Hillel International to Pilot New Program Fostering Growth on 10 Campuses

WASHINGTON – A new program launched this week by Hillel International, the world’s largest Jewish campus organization, will help foster growth in Jewish life on 10 college campuses participating in its pilot year. The “Excellence Accelerator” will provide increased resources designed to support campus Hillels as they seek to achieve strategic goals to improve operations and increase engagement with Jewish students.

The Accelerator will focus on key areas including: developing effective leadership and governance within the campus Hillel; developing donor databases and strategic growth plans; assessing fiscal health and building a financial plan for the future; and aiding the measurement and collection of data to quantify successes.

Each campus Hillel participating in the pilot program will have access to a campus consultant to work as a strategic partner with the local staff to coordinate a work plan to best position the Hillel for success. The program will also provide support from experts and the opportunity to collaborate and network with other Hillels investing in operational improvements.

Established as part of Hillel International’s Drive to Excellence mission, the Excellence Accelerator will help the organization achieve the larger goal of improving campus Hillels in measurable ways that will translate into more students becoming engaged with Hillel.

“The Excellence Accelerator is an important step in helping our Hillels improve Jewish student life on campus, no matter its size or level of funding,” said Eric D. Fingerhut, President and CEO of Hillel International. “This new approach will streamline the process for providing much needed resources to help campus Hillels do the important work of inspiring every Jewish student to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel.”

The 10 campus Hillels selected for the pilot program are:

• Cleveland Hillel Foundation                                                                                
• Hillel at Arizona State University
• Hillel at Syracuse University
• Hillel at the University of Rochester
• Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis
• Houston Hillel
• Long Beach Hillel
• Oregon Hillel Foundation
• University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign Hillel
• University of Miami Hillel

After the pilot year, Hillel International intends to expand the “Excellence Accelerator” to provide guidance to Hillels of all sizes in creating strategic plans for growth.