PEARL: Providing Education and Resources for Leadership
The Dynamics of Growth: Outreach/Inreach,
Marketing, Branding and the Covenant of
Membership I
Rabbi Shawn Zevit and Halle Barnett
May 4, 2011-12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m.
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Transformative Judaism for the 21st Century
101 Greenwood Avenue
Beit Devora, Suite 430
Jenkintown, PA 19046
215.885.5601 / fax: 215.885.5603
www.jrf.org
Kehillah Builders:
Outreach (and in-reach)
"Your entire community must be a membership committee of the whole"
-- Rabbi Arnie Rachlis
http://63.115.67.94/cong/res-kehillah-builders-main.htm
"Being a Reconstructionist Congregation or Havurah means taking the
building of sacred community to heart. Our purpose is to reach in and
reach out - that is, to extend ourselves inwardly to our existing community,
and also to reach out to the unaffiliated and the searching and offer them
ways into our community. It means conscious efforts to grow, strengthen,
and deepen the love for our community, the Jewish people and the world
at large."
- Adapted by Rabbi Shawn Zevit from the Inreach/Outreach committee
of Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Emeth, New York
Maimonides, Mishneh Torah,
Gifts to the Poor 9:12
One who settles in a community for thirty days becomes
obligated to contribute to the charity fund together with the
other members of the community. One who settles there for
three months becomes obligated to contribute to the soup
kitchen. One who settles there for six months becomes
obligated to contribute clothing with which the poor of the
community can cover themselves. One who settles there for
nine months becomes obligated to contribute to the burial
fund for burying the community’s poor and providing for all of
their needs of burial.
Commentary for Parshat Zachor –
Iturie Torah (a collection of Chassidic exegeses)
Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey after you left Mitzrayim. How
he surprised you on the march, and cut down all the weak ones who were behind.
When you were famished and weary and were not God fearing. Therefore, when
Adonai your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you; in the land
that your God is giving you as a hereditary portion. You shall blot out the memory
of Amalek from under the Heaven. Do not forget! –Deuteronomy 25:17-19
Had the children of Israel not forgotten about the slower ones in back but instead,
brought them closer under the protecting wings of God’s Presence, binding the
slower to all of Israel, the Amalekites would not have succeeded in their attack.
But because you allowed the slower ones to be aharekha (meaning both “behind
you” and “other”), that you separated them off from you and made them “other”,
and you forgot about your brothers and sisters, Amalek could viciously attack
them. Therefore, the Torah tells us to remember Amalek, so that we never forget
to bring our brothers and sisters who need special attention into our midst.
Cary Oshins, Past-President of Am Haskalah,
Allentown, PA
“What does it mean to join Am Haskalah? Member of what? As I see it, we are
both a community and a congregation. A community is a network of
relationships. You join it by taking part. The more you take part, the more you
will build those relationships, the more connected you will feel, and the more
our community will grow.
“While the community is an informal network, the congregation is a formal
organization. We have bylaws, officers, committees, employees, income and
expenses. To be a member you have to fill out a form and pay your dues. The
congregation provides the platform, the structure, in today's parlance, the
hardware. The community is the software, the spirit and the real soul. I believe
that if you are going to be a member of this community, you have a
responsibility at some point to joining the congregation. And if you are a
member of the congregation, please be a part of this community.”
Growing Sacred Community
Community building and membership growth is not exactly akin to
marketing a product and increasing sales. Genuine, dynamic changes can
lead to positive growth and increased participation and commitment. AND
(not “but”), there is a third “pillar” on which congregational growth stands.
In addition to internal (sometimes administrative) practices and external
marketing efforts, there is the all-important aspect of relationship.
Ultimately, it is not about the specific programming or the executive
functioning of the office or the pizzazz of the public relations, as vital as
they are. These are secondary and instrumental to the primary purpose of
fostering caring relationships that address people in their wholeness and
support them in their growth as Jews and human beings. Rather than a
“cafeteria” to which we invite folks to “buy” a particular product or
service, it is a community to which we invite them.
Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben, of JRF affiliate Kehillat Israel ,
Pacific Palisades, CA, has a motto on his wall that says,
“Caring for people is our only business.”
More than any other “enterprise,” synagogue
communities rise and fall on the strengths and
weaknesses of personal relationships. He writes,
“The number one reason why most people end their
membership in synagogue life is they simply don’t
feel connected, or believe that anyone would really
care very much if they left.” The same is true for
joining; people want to be connected and cared
about. Our communities ought to be models of such
behavior.
Hitpatchut (Growth, Development)
Inreach and Outreach, Rabbi Shawn Zevit
•
Far too often there is a tendency to equate growth only with quantitative
increases in membership. A proactive and consciously framed in/outreach
campaign recognizes the way this work invigorates every aspect of a community.
•
What we are trying to develop is a workable system where the process of reaching
in and reaching out is attuned to our purpose and mission in a way that reflects
our values and inspires deepened Jewish living and responsible membership in our
global community.
