What does the Mazal Tov Fund do?

1) Raising funds to assist couples get married and furnish an apartment

The largest and most time consuming activity is to raise funds and organize weddings for couples. This is done through a network of volunteers and includes emails, letters, and personal appeals. This activity is very time intensive, requiring hundreds of hours to prepare for one wedding.

We have determined that we need to raise on average $10,000 per couple to pay for the wedding clothing, invitations, wedding hall, rabbi, ceremony, caterer, photographer, band, flowers, transportation, and basic home furnishings. The national average is $22,000 (according to Condé Nast Bridal Infobank). Without this assistance, some couples cannot afford to mary, and put it off indefinitely.

In order to more quickly reach our targeted goal, the MTF determines what each couple will need and must raise through traditional fundraising techniques. In addition, the MTF also searches for support through in-kind donations of goods and services. The MTF act as agents on behalf of couples to seek assistance from some generous donors that require background checks and verification of a couples need.

Fundraising is conducted through direct appeals and through letters. Letters are written to potential supporters with anonymous details of the needy couples. Email letter campaigning, one of the most cost beneficial methods we have at our disposal, has shown a great degree of success. Volunteers are coming up with other creative ways of raising funds. We have also initiated phone trees, calling potential supporters at their homes and offices.

2) Identifying couples that need assistance

The first step in helping is to find out who needs the help. We have created an application form that can be filled out with all the information we will need to determine what help that we can offer. Mazsl Tov advisors and directos we will be publicizing the Fund and soliciting information on couples that may be in need. The Fund operates in such a fashion that the recipients do not know that name of the donors. Without this, some needy couple might be to ashamed to accept the help. Therefor, all donations are anonymous, and all couples that receive aid will remain anonymous, should they choose to. Only the Directors of the Fund, and any professionals that the Board deems fit, will know their identity.

3) Raise awareness of the issue in our community

There are young couples who are putting off getting married today because they cannot afford to pay for a wedding. Part of our future activities is to raise awareness of this issue in the community, so that donors who are interested in helping young cuoples will step forward to act and help.