Toby Warticovschi (pronounced war-tee-kov-ski) is the vice chair of development for Jewish Federation of St. Louis and is working closely with Joe Pereles, who is Federation’s chair of the 2023 annual campaign. Warticovski, a 53-year-old married father of four daughters, is a partner at a private equity firm (Millstone Capital Advisors) and attends Congregation B’nai Amoona. The Jewish Light recently caught up with him to ask about the campaign, its importance and why he got involved.
Why is it important for St. Louis Jewish community members to support Federation’s 2023 annual campaign?
As Jews, it is essential for us to take care of our own community. No one else is going to take care of our needs if we don’t. By supporting the Federation, we work to ensure that no member of our community is left struggling or falling behind and that we stand united in helping one another.
The impact of the Federation’s work is directly tied to the financial resources we raise. By contributing to the annual campaign, we empower Federation to respond effectively to the growing needs of our community.
Together, we can make a significant and positive impact on the lives of our community members, fulfilling the fundamental principle of taking care of our own.
What kind of outreach are you doing in terms of attracting new donors and younger donors?
We are growing our team and looking for new ways to specifically focus on younger donors and how to reach them. We want to understand the philanthropic interest of our donors and work to identify the best opportunities for them, whether that be through giving their time, knowledge or other resources.
Federation is constantly developing new programs and events to connect with our community and create opportunities for engagement. Whether it is a YPD (Young Professionals Division) Happy Hour or a Jewish History Community Bike Ride, we want to make it easy to get involved. We are also making giving to Federation as easy as possible through a new online giving platform.
With the current political unrest in Israel, are you noticing any backlash in terms of local community members not wanting to support Federation because it supports so many agencies and organizations in the Jewish state?
Israel is the one and only place on earth that is the Jewish home today and we need to do everything in our power to make sure that endures for generations to come. It is our mission, our duty and our obligation to protect this treasure.
We don’t support the Israeli government directly; this is a common misconception. We support specific organizations, whose missions and outcomes are aligned with Federation’s mission of enhancing Jewish life in Israel.
We also prioritize local needs to ensure we fill as many of the community needs as possible first before supporting the needs of organizations/programs abroad. This is a Jewish value that comes from the Torah.
What impact has COVID had on giving? Are large donors still giving as much as before the pandemic?
We have generous major donors and beyond who have continued to give through COVID. And, when a crisis like COVID happens or the war in Ukraine, we have special campaigns where we raise funds quickly to make an immediate impact.
Overall giving has been flat, which is a decrease because of inflation. This is a reality that has been the case for the last five years. Where we have seen an increase is in legacy giving and maybe COVID made more people think about their legacy and ways to honor their tradition, which is another important Jewish value.
When and why did you first get involved in the St. Louis Jewish community and what made you want to spearhead the annual campaign?
In 1987, I came to St. Louis from Colombia (South America) to attend WashU. When I graduated and started working here, I felt alone. I did not have a sense of belonging to the local Jewish community, but I knew Federation existed, so I reached out to meet people and get involved. Today I am surrounded on our board of directors, our board executive committee and by so many donors who are friends from my early days in YPD, have a strong personal and professional network, and most importantly, met my wife at a YPD/Federation event. I feel incredibly blessed and can’t imagine what my life would be like if I had not reached out to the JFED. I give of my time and resources because I believe there are others in our community who also have needs for connection/meaning.
