Mikki Futernick
Mikki Futernick Presented by The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
I came from a family that believed in giving their time to benefit the community. My father was the chairman of the Dade County Welfare Planning Council, which was a precursor to the United Way. My mother started the first Girl Scout Troop for Developmentally Disabled Girls in Dade County. We weren’t wealthy, but my parents felt that they had
to share. They gave small amounts of money to many different charities. As I grew up, I knew that was something I would have to do as well. After I married, I became involved in several community organizations. I am a past president of the National Council of Jewish Women, the Women’s Division of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation (GMJF), and the Israel Children’s Centers, as well as a past chairman of the South Dade Branch of GMJF.
Professionally, I was a fund raising consultant for the Milton Hood Ward Company. My specialty was synagogues. As a professional fund raiser, I helped new congregations raise money to build their synagogues. In doing so, I had to learn a lot about planned gifts, which was considered the way of the future. Demographers told us that women outlive men and will inherit their money. Even though I was working professionally, I was still working as a volunteer. I was the National Lion of Judah Chairman for the United Jewish Appeal (UJA). My idea was to work on a program to educate women and to make sure they left part of their inheritance to their Federation. To get help, I went to our Foundation Director, Penny Marlin, and asked her to help me create a program that would be exciting and viable. We designed a program and then I organized a committee of past presidents to consider the program. They agreed it was something we needed to do, but please don’t think it was easy. There were many obstacles to reaching the final version. After almost a year of monthly meetings, we did it! Now, I had to take the program to the National Board of the UJA Women’s Division. It didn’t pass the first time. I think because the minimum sounded too high. However, I don’t ever take “no” for an answer and kept working on the support materials. At the next meeting of the National Board, it was accepted with no revisions and begun to sell like “hot cakes!” I don’t know why other women chose to endow their Lion gift and frankly, I don’t care as long as they want to, and find the
means to do it. I know our Jewish community will need their money in the future, and I am very, very glad that it will get there…through the Federation movement.
Norma Kipnis Wilson (of blessed memory), Co-creator of the Lion of Judah, with Mikki Futernick
Futernick Family Childhood Development Center building in Or Akiva, Israel
Presented by The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Temple Beth Am AND Rambam Day School
Presented by The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
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