•
What are the demographic and structural considerations that need to be in place
to create a welcoming community? Are there boundaries to inclusivity? What are
the Jewish values and texts that can inform our study and practice in this area?
What educational programs could support this cultural environment?
Why Do Outreach and Marketing?
http://63.115.67.94/cong/res-kb-outreach-inreach.html










Secularization (attitudes, values, behavior motivated by non-relig values & institutions)
Dissolution of community
Assimilation (social / cultural pressure,messages)
Changing demographics (today’s Jewish family / community are different)
Competition from other cultural /spiritual activities
Rising expenses of congregations
Scandals in religion (are we losing confidence in religion, leaders?)
A la carte membership (picking and choosing experiences)
Privatization of belief (trends toward anti-institutional, private practices)
Hidden treasures (e.g., what is the Reconstructionist approach?)
Making contribution to evolution of Jewish spiritual,
religious peoplehood and the global community
http://jrf.org/showres&rid=184
Inreach
Values Inventory http://jrf.org/showres&rid=185
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
Message and Mission, Resources and Goals, Means and Ends
Roles to Play – Multiple Entry Points
Prospective and New-Member Programs
Mentoring / Pairing
Newsletters – More than “Upcoming Events”
E-mail – Short and Sweet
Personal Testimonials
Social Media
Coffee, a Phone Call, a Note
Outreach
A. “Members Beget Members”
B. Advertising and Public Relations
C. Community-Wide Offerings
D. Targeting Niche Demographics
E. “Friends of – ”
F. Website
G. Organizational Alliances, Coalitions, and Partnerships
Text: Conscious Community
“The whole premise of our group is the vast human potential… holiness is our key
and our primary value; honors and comparisons serve no useful purpose. It is
vitally important that we do not create, God forbid, any boundaries that separate
us from Jews who are not members of our group. The whole point of our
association is to love each other as much as possible. The techniques available to a
group are qualitatively different than what an individual can hope to attain. It is
important for us to be explicit and clear that our society accepts into its ranks only
those individuals who share these concerns. If people know in their hearts that
they are not similarly burdened with these concerns, we ask that they do not join
our group. They will harm themselves and others. Their presence will serve as a
distraction to the rest of the group, whose hearts and minds are sincerely focused
on this work.”
Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira,
Conscious Community, Warsaw Ghetto, 1940’s
More members?
Or more engaged members?
Stages of Membership: http://63.115.67.94/cong/res-kb-stages.html
 What if your most engaged members were your only members?
 What if ALL your members were your most engaged members?
 Are you attracting members who are “right” for your community?
 What happens when members decide you aren’t right for them?
 When the shidduch is a good one, can you point to why?
The Shidduch
 YOU: “warm, welcoming, participatory, egalitarian and inclusive”
 Potential member: “Sounds good, but what’s in it for ME?”
 Marketing is a challenging notion for many of us, and the terrain
keeps changing -- dwindling Jewish population, economic
hardships, new media, little experience or people hours available.
 Good news: We do know TWO things very well …
 Our own experiences as members
 What it feels like to build and be in relationship
with other members and the community
The Member Experience
What does your
community mean to you?
The Member Experience continued
 Our own experiences as members …
 Deeply held personal feelings – we all want to be valued,
engaged, “known.”
 Person benefit and obvious value – the “what’s in it for me?”
 What it feels like to build and be in relationships
with other members …
 An effective brand is focused on communicating those benefits
in a way that will attract to your community others looking to
have (and /or support) these same things, who are best suited
to appreciate, participate in and further the experience.
The Member Experience
as an Outreach Tool
 So, based on what we know …
Who is it that best understands your
community-specific attractors and is /
are best suited to do the “attracting?”
Yes, its your engaged, excited members!
Building a Culture of Commitment
 Do you have issues that you believe stand in the way of your
effective outreach?
 Is “we need the money” a reason to grow?
 Good in-reach / Building a culture of commitment is less expensive,
more sustainable, more lucrative, more genuine, and more joyful
than using numerical growth as a fundraising tactic
 Imagine the possibilities if under-involved members became more
active … Imagine the differences in their personal narratives when
talking about their experiences as members! (e.g. Synaplex)
Long Term Engaged Members are …
 Participating ( = behaving)
 Committed ( = believing)
 Connecting (= belonging)
It goes beyond affiliating, and it's where congregations are
most likely to stop. Member retention is about building
sacred relationships.
 Growing and deepening in Relationship to Self, Other, World
(= becoming)
Getting Your Message Right
 Reconstructionist Movement branding / messaging coming:
(Psst: Register for next week’s PEARL webinar!)
 You have your own stories to tell too
 Feeling hampered by your outreach tools (or lack thereof?)
 Before you worry about HOW you reach out,
GET CLEAR on who you are
 Authentic communication
healthy, long-term,
reality-based relationships
Getting Your Message Right continued
 YOUR BRAND IS: the collected experience of your organization
in the mind of the public.
 How do we separate ourselves from the pack (and even make a
good impression on people who are looking for something different
than what we have to share?)
