In this brilliant episode of Wisdom from the Field, Rabbi Yosef Plotkin of Greensboro, NC shares how friendship became the foundation of his fundraising success.

Seventeen years ago, he arrived in a small community full of established institutions and plenty of skepticism about Chabad. What could have been an uphill battle turned into a thriving center — powered by relationships, transparency, and courage to ask.

Rabbi Plotkin takes us inside the milestones that shaped his journey:

• Why friendship first means you almost never get a no.

• How publishing donor names and amounts created peer momentum.

• The $1,800 ask that turned into $18,000 — and the lesson behind it.

• Building a system that keeps hundreds of donors engaged year after year.

• How personal tragedy deepened his understanding of community support.

This is a masterclass in friend-raising — showing that when you lead with genuine care, fundraising follows naturally.

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