Jewish Camp: Forget Color War; It’s Time to Build Robots

For campers at the JCC Maccabi Camp Kingswood in southern Maine, a very hot summer just got very cool. The camp invited a team of Israeli high school students and their teacher to bring their technical and scientific expertise in robotics to the camp and teach campers between the ages of 12-15 how to build small programmable robots that follow commands and complete assigned tasks. Working in two and three person teams with their Israeli student teachers, campers use computer software to develop and program their robots and construct motors that propel them toward a set destination. Based on the computer programs the students create, the robots “learn” to respond to light, ultra-sonic and touch sensory commands so they can follow a color-coded path, anticipate obstacles in their path, change direction,... Continue Reading

The Disappearing Town Square: A Look Into the Future of Community

Over the past months I have watched my town (yes, it really is a town, with sidewalks, pedestrians and outdoor cafes) and by extension, the community it serves, lose more than a few independent and valued local merchants. Gone are a family run luggage shop and a sporting goods merchant, a boutique shoe store, a children’s clothing shop and a gift shop that closed up by posting a sign on their window for their new online business web address. The double punch of a difficult economy and the fast growth of online commerce did them in. They say the economy is starting to revive but for many businesses that failed, the way back to the consumer may be one that does not include a storefront. Barnes and Noble recently announced it may close many of its 700 outlets, a move Borders Books has already taken. In... Continue Reading

Are You Infor-taining Me?

Some of the best nonprofit communications I have seen lately, have been ones that fully understand information delivered in straight up “words on paper or screen” format no longer works. I know, I love the written word too, but communication today is done mostly on the quick (unless you are at the beach right now with a good book or book reader in your hands) and requires a whole new way of figuring out how to grab attention that then allows you to effectively communicate. The Chronicle of Philanthropy‘s Peter Panepento recently brought attention to some of the more creative ways organizations are using video to get their messages out. While some of his selections are not all that unusual, one from Israel by the Youth Renewal Fund (and created with a very small budget) demonstrates... Continue Reading

Time to Chill

It’s the sixth of July and the first, full-fledged heat wave is upon us here in the Northeast. The temperature is expected to reach 102 degrees in New York City today – or at least that is what the local meteorologists are predicting. It’s hard to tell what is driving their breathlessly excited forecasting – heat prostration or just the opportunity to have a “big” weather story to tell. I simply want the facts. I can add my own emotional spin. Isn’t that what we all want? Information. Delivered clearly, promptly, and with a little knowledgeable perspective if available. If you don’t have the knowledge to offer a valued perspective, that is okay so long as you stick to the facts. That is why I have mostly given up on getting news from television, radio... Continue Reading

A Twitter Idea Worth Trying

I know some people are still skeptical about the value of Twitter. I was in that camp and still don’t do much tweeting. Yet, I am keenly aware that Twitter is a powerful tool that is quickly becoming an important communications and engagement channel and one that users are always surprising me with new and creative ways to use. You might have read in the June 17th issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy about how a small social service charity, Thompson Child & Family Focus, based in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, created a special “Twitter table” at its annual luncheon, filled it with social networking savvy supporters who tweet a lot, and let them reach out to their extensive networks of friends and followers, ultimately raising an additional $4000 for the charity during... Continue Reading

Summertime and the Outreach is Easy

With Memorial Day behind us here in the US, in my book it is now officially summer. And for those of us who work in the Jewish philanthropic world, that means it’s time to decamp to the summer spots where our major donors can be found relaxing, entertaining and open to more casual and personal engagements. Smart fundraisers know that these sweet months of sun, surf and fresh mountain air offer special opportunities to work with their supporters and build relationships with them and their summer friends that can reap benefits long after the season ends. One easy way to leverage the summer outreach effort is to use social media tools to let people know about your organization’s programs and events that might be happening in that beach house down the road or to invite friends to meet up on... Continue Reading

Your email Address is Soooo Irrelevant

If you haven’t yet read Erik Qualman’s book Socialnomics, close this window and order it now! Better yet, open this YouTube link (or see below) and pick up some of his most powerful points. We are in the middle of a transformative moment and Qualman (bless his soul and his enthusiasm) helps make sense of the dramatic shift that is causing everyone to rethink how and where they and how they communicate. Did you know that Boston College is doing away with issuing email accounts to its incoming Freshman Class? They discovered that 18 year olds don’t use email so much anymore, preferring to text or catch up on Facebook instead. Did you know that one out of every eight couples married today met via social media? Or that YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world? Did you... Continue Reading

Think Jewish Community Every Day

We always talk about how important community is to our work, so much so, that the word itself is at great risk of being devalued for its hackneyed overuse in our communications. Yet, now more than ever, every nonprofit professional has the ability to connect directly and in real-time to any number of communities with the push of their thumb. Never has it been so easy to find, create, nurture and connect with so many different people without spending much time and zero dollars. Technology has made it not only possible, it has made it a requirement of any effective marketing strategy. So, the question is, “Are you thinking about the Jewish community you want to reach every day?” Are you making the commitment to engage them with a planned strategy and frequency that keeps you in their field... Continue Reading

10 Key 2010 Consumer Trends That You Should Know About

I was re-reading the TrendsSpotting 2010 Consumer Trend Report which contains lots of interesting and a few surprising ideas about what consumers want today. Here are 10 key trends that should inform the way your nonprofit communicates with your key audiences in the aftermath of our great economic freefall. With thanks to TrendsSpotting. Value is the key driver in consumer decision-making. What are you giving your supporters that is of value to them? Think about a values set that they believe in (honesty, transparency, accountability, ethical behavior) and live it. Consumers have discovered their own resiliency (post-economic meltdown)and are taking more control of their lives. Your supporters, like all consumers, have figured out that they are going to survive and be okay – just maybe in a... Continue Reading

The Silver Lining in the Cloud of the Volcano

With Iceland’s dangerous debris-filled volcanic ash cloud still wreaking havoc, delaying deliveries of critical supplies and stranding thousands of air travelers in airports around the world, I wonder why more companies and organizations have not seen this major crisis as one that they can help address and as the image building pr opportunity of the decade. While thousands of tourists sit waiting in limbo, with scarce cash and food and nowhere to bathe, why haven’t more companies and nonprofits stepped into the void to offer assistance and strengthen their reputations as caring, compassionate and nimble global citizens at the same time? Yes, the Red Cross and some consulates have provided some food and cots but in addition to their modest and appreciated efforts, there is so much more that... Continue Reading

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