 (Hint: “Warm, welcoming, participatory, etc.” are table stakes…)
 Start by looking at your most engaged and supportive members:
What do they have in common with each other, and with the core
values and practices that serve your relationship with them most
powerfully?
Member Commonalities
Meets Community’s Unique Value:
 Who are your members? How did you get them?
 What do they have in common -- socially, technologically,
educationally, familially, practically, etc. ? What else defines them
as a group, and what does that say about the community?
 How do you know? Is the kavannah behind your communication
with them about exchanging info, or building relationships?
 Do your community’s values inform what you offer?
What if that were front and center in your marketing ?
 Which of YOUR community’s unique values and/or traits drew you
in and keep you engaged? Which will keep you top of mind with
prospective members? What does your community bring to the
table that no one else can claim?
Getting Your Message Right continued
 HOW do you do “warm, welcoming, participatory, etc.?”
 Remember those deeply-held feelings / personal benefits?
 Have a community conversation to help hone these varied
experiences/ benefits into adjectives that describe the specific
experience of membership in YOUR community
 What do your most engaged and supportive members have in
common with each other, and with the core values and
practices that serve your relationship with them most
powerfully?
 Your personal organizational values -- what you care about and
why you’ve creative this particular community -- are your most
potent brand and membership builders.
Getting Your Message Right continued
 How do I use this information to grow - and engage - my
membership?
 Frame the experience from the seeker’s point of view – as
“benefits” rather than “features”
 Practice – with everyone – using those descriptive concepts to
help people share the personal experiences so that the WAYS
your community does “warm, welcoming etc.” can shine
through as distinct from other congregations ‘ ways and thereby
attract people looking for exactly what you have!
 Engaging your members in the creation of “potential”
demonstrates you value their contribution on a deep level
reminds them why they joined
 vests them in creating the future
Getting Your Message Right continued
 YIELD from this valuable community conversation:
 Simple tool EVERY member can use to help increase your
kehillah’s positive presence in the wider community
 Concise language reflecting your internal values that make inreach and outreach easier and more cohesive
 Mindful strategy for everyone involved – even those for whom
you are not a good fit
 A concrete touchstone against which marketing, membership,
fundraising, and other opportunities are evaluated and which
will help you decide what we do to pursue those opportunities.
(Ask: “Does this __________ jive with the truth we experience
and want to demonstrate and share?”)
Getting Your Message Right continued
 HOW do we work the big concept of Reconstructionism into the
message?
 Not a well known thing – this is a pro and con!
 Don’t let the question freak you out! Sharing your experience
of being a member of a Recon community answers the REAL
question they are asking: “What’s it like to be a part of this
experience – and what might I get out of it?”
What about my brochure/website?
 Core values/ member experiences can be paralleled in your
marketing tools
 E.g., Core Value = recognizing that life can be challenging, our
community practices and support seek to help lighten the load
for those on Jewish Journey
Corresponding Member benefit = simplifying / ease
 MARKETING CHOICES THAT REFLECT THAT VALUE/BENEFIT
Website = easy to navigate, soothing colors, point to
resources, rather than tell the whole Megillah
Brochure = large type, no script fonts, lots of white space
 Volunteer commitments should be similarly mindfully structured
so no one experiences overload
Further Resources
Keruv Library
 Outreach, Newspaper and Magazine Ads and Press Releases http://jrf.org/keruv-library
 Brochures and Program Fliers http://jrf.org/keruv-library/search/165
 JRF “Guide to Publicity.” http://63.115.67.94/cong/res-kb-guide-to-publicity.html
and http://63.115.67.94/cong/res-kb-create-visibility.html.
 Webinar on using Facebook and Twitter http://jrf.org/keruv-library/search/225
JRF Resources Library
 http://jrf.org/resources-library&tid=2:13&show=#Membership
 http://jrf.org/resources-library&tid=2:12&show=#Marketing
Creating a Welcoming Community
 Becoming a "Kehillah Mekabelet,” The Struggles of Transformation
http://63.115.67.94/rt/transformation.html
 Ways to Welcome New Members
http://www.jrf.org/showres&rid=188 and http://www.jrf.org/showres&rid=186
Further Resources, continued
Previous PEARL sessions on Growth and Marketing:
 http://jrf.org/pearl/2009/dynamics-of-growth
 http://jrf.org/pearl/2008/growing-your-congregational-community
 http://jrf.org/pearl/2009/growing-the-soul-of-your-community
 http://jrf.org/pearl/2009/innovations-in-outreach-reaching-out-to-unaffiliated-andintermarried-jews
 http://jrf.org/pearl/2008/using-the-web-and-newsletters-for-successful-communitybuilding-and-engagement
Other Great Resources!
 Frequently Asked Questions: http://jrf.org/resource-guide-faqs
 Audio Programs: http://jrf.org/heart-mind-spirit
 http://stores.jrfbookstore.org/-strse-Congregational-Resources/Categories.bok
 http://www.rrc.edu/ethics-center/publications/spiritual-community-power-restorehope-commitment-and-joy