by Robert I. Evans and Avrum D. Lapin So much attention is focused today on technology and especially social media as a platform to inform, educate and organize. Not a day goes by without some mention of the dynamics of Facebook and Twitter, and even eJewish Philanthropy almost always includes citations about the power of technology for nonprofits. This has prompted us to conduct an unofficial survey of a number of Jewish nonprofits, investigating how they are utilizing social media and how it enables them to meet the demands that they and their leaders are facing. The picture is not entirely positive. The bottom line, as summarized by Jim Gelles, of Membership Management Services, developer of MM2000, a synagogue software system used by more than 200 congregations: “most of the Jewish world … Continue Reading

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to offer a workshop on the topic of creating a social media strategy to a group of budding entrepreneurs. It’s a big, meaty topic, and no two strategies are ever developed in the same way. Over the years, I’ve developed a methodology of what goes into strategy development, and focused on that methodology for the workshop. There are four elements to developing a social media strategy: evaluating current organizational assets, researching competitors (and comparables), choosing appropriate channels for ongoing participation, and measurement. I might add developing online campaigns (as relevant) to that mix. Before creating a strategy, however, organizations should have a sense of these three things: Realistic commitment to social media (time, personnel, … Continue Reading

by Jeff Rubin A nationally renowned Jewish public affairs group just “followed” my organization on Twitter soon after joining the social media site. Welcome, warmly and belatedly, to the Twitterverse! This organization has apparently learned what others have yet to understand: Twitter isn’t a gimmick or a toy; It’s an essential information source for leaders and an important strategic management tool. In fact, it’s become as basic as email to staying on top of events locally and around the globe. Not that long ago, I too was a Twitter nonbeliever. I thought that a “hashtag” was a Middle Eastern dessert. I feared that monitoring Twitter would absorb all of the free time left to me by Facebook, emails, text messages and phone calls. It took a strong kick in the posterior from a … Continue Reading

by Ken Gordon There I was, on January 15th, at the North American Jewish Day School Conference, conducting an intense, face-to-face social-media consultation with Oakland Hebrew Day School’s Rabbi Yehudah Potok. R.Y.P., as his Board President fondly calls him, was deeply focused, asking good questions, making all kinds of notes. Yet as we yammered away, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Could a Head of School really be that interested in social media?” The answer I later learned was this: R.Y.P. is totally serious and smart about Facebook. Y’see, our man at OHDS had asked me about how to increase the size of his school’s FB fan base. I casually suggested that he: Figure out how many Fans his school had at that moment. Pick a reachable Fan goal. Select a date to reach that … Continue Reading

by Hadassah Levy You get it. No respectable NPO doesn't have a presence on Facebook and Twitter in 2012. Maybe you are a little more familiar with the social media world and you know that LinkedIn and Google+ can bring attention to your organizations as well. But if you are really web 2.0 savvy, you know that the entire web has metamorphosed into one big social community. Social has transformed the web into one big sharing platform. Communities devoted to all sorts of niches exist across platforms. People interested in a specific subject are talking to each other on Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, Flickr and YouTube. Even Google searches are now showing results based on who you interact with online. The key to getting your message heard is to be a part of relevant communities. Some of the … Continue Reading

by Florence Broder One of the things I’ve always loved about the General Assembly (GA) is catching up with old friends and colleagues and, of course, networking with new ones. This year was no different. The networking didn’t actually begin in Denver, but at the gate at JFK. It quickly became a “who’s who” of the Jewish communal world both on the lay and professional side. The networking and relationship building continued on the flight and even at the Denver airport. And with every “low-tech” exchange, I realized the truth behind the sentiment that the GA is the “original Jewish social network.” But the GA was also “hi-tech” with a constant stream of tweets, Foursquare check-ins and more. What is remarkable is that the GA is one of few places where my “hi-tech” and … Continue Reading