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Anna Marx, executive director of the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia (Photo credit: Robin Matthews)<\/p>\nAnna Marx, executive director of the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia (Photo credit: Robin Matthews)<\/p>\n
For Jewish nonprofit organizations, annual fundraisers often serve as the biggest sources of yearly funding. This is no less true for the Hebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why it is choosing to host its fundraiser online.<\/p>\n
Called Amplify the Impact 2026, this livestreamed \u201cun-event,\u201d as a news release labels it, will still feature attendees; fundraising; a special guest, \u201cGrit\u201d author and University of Pennsylvania professor Angela Duckworth; and a testimonial from a recipient of a Hebrew Free Loan who used the money to cover in vitro fertilization expenses.<\/p>\n
It just won\u2019t require a large in-person venue, food and all the other associated costs. There\u2019s actually very little overhead for this \u201cun-event,\u201d according to Anna Marx, HFL\u2019s executive director.<\/p>\n
That will allow the organization to redirect both the money saved and the proceeds from the event toward its mission: giving out interest-free loans to people experiencing financial hardship. As the release states, \u201c100% of ticket and sponsorship proceeds\u201d will go \u201cdirectly to HFL\u2019s interest-free loan fund.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event is set for Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Marx and the board of directors hope to raise $50,000.<\/p>\n
Since its founding in 1984, HFL has given out over $7 million in loans to families, students and entrepreneurs across nine counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The loans have a 99% repayment rate.<\/p>\n
\u201cHebrew Free Loan Society of Greater Philadelphia is reimagining its annual fundraiser,\u201d the release states.<\/p>\n
The idea came together when Marx and other organizational leaders were discussing how to keep costs low. They also knew that their 2026 event would coincide with the busy High Holiday season.<\/p>\n
The decision to go online \u201ctook away some of the scheduling challenges,\u201d Marx said.<\/p>\n
The executive director is confident that the fundraiser will still net \u201cas much\u201d as the typical annual event. It might even raise more, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s an experiment,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Marx expects Duckworth in particular to be a draw. The Penn professor and psychologist is well-known for her 2016 book, \u201cGrit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Angela Duckworth (Courtesy of Angela Duckworth)<\/p>\n
Despite its academic subject matter, it was written in accessible language, without jargon, offering lessons on the importance of sticking with pursuits. It has sold more than 5 million copies and spent 21 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.<\/p>\n
Duckworth also has a new book, \u201cSituated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best,\u201d which she will discuss during the livestream. Duckworth agreed to talk because she feels that HFL\u2019s mission is \u201cpsychologically sound,\u201d said Marx.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had this connection to Angela Duckworth, who\u2019s just an amazing scholar and public personality. She is friends with one of my board members,\u201d Marx said.<\/p>\n
The executive director also thinks that the borrower story during the event will be compelling.<\/p>\n
Thanks to an interest-free loan, the recipient was able to have a baby after one round of IVF. The national average cost of a round of IVF is over $14,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that every person deserves a chance to rise \u2014 not just survive, but rise. And I know what that takes. It takes people willing to show up. To say, \u2018You matter.\u2019 That\u2019s what Hebrew Free Loan did for me when I was a young father. That\u2019s what we\u2019re trying to do for others,\u201d said Harold F. Marcus, the president of the organization\u2019s board of directors, in the release.<\/p>\n
The nature of this event might allow HFL to fund more borrower stories like that one. If it goes well, it could establish a new standard for the organization at a time when it plans to grow.<\/p>\n