Welcome to the canvasser portal!

1. Ensuring Jewish Life
Federation strengthens the core of Jewish life in Ottawa, from education and ritual to security and compassionate care. We safeguard our schools and synagogues, support vulnerable community members, and fight antisemitism, ensuring that every Jew can live proudly and safely, regardless of age, background, or geography.

2. Inspiring Jewish Connections
Federation fosters belonging. Through grassroots programs, cultural celebrations, and meaningful partnerships, we’re uniting newcomers and long-time residents, young adults and seniors, interfaith families and everyone in between..

3. Securing the Jewish Future
We empower future leaders, support immersive Jewish experiences, and modernize the ways we give, lead, and engage. From toddlers to teens to tomorrow’s changemakers, we’re building a sustainable future for every generation.

The Jewish Federation of Ottawa is the heartbeat of our community. We raise and distribute funds, strengthen security, fight antisemitism, and support Jewish life, for preschoolers to seniors, from newcomers to long-time leaders.
When you give to Federation, you power it all.

What Your Gift Supports

Jewish Life:
We’re strengthening the foundations of Jewish life in Ottawa, from education and ritual to security and community care. This means safeguarding synagogues and schools, combating antisemitism, and ensuring every person can live a safe and vibrant Jewish life.

Jewish Connections:
We’re deepening Jewish connections from newcomers to lifelong members, from interfaith families to seniors and young adults through cultural celebrations, grassroots engagement, meaningful partnerships and vibrant connections to Israel.

Our Jewish Future:
We’re securing the Jewish future by inspiring the next generation through immersive experiences, investing in leadership development, modernizing how we give, how we lead, and how we serve and by making Jewish life accessible and inclusive.

Through regular allocations and strategic funding, Federation fuels approximately 50 different organizations. Here is the 2024-2025 Financial Report that gives a detailed financial breakdown of how Annual Campaign funds are invested.

Federation’s cost of fundraising is less than 12% of funds raised. We are proud that this percentage is among the lowest for any major non-profit organization in North America. We are able to do this through prudent management and an effective partnership between an efficient professional staff and hundreds of volunteers.

Through community-wide reach and strategy.
Annual Campaign allocations benefit more than 50 organizations in every area of community life: poverty relief, countering antisemitism, Jewish education, supporting Israel and Jews overseas, and more. We have an incomparable network to mobilize and address big challenges in a holistic way. Federation funds work across the full range of our community’s needs. Reach, resources and deep expertise enable Federation to mount a powerful response to any emerging crisis.

The Jewish Federation of Ottawa is the only charity solely dedicated to strengthening Jewish life and supporting the Jewish people locally, in Israel, and around the world. Guided by our new strategic plan, Federation serves as a catalyst for action, a convener of people and organizations, and a connector to opportunities and resources.

When you give to Federation, you invest in a network that sustains Jewish life every day and can mobilize in times of crisis. From combating antisemitism and securing schools and synagogues, to aiding Israel in war and supporting global crises like the Ukraine refugee emergency, Federation is the most effective way to strengthen Jewish life — now and for generations to come

Federation is not a political organization, and we do not take positions on governments or political movements. Our role is to care for people: to support our partner regions in Israel, strengthen Jewish life here in Ottawa, and respond with compassion to humanitarian suffering.

We recognize the immense pain of the recent conflict, for innocent Palestinians in Gaza, and for Israelis who continue to face terror and the trauma of October 7. Through our federated system, we are helping deliver humanitarian aid, supporting victims of terror, and advocating for safety and dignity for Jewish communities everywhere.

• Canada Centre (Merkaz Canada): Flagship community hub with rink and bowling alleys, damaged by rockets; repair supported by Israeli government and Canadian advocacy.

• Mevoot HaHermon Rehabilitation Centre: Therapeutic facility for children and adults with special needs and recovery needs; heavily damaged and set to be rebuilt stronger.

• Mental Health & Resilience (Mashabim): Federation-supported trauma response, with over 1,000 people accessing online mental health services within days.

• On-the-Ground Visits: Canadian Federation leaders and ambassadors visited Metula to assess needs, meet local leaders, and strengthen ties.

