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Jewish United Fund Announces Kim Shwachman as General Campaign Chair
Jewish United Fund Announces Kim Shwachman as General Campaign Chair
Kim Shwachman has taken the helm as the general campaign chair for the 2021 Jewish United Fund (JUF) Annual Campaign, one of the largest collective fundraising efforts in the nation.
The JUF Annual Campaign provides foundational support for a network of more than 100 human service agencies, educational institutions, and community-building programs in Chicago, in Israel and around the world.
Shwachman, who also serves on the JUF Board of Directors, has a track record of success serving in several notable lay leadership roles for JUF, including chairing the Major Gifts dinner for the 2016 JUF Annual Campaign.
The immediate past co-chair of the Health and Human Services Commission and past chair of the Partnership Together and Missions committees, Shwachman also has served on a wide range of committees, including Overall Planning and Allocations Committee, Community Outreach and Engagement and Israel and Overseas. She currently is a member of the JUF Women’s Board and a Trustee of the Jewish Women’s Foundation.
“Kim is as dedicated and generous as she is smart and driven — an unbeatable combination,” said Lonnie Nasatir, president of JUF. “We have every confidence that the 2021 campaign will be a great success under her leadership and thank her for taking this on.”
The Annual Campaign enables JUF and its agencies to serve 500,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and millions of Jews worldwide.
“In many ways I was raised by JUF,” Shwachman said. “As a young Northbrook mom, I was invited to someone’s home to learn about the work of JUF. Following that event, I was invited to tour the ARK, one of the many agencies JUF supports. That experience was a turning point for me. I learned firsthand about the selfless work provided to the most vulnerable in our community. I met a dentist who was volunteering his time to make dentures for a client. I was overwhelmed by his selfless desire to serve others on his days off from work. I asked myself ‘What am I doing to help others?’”
“No one should have to make decisions about whether they buy food or medication or have to live in fear that they cannot pay their rent or utilities. The fact that JUF supports the ARK’s operations and so many other organizations doing this life saving work was a true moment of clarity for me. That day set me on a path of greater involvement with JUF and I have never turned back.”
Shwachman graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with bachelor’s degree in journalism. She and her husband, Perry, have three children, Blair, Dani and Tyler.
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