JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER ATLANTA

"A high level of professionalism which elevates us"

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta is to care for, connect and strengthen the Jewish community throughout greater Atlanta, Israel and the world. For more than a century, Jewish Atlanta has been the philanthropic heart and soul of Atlanta’s Jewish community. It has evolved from being primarily a fundraising organization to the convener of an expansive and dynamic Jewish ecosystem. In addition to its own wide range of initiatives, the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta links individuals with community agencies offering: financial resources; assistance to aging, disabled and LGBTQ populations; mental health services; and many other resources. In addition to its own grantmaking programs to facilitate community impact, Federation’s Atlanta Jewish Foundation offers donor-advised and other charitable funds to provide compassionate people with flexible options to achieve their philanthropic goals.

Chief Operating Officer Renee Kutner recalls that YPTC was brought in by a former CFO when the organization was having trouble filling an accounting position. “We were worried initially that this level of work was beneath YPTC’s interests, but they gave us an associate, Lorna Briganti, who did the work and filled a needed void. Several months later our CFO announced she was leaving but she said that we had an underutilized asset in Lorna who could serve as more than an accountant, filling voids in the CFO and controller roles.” Briganti stepped in and was retained on a nearly full-time basis.

Kutner appreciates several things about YPTC. “Lorna brings a wealth of nonprofit experience that we hadn’t had before; someone working within an organization can often have tunnel vision. She brought in a lot of professionalism, asked why we did things a certain way, and showed us best practices. She helps us chip away at issues day-to-day. She’s conscious of the investment we are making in her and she makes the best use of her skills.”

Kutner also appreciates the depth of the YPTC team behind Briganti. “She has a wealth of talent behind her that she can access. Plus, YPTC offers a lot of webinars and educational series that are really helpful to us,” she adds.

“My finance team and I love working with her. We have a tremendous amount of respect for her. She came in, learned our business, and approaches everything with a high level of professionalism which elevates us,” she says.

The Federation recently hired a full-time CFO. “The transition will take a while for Lorna to transfer all the knowledge that she has accumulated, and she’s really committed to still being with us if we need it,” Kutner adds. “When you outsource, you rarely get someone like Lorna who actually becomes part of the team. With YPTC we not only got where we needed to go but found someone who fits into the culture of our organization.”