Second Life Israel was launched Sunday, enabling SL users from around the world to visit Israel’s beaches and historic sites. The virtual state, preceded by a whole Jewish neighborhood in Second Life, is a work in progress, meant to, “present Israel to a global audience beyond the traditional media,” according to co-founder Chaim Landau. "This is a concept of Israel as a fun, entertaining, thriving and diverse community for Jews and non-Jews, and a home for Israelis on Second Life." The creation of Second Life Israel marks the beginning of a new chapter in digital Jewish society. Focusing on a range of areas, from the holy sites of Jerusalem as well as the modern life and tourist attractions known around the ...

Great video from the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley about how their funds are allocated. The inspiration came from a group of young lay-leaders who were frustrated with how to explain and promote the Federation’s mission in an appealing and positive way.

"No gift touches more lives, including you own"

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zb_51995i4&feature=user[/youtube]

Animation by David Hollin Music by The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band Inspiration by Jacob Orrin and Tomer Kagan. Viral marketing by Oyster

tip of the hat to: facebook group

We read yesterday that the Internet is one factor that has contributed to “the flattening of the Earth”. That's what writer Thomas Friedman says about the new global reality of the twenty-first century; where innovation is no longer held back by national borders and with changes constantly taking place as lightning-swift advances in technology and communications put people all over the globe in touch as never before. Well, brand new innovation has come to Israel! The first international technology summer camp in Israel has announced it will be opening its doors this summer. eCamp, designed to bring enterprising young people from around the world together for a unique interactive experience, ...

Last night I engaged in my usual Motzei Shabbat stroll through downtown Jerusalem. While Israel may be in the midst of an unusual cold snap and most of the winter break tourists have departed, Birthright still rules the Midrachov. With a minimum of six bus loads filling every single eatery around Kikar Zion, these laughing, hugging, and generally just enjoying themselves, young (mostly) American college students could not be missed. Hillel alone is bringing approximately 3,500 students to Israel during these few weeks, through Birthright, the Charles Schusterman International Leaders Assembly, and an alternative break program emphasizing social justice. In addition, the Israel on Campus Coalition, a partnership of Hillel and the Schusterman Family Foundation, brought 43 students ...

Wednesday Is the Best Day to E-Mail

The debate has raged for as long as e-mail marketing has existed: When is the best time to mail? As both marketing tactics have shifted and consumer behavior has evolved, the answers have varied. According to the “2007 Q3 Email Marketing” study from eROI, the latest “best day” to mail is Wednesday. The study found that the average open rate on Wednesdays was 25.4% with an average click-through rate of 3.9%. The numbers did vary from industry to industry. Creative execution, quality of mailing lists and offers also have a great deal to do with results. (source: eMarketer) and from Guidestar...

Is Your Organization Ready for ...

About seven years ago, through an initiative funded by Star Synaplex, I was introduced one Shabbat to an incredible musical ensemble who identified themselves as Shabbat Unplugged. Populated by a group of RRC students and educators, their mantra is to Experience Shabbat Like Never Before.

They have developed a "joyful, prayerful, song-filled, rocking, jumping, moving, grooving, spiritually-soothing, funky, folksy, fun Shabbat worship experience for young adults...". Since then, as both a group, and individually, they have produced several successful albums while their original music has helped shape and influence Shabbat worship throughout the United States.

One of the original ...

LONDON (AP) -- Britain's 81-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, considered an icon of traditionalism, launched her own special Royal Channel on YouTube Sunday. (source: NYTimes) You might ask what this has to do with Jewish philanthropy? The answer is everything; when such a conservative establishment as Britain's Royal family turns to YouTube to deliver the Queen's Christmas message, it begs the question:

how will you organization best reach its' target audience in 2008?

Perhaps the answer is the old stand-by of direct mail with a bit of e-mail tossed in (to allow your audience to think you are with it). But more and more we are seeing the need to expand into new horizons to maintain current donors and attract ...

That's all you've got when a potential supporter, or even random visitor, checks out your website.

IS YOUR WEBSITE UP TO THE TASK? if not, it should be at the very top of your 2008 'to do list'

• More than 65% of donors visit at least one of the websites of the charities they support
• 40% ALWAYS go online before making a giving decision
• At least 75% of donors say going online affects their decision to give or not
• Donors who contribute online tend to give significantly more overall!

source: AFP, "Donors Increasingly Going Online Before Giving” (note: this is based on 2005 research; there is every reason to believe the numbers are higher today)

Marketing via e-mail is one of the most powerful and cost effective tools open to non-profit organizations today. And as strange as it may seem to some, using Outlook (R) or even Yahoo (R) or Hotmail (R) for this purpose is doing e-mail poorly. These applications were not designed for marketing and have significant limitations that can actually be a negative to all of your hard efforts. As the U.S. Postal Service says in ads, the mail must get through. Having your e-mail opened is another challenge; first it needs to land in the recipient's "In box". Here are our top reasons why you need to use an e-mail marketing service: 1. You must be CAN-SPAM Compliant. Period. ...

with thanks to Esther Kustanowitz and ROI120.com As you gather with family and friends to celebrate Chanukah, we encourage you to pass along this small test of technoliteracy. Print it out and save; post on your message boards, both in the virtual world and the old fashioned one (the kind requiring thumb tacks). And, if your are an organization manager, give this test to each and every staff member and consultant responsible for your marketing and PR efforts. For this group, anything less than a perfect score requires some serious retooling.

1. What is a blog? Is there a difference between a website and a blog? Do you know how to find Jewish blogs?
2. What does web 2.0 mean?
3. What is Wikipedia?
4. What ...
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   Tags: connect, educate, ROI120, social networking, web 2.0