• Emergency Response Coordination: Federation ensures funds address urgent relief, mid-term rehabilitation, and long-term resiliency across Metula and the Galilee Panhandle.

If you cannot make the same gift, please do not feel that a smaller gift isn’t important. Every gift is valued. And remember, the pledge you make today isn’t due until December 31, 2026. You can pay your gift in full at that time, or you can pay installments throughout the year.” 

If the person you are speaking to has lost a job, are isolated and need help, then do  NOT proceed with a fundraising ask. Simply listen and conclude with some of the following lines, based on context.
“I’m so sorry to hear about your situation. Please know that we’re here for you and that Federation has a wide network of support in place. Would you like a member of Federation’s team to get in touch with you to see how they may be able to assist?”

If you are able to make a pledge now, bear in mind it can be paid any time between now and the end of December 2026. Your commitment will be included as a part of our planning. You also have the option to make your gift in smaller, monthly increments. For a small amount each month, you can continue strengthening our community and helping those in need.

The Federation funds major beneficiary agencies based on their adherence to our funding formula which mandates that programming serve the Jewish community. Reporting requirements ensure that the Grants and Evaluation Committee review the use and effectiveness of funding. While Federation will share our perspective with agencies, we must respect their independence.

Federation’s mission is to foster an inclusive environment that honours and supports diverse opinions and respectful discourse. Our only concern is to help provide a productive environment that reflects the diversity within our community. We do our best to be supportive of all denominations.

We do not support any particular political leaning and our only concern is to help provide a productive environment that reflects the diversity within our community.

There are many agencies doing great work in our community. We encourage you to make them a part of your charitable giving. At the same time, Federation is the only organization focused on the holistic needs of the Jewish people, and all the issues we face together. That includes improving the well-being of the most vulnerable Jews here in Ottawa and around the world, addressing antisemitism, supporting critical Jewish-identity building programs, and much more. We can’t afford to neglect any of these challenges if we want to ensure our community stays strong, which is why we ask donors to make a gift to the Annual Campaign.

Yes! Please connect with Amos Bitzan at [email protected]; she will be able to offer you possible volunteer opportunities. Thank you!

Federation looks after the broad needs of our community. Thanks to your support, we strengthen more than 50 partner organizations across Ottawa. To maximize the impact of every charitable dollar, we use evidence-based strategies and sometimes make difficult but necessary decisions. This is part of our responsibility to the entire community.

Even beyond direct funding, Federation plays a vital role in supporting Jewish life. We:

• Strengthen organizations by sharing best practices and building capacity.
• Enhance security through training and coordinated support.
• Invest in innovation with initiatives such as microgrants.
• Champion collaboration so agencies and leaders can work together for greater impact.

We recognize and celebrate the incredible work of Jewish organizations across Ottawa, whether funded by Federation or not. We encourage you to support the causes that matter most to you, while also making your annual gift to Federation, the most effective way to strengthen our community as a whole.

Expressing a concern is a good thing. It means the donor is thinking about giving. Concerns are like questions and require logical, honest and compelling answers. Deliver appropriate information, and remember to never argue or suggest that the donor is wrong.

• Recognize the type of concern.

• Identify and address the actual concern. Consider using the feel, felt, found method: “I am sorry that you feel that way, at times I have also felt that ... and I have found …”

• Remember that NO does not always mean NO – it can mean:
“I do not KNOW…” or it can mean
“yes at a future date”
A donor may simply need more time to get back on solid financial footing before being able to give. We can work with a “maybe later.”

• Remember this not personal.

• Use your listening skills: this can be a great indicator of what is really important to the donor.

• Allow the donor to talk, never cut them off.

• React positively: tackle the concern, not the prospective donor. Avoid argumentative language (for example the word “but”).

• Be honest. If you do not have an answer, say so and get back to the donor with the information as soon as possible (this is actually a great opportunity for another conversation!)

• After answering and discussing the concern, restate the suggested amount and wait, then allow the donor to speak.

• If you need support, do not hesitate to contact Michael Reznik at 613-798-4696 x272 or Lindsay Newman at 613-798-4696 x296.

• Always make sure the conversation ends on a positive note (regardless of the outcome).