Speaking personally, what I have valued with MJA is the depth of their experience that allows the firm to offer their established models and best practices while also being sensitive to the particular culture and traditions of our congregation. They so know what they’re doing that they can be flexible.

My personal experience with Michael Jaffe’s coaching is that it’s been transformative in my ability and my confidence, not just in raising funds for my congregation, but even in my general leadership.

— REV. DR. DANIEL MEETER, Pastor, “Old First,” the Reformed Dutch Church of Brooklyn NY

Our 600 member synagogue, which did not have a fundraising culture and had not had a capital campaign in over a generation, needed to raise at least $9,000,000 to fund its building goals. Mersky & Jaffe were our partners in the planning and organizing of our campaign, the drafting of fund raising materials, the training of our capital campaign committee members, and on numerous solicitations. They supported our efforts through challenging times and were in no small measure responsible for exceeding our original goal. Thank you Michael, Lori, & David.

— STEVE J. ADLER, Past President, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester

“We are working on our third capital campaign in a 20 year span. We interviewed four consultants and chose Mersky, Jaffe & Associates to help us with a Campaign Feasibility study because of their experience, their knowledge of similar types of donor bases and their clear-cut organizational process.

They were of great help in helping to properly organize and prepare the needed aspects in launching a campaign, met personally and were well received with twenty-five of our prospective donors. The final report and Executive Summary was very useful to our board, and they continue to touch base and provide support as we move thru our campaign.”

—MELANIE COHEN, Executive Director, Jewish Home Foundation of North Jersey, Inc.

“MJA was extremely helpful in guidance for both our Board and Leadership staff in thinking through a Development Plan which helped us focus our vision and structure. Their guidance enlightened us all and provided momentum to make this a priority.”

— MARTY ENGLISHER, Executive Director/Executive Vice President, Washington Heights YMCA

Mersky, Jaffe & Associates masterfully guided Temple Shalom’s fundraising efforts.

David and Abigail learned about our community, designed an approach that fit our culture and met with us regularly as we navigated the inevitable twists as well as the unforeseen and unique challenges of our campaign.

I’m confident that we made the right choice and would engage them again, if the opportunity occurs.

— JO-ANN SUNA, ROBERT S. BERMAN, Co-Chairpersons

I have engaged MJA numerous times throughout my career. David, Michael and their team partner closely with lay and professional leadership to provide solutions to complex problems. Their team works to understand the needs and culture of each organization and offers smart, action-oriented recommendations. They analyze donor data and trends, create actionable recommendations and explain how to implement their recommendations to achieve positive change.

— ELLIOT S. HALPERIN, Executive Director, External Relations, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, New York, NY

MJA assisted my organization during a period of transition. They got up to speed quickly and effectively to direct our Development Director search. In the interim, David and Abigail assisted me, and our board, in fundraising and governance.

The search produced an excellent leader. And, now we have a foundation for fundraising effectiveness that our staff and new board can build upon with renewed strategic focus.

Because of our work with MJA, we are a stronger organization.

–TED BENFORD, Executive Director, Community Rowing, Inc.

David Mersky of Mersky, Jaffe and Associates led the American College of the Building Arts through a Capital Campaign which ensured we were able to complete the building of our new campus in Charleston, SC. His professional expertise, coupled with his wonderful personality, made him a true part of our team. With his help, ACBA continues to grow and prosper in our mission as the College for Educating Artisans.

— LT. (RET) GENERAL COLBY M. BROADWATER III, President American College of the Building Arts

“As the Executive Director of a non-profit that had never conducted a Capital Campaign, having Mersky, Jaffe & Associates (MJA) on board to educate and guide our process with our Campaign Cabinet was vital. MJA instilled a confidence in our team that led to our organization successfully raising an additional $3 million on top of our original goal. We now have a beautiful new facility for the young people in our community thanks to this very successful campaign!”

–Shane Bargy
Executive Director
Boys & Girls Clubs of Schenectady

Working with David and the MJA team was an outstanding experience. Their dynamic combination of knowledge, involvement, insight, and capability led us successfully through a challenging financial landscape and yielded the largest campaign ever undertaken by our congregation. Their work, and their care and concern, can only be described as outstanding. Simply put, they were the key to our success.

–Steve Lewis
Executive Director
Temple Shalom of Dallas

I worked on a complex project for Hillel International with Larry Sternberg of Mersky, Jaffe & Associates. His knowledge, sensitivity to the issues, insights, and critical thinking were invaluable to me. I can wholeheartedly recommend Larry.

–Sidney Pertnoy
Hillel International Board Member and Past Chairman of the Board