Strategic AI Consulting — February 2026
AI Innovation for the Kaplen JCC
Prepared for the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades. Built with care by Puzzles & Profits.
The Opportunity
An inflection point for the Kaplen JCC
As the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades celebrates its 75th anniversary at the Taub Campus in Tenafly and embarks on a major capital campaign under CEO Sue Gelsey's leadership, it stands at a pivotal moment. With six major program areas — Youth & Family, Adults, Seniors, Arts, Health & Wellness, and Israeli & Jewish Life — plus flagship institutions like the Thurnauer School of Music, the Guttenberg Center for Special Services, and the Neil Klatskin Summer Camps, the JCC's breadth of programming is extraordinary. Sue's vision to reimagine operations through the lens of engagement highlights a commitment to deepening community connection across all of these touchpoints.
The manual, time-intensive processes involved in coordinating across the Leonard & Syril Rubin Early Childhood Center, the JCC Dance and Drama Schools, the Swim School, and dozens of other programs can create bottlenecks, diverting valuable time and energy away from high-touch community interaction. The opportunity now is to empower the JCC team with AI-powered tools that amplify their efforts, automate repetitive tasks, and unlock new efficiencies by building a scalable foundation for the next 75 years of community impact.
The Cost of Staying Manual
Based on our work with comparable community organizations and your mention of staff time being diverted from strategic work, your leadership team likely spends 15–20 hours per week on tasks that AI could handle:
- Registration follow-ups and donor outreach that could be personalized and automated
- Program coordination across 12+ departments that requires constant manual updates
- Content creation for newsletters, social media, and event promotion that pulls staff away from strategic work
Over the course of a year, that’s 800+ hours of leadership capacity—the equivalent of nearly half an FTE—lost to tasks that don’t require human judgment. AI can reclaim that time, allowing your team to focus on what you mentioned in our call: deepening engagement, building donor relationships, and advancing the capital campaign.
Where AI Creates Value
AI tailored to the Kaplen JCC's departments
From the Thurnauer School of Music to the Senior Activity Center, AI can amplify the work your team already does well without replacing the human touch that makes the JCC special.
Youth & Family
- Automate registration workflows for PJ Library, Camp365, and JCC Dance & Drama School programs
- Generate personalized parent communications for the Leonard & Syril Rubin Early Childhood Center
- Coordinate schedules across Neil Klatskin Summer Camps, Emek Hebrew School, and after-school programs
- Create engaging social content showcasing Junior Member Activities and family events
Health & Wellness
- Streamline class scheduling across Aquatics, Group Fitness, Personal Training & Pilates, and Spa & Wellness
- Personalize member fitness journeys with AI-driven program recommendations
- Automate The Wellness Hub event promotion and follow-up communications
- Analyze attendance patterns across Athletics, Swim School, and JCC Maccabi Games to optimize offerings
Arts & Thurnauer School of Music
- Manage student enrollment and scheduling across Private Music Instruction, Performance Ensembles, and The Young People's Chorus
- Automate concert and recital promotion for the Waltuch Gallery and Taub Auditorium events
- Generate curriculum materials for Creative Musicianship & Composition classes
- Coordinate communications between JCC Dance School, JCC Drama School, and Adult Dance and Drama programs
Israeli & Jewish Life
- Create bilingual (Hebrew/English) communications for the Israeli Center and Emek Cultural School
- Coordinate promotion across Heart to Heart, Makhela Choir, Mamanet, and Israeli Scouts programs
- Automate event workflows for cultural programming like A Taste of Israel and Connections to Israel
- Support Start Up Nation Summer Camp registration and parent engagement
Seniors & Caregiver Services
- Streamline intake and scheduling for the Senior Activity Center and Social Adult Day Program
- Automate caregiver resource distribution and support group communications
- Coordinate transportation logistics and nutrition program management
- Personalize wellness check-ins for the Parkinson's Program and Senior Exercise & Wellness participants
Guttenberg Center for Special Services
- Automate individualized program plans and progress tracking across age groups
- Streamline intake processes and family communication for direct services
- Generate accessible materials and adaptive program descriptions
- Coordinate cross-departmental inclusion support with Youth & Family, Seniors, and Health & Wellness
What This Looks Like
Real scenarios, real transformation
Here's how AI could change the day-to-day at the Kaplen JCC in practice.
Promoting the Thurnauer School of Music Season
Before
The marketing team manually drafts separate announcements for Private Music Instruction, Performance Ensembles, The Young People's Chorus, and Adult Music Classes. Each requires coordination with Thurnauer staff, and the messaging is inconsistent across email, social, and the website. It takes weeks to roll out a full season campaign.
After
An AI assistant pulls program details from the Thurnauer brochure, generates on-brand copy for each channel — email, Instagram, Facebook, and the JCC website — in a unified voice. The marketing coordinator reviews, edits, and publishes in a single afternoon. Season enrollment opens with a coordinated, professional launch.
Guttenberg Center Intake & Family Communication
Before
The Guttenberg Center for Special Services processes intake forms manually, re-entering data across multiple systems. Families wait days for confirmation and program placement. Staff spend hours each week on routine follow-up emails and scheduling coordination across Youth & Family, Seniors, and Health & Wellness departments.
After
An AI-powered intake workflow automatically processes applications, syncs data across systems, and sends personalized confirmation to families within hours. Routine follow-ups are drafted automatically, and cross-departmental scheduling is coordinated through a shared AI assistant — freeing staff to focus on direct services and individualized support.
