFT our Federation to a higher level. LIFT -- Leadership Initiatives For Tomorrow -- is a new strategy we've introduced at The BJF; wherever possible our concepts and undertakings will be designed to build for the future. Through Operation Grassroots we have the opportunity to expand our donor base significantly and enlist hundreds of new givers as partners in our holy work!

We may not have every aspect of Operation Grassroots pinned down, but we do know that we are going to give it our all. At The BJF, we constantly encourage one another to "dig deeper and reach higher" and this will be one of those times.

In Randi and Dave Landy, we have two great campaign chairs -- two of the nicest, caring and most sincere volunteers I've ever worked with. Randi never ends a conversation without expressing her gratitude for the opportunities extended to her by The BJF to play a leadership role in our organization. She is a grateful and gracious person; with determination and a sense of humor, as is Dave.

So stay tuned -- "Root for Operation Grassroots" -- and please start thinking about how you can be part of the 1000 folks we're hoping will increase or make a new gift of at least $100.

For less than $2 a week -- that's all it takes to make a new gift or increase of $100 -- you can help us do two things: access a $100,000 challenge grant and make BJF history!

Photo is of 2012 BJF Campaign Chairs Randi and Dave Landy.