Jewish Federation of San Diego Chief Development Officer to Participate in JFNA’s Strategic Leadership in Fundraising Program

SAN DIEGO (March 23, 2026) – Jewish Federation of San Diego is proud to announce that Michael Rabkin, Chief Development Officer, has been selected for the 2026 cohort of the Jewish Federations’ Strategic Leadership in Fundraising Program.

The program, which is made possible through a grant from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, and is an initiative of Jewish Federations’ Fundraising Institute in partnership with the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Thirty senior level Fundraising professionals are selected each year to participate. Attendees are nominated by their local Federation’s CEO, CDO, or Board Chair, and are recognized for being visionary fundraising leaders who can think outside the box to achieve ambitious results.

“We could not be prouder that Michael has been accepted to represent our community at the Strategic Leadership in Fundraising Program,” said Federation President & CEO Heidi Gantwerk. “He has shown that he has the innovative spirit and passion to take our Federation’s fundraising efforts to new heights. This program is an excellent opportunity to hone those skills in new ways, to ensure that our Federation can continue to grow and meet the needs of our community.”

Over three days of immersive, in-person learning at the Jewish United Fund of Chicago, these Federation professionals will learn from The Fundraising School faculty and senior Jewish Federations of North America professionals.

The sessions aim to deepen their management of fundraising teams and strategies, particularly in the fields of:

• Design thinking
• Change management
• Balancing internal capacity with external opportunities
• Sustainability
• Ensuring strategic alignment with organizational strategies

Learn more about Jewish Federation of San Diego here, and about Jewish Federations of North America here.

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About Jewish Federation of San Diego

For nearly 90 years, Jewish Federation of San Diego has worked to ensure there will be a vibrant, caring, connected, and enduring Jewish community in San Diego, Israel, and around the world for generations to come. The nonprofit organization addresses the needs of the most vulnerable in the Jewish community; provides training and growth opportunities for future Jewish leaders; builds people-to-people connections with Jews in Israel and across the world; invests in increased security for all local Jewish institutions and much more. Federation also plays a vital convening role in our community, bringing partners and supporters to the table to tackle the most pressing Jewish issues that no one organization can address alone. For more information, visit jewishinsandiego.org.