Neil Klatskin Summer Camps Registration Wave
Before
Every spring, the camps team is overwhelmed by a surge of registration inquiries. Parents email, call, and visit the front desk with questions about Camp365, Start Up Nation Summer Camp, and specialty programs. Staff scramble to respond while managing waitlists and payment processing across disconnected systems.
After
An AI-powered knowledge base instantly answers common parent questions — session dates, pricing, what to pack — via the website and email. Registration data flows automatically into a unified system. Staff receive a daily digest of flagged inquiries that need a personal touch, while routine responses are handled in real time.
Post-Gala Donor Stewardship
Before
After the 75th Anniversary Gala, the development team works for two weeks to manually send generic thank-you emails to 500+ attendees. Major donors receive the same message as first-time guests. The window of peak engagement closes before personalized outreach begins.
After
Within 24 hours of the gala, every attendee receives a personalized thank-you referencing their specific contribution level and connection to the JCC. The AI drafts tiered messages — from first-time guests to legacy donors — while the development team focuses personal calls on the top 50 prospects identified by engagement analysis.
The JCC is a place where every generation finds belonging. AI helps us serve them all better.
Your Custom Implementation
A phased approach tailored for Kaplen JCC
This custom 4-phase implementation is designed specifically for your organization. Each phase builds on the previous one, with separate billing and Net 30 terms for each phase. A 10% deposit of the total contract value is required at signing to lock-in these prices.
Foundation & Setup
Month 1
- AI Governance & Policy Workshop
- AI 101: Foundation Training
- AI Tool Setup & Integration
Team Enablement
Months 2–3
- Power User Certifications (6 people)
- Team AI Training Series
Departmental Deep Dives
Months 3–4
- 5 Departmental Deep Dives across key program areas
Ongoing Support
Month 4 onwards
- AI Strategy Retainer (monthly)
- Ongoing advisory & strategic guidance
Build Your Package
Choose what fits the Kaplen JCC
Foundational Services
AI Readiness Assessment
Comprehensive evaluation
Stakeholder interviews, staff readiness survey, technology audit, workflow review, gap analysis, AI use case identification, prioritized roadmap, budget planning, executive presentation, and 90-day implementation plan.
Est. 2-3 weeks
AI Governance & Policy Workshop
Half-day interactive workshop
Pre-workshop consultation, AI ethics framework, data privacy protocols, usage guidelines, risk mitigation strategies, vendor evaluation criteria, staff responsibility matrix, policy customization, implementation toolkit, and 30-day post-workshop support.
Est. 2 weeks
AI 101: Foundation Training
3-hour interactive session (up to 20 participants)
AI fundamentals, hands-on demos of ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot, practical nonprofit use cases, prompt engineering basics, responsible use training, Q&A, reference guides, session recording, and 30-day email support.
Est. 1-2 weeks
Implementation Services
AI Tool Setup & Integration
End-to-end implementation
Account setup and configuration, user provisioning, integration with Microsoft 365/Google Workspace, custom GPTs or Claude Projects, workflow templates, security optimization, usage monitoring dashboard, admin training, and 60-day technical support.
Est. 2-3 weeks
Training & Coaching
Team AI Training Series
4-6 progressive sessions (90 min each)
Customized curriculum, progressive skill building from beginner to advanced, department-specific use cases, hands-on practice assignments, individual coaching, all materials and templates, completion certificates, and 90-day email support.
Est. 6-8 weeks
Executive AI Coaching
3-4 hours of 1:1 coaching per month
Strategic AI planning, leadership communication, change management, board presentation prep, vendor selection guidance, stay-current briefings, unlimited email/Slack support, and monthly progress tracking. Minimum 3-month commitment.
Strategic Partnerships
AI Strategy Retainer
8-10 hours of strategic support per month
Monthly strategy sessions, implementation guidance, staff training support, workflow optimization, vendor evaluation, change management, priority response, monthly progress reports, and quarterly strategy reviews.
Fractional AI Director
12-15 hours of senior leadership per month
Strategic AI roadmap execution, cross-departmental oversight, executive collaboration, board presentations, budget planning, vendor management, staff capability building, change management leadership, monthly briefings, and quarterly reviews. Minimum 3-month commitment.
Certification Program
AI Power User Certification
6-week program per person
Create internal AI champions. Participants learn advanced prompting, workflow automation, and how to train others. Includes certification, personalized coaching, and 90-day post-certification support.
Per-Department Engagements
Departmental Deep Dive
Intensive per-department engagement with 3-month support
Intensive engagement with a specific team to identify AI opportunities, implement solutions, and train staff. Add one per department.
All timelines are estimates and may vary based on scheduling, scope, and engagement from the Kaplen JCC team.
$49,400
$39,520
You save $9,880
Travel
All services are delivered virtually. On-site delivery at the Taub Campus in Tenafly, NJ is available upon request. Travel costs may apply for extended engagements.
Software
Client is responsible for AI software licenses (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise).
Deposit
10% of the total contract value is required at signing to lock-in these prices. Remaining balance is billed per phase on Net 30 terms.
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Next Steps
Ready to get started?
Here's what happens next.
Discovery Call
CompleteWe discussed your team of 8 leaders, your vision for deepening community engagement, and starting with a governance workshop and working group of 4–12 people.
Finalize Your Package
Use the package builder above to select your services, then click Finalize Package to submit. We'll send over an invoice and contract.
Kick-Off
We will begin with surveying the Kaplen JCC leadership team in preparation for the AI Governance Workshop.
Launch & Transform
Your team starts using AI tools immediately, with ongoing support from Puzzles & Profits.
This proposal is valid for 30 days from the date of issue.
Frequently Asked Questions