1. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
April 21, 2009
Jonathan “JC” Cohen, Director
Scott Price, Assistant Director
URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp
Utica, Mississippi

2. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Agenda
How We Got Started
Keeping Data Current
How Does HSJ Do It?
Building Community
Age Cohorts
Involvement
Alumni Association
Building Donors
Brick Campaign
“Friends of Jacobs Camp” Campaign
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

3. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
How HSJ Got Started
Oct. ’06 – scanned the general information page of every camper file in storage
Oct. ’06 – sent the scanned files to Cambodia.
Dec. ’06 – Received information back in Excel format & began de-duping process
March ’07 – After months of de-duping, we did a mass data input into DPO
November ’07 – Did 1st targeted letter campaign
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

4. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Keeping Data Current
Continuous Process
Online & Off
All staff that work with data understand data currency processes
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

5. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
How Does HSJ Do It?
Offline
Press Release
Events
Business Cards
Postcards
Networking
Online
Newsletters
Online Registration
Facebook
Twitter
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

6. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Press Releases
Each month we send a press release to our regional congregations, agencies, and press.
This is a easy way for them to keep HSJ in their congregations & communities.
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

7. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Events
We hold HSJ Alumni Events in cities we are visiting
Sept. ’07 – Chicago (URJ Youth Division Meeting)
Nov. ’08 – Dallas (URJ-SWC Biennial)
Attempted one in Boston, Western Mass/Connecticut
HSJ Book Party
With Roger Bennett, author of Camp Camp
In New Orleans, immediately after the NOLA Book Fair
Had Fried Chicken and other camp foods on camp trays
40th Reunion
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Alumni Family Camp
Wednesday, August 5-9, 2009
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

8. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

9. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
E-Newsletters
                                                                                                         
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

10. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Online Registration
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

11. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Online Registration
Alumni can sign up to receive:
E-newsletters
Event announcements
Volunteer Opportunities
Etc.
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

12. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Social Networking
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

13. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

14. Benefits of HSJ’s Efforts
Number of alumni in database…609
Number of alumni who have attended events…100
Number of alumni who have visited HSJ…too many
Number of Alumni who are on the Camp Committee…24 out of 50
Number of Alumni in Facebook Fan Club…917
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

15. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Building Community
Goal
Create & Connect Affinity Groups
Kibbutz Groups
Age Cohorts
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

16. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Alumni Involvement
Up onto recently, HSJ has done a poor job of getting alumni involved. It was mostly driven from Camp staff (i.e. JC & Scott).
FUTURE…we have created a task force (Alumni Action Squad) to help us form the “Jacobs Camp Alumni Association” (more on this later).
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

17. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Alumni Association
Alumni Action Squad – the task force mentioned earlier.
First Alumni Association Meeting
August 9th
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

18. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Alumni Association
Purpose
Networking among HSJ Alumni
Development Fundraising
Sharing information about HSJ happenings
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

19. Alumni Association– Continued
Pathways to Involvement
Networking Point Person/People
The local “connector” for alumni.
Event Planner(s)
Both planning local event, and coordination of local implementation of national events (i.e. HSJ Shabbat across America).
Campaign Chair
Camp Ambassador
The person who is most in the “loop”.
The representative to the national association board.
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

20. Alumni Association – Even More…
Timetable
Announce “HSJ Shabbat Across America”
Identify local event chairs.
June IS “HSJ Shabbat Across America”
Goals: To bring people together, hype the Reunion, and conduct an alumni association focus group of sorts.
August 8 – 40th Anniversary Reunion
Fall/Winter – First Locally-Led Events
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

21. Turning Alumni Into Donors
Alumni Brick Campaign
Friends of Jacobs Camp Campaign
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

22. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
Questions for Us
Jonathan “JC” Cohen, MAJCS/MSW
Director
Scott Price
Assistant Director for Development
URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp
3863 Morrison Road
Utica, Mississippi
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies

23. Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies
For More Information
This presentation and recorded session will be available in our Webinar archives by the end of the week:
Tech Program Blog:
Tech Program eNewsletter Archives:
April 21, 2009
Creative Alumni Outreach Strategies