How do you reach people, and particularly new people, with MH programming?
Below is a top 5 list I've developed from my experience in MH Portland.
1. Run excellent programs. Like a quality product, good programming markets itself. If you consistently churn out good events, than people will keep coming back and they will tell their friends and family about it as well. There is no better marketing tool than a quality product or service.
2. Repeat your message. People are bombarded by dozens or in many cases hundreds of messages a day. For yours to get through, they must be repeated regularly.
3. Diversify your channels. Different people like to receive communications in different ways, and by mixing up your communication channels you can both hit people multiple times without them feeling overwhelmed or annoyed. You can also create a feeling of energy and momentum by being "everywhere." At MH Portland we use an email list, a website and facebook. We haven't made use of twitter yet though we should, and there are probably many other channels that we haven't explored. We'd love advice.
4. Never interact with a young Jewish person without getting their contact information. MH is providing a great service to the community. Don't be shy about building up your list. Its critical.
5. Ask regulars to recruit new people. The best messenger is always a close friend. If you want new people to come, have those closest to them make the invite.
Obviously there are lots of ways to pursue an outreach strategy, but these are some basic lessons that we have learned and try to employ at MH Portland.
Showing posts with label moishe house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moishe house. Show all posts
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Moishe House Oakland---more than just free food
Joshua Walters from Moishe House Oakland Checks in...
Before Moishe House I used to think all you needed for a good party was lots of delicious food, but after throwing a couple events I've realized that while full bellies are important, for me, a successful event also incorporates laughter, silliness and sharing.
Just a regular BBQ where folks who I don't know or don't care for come to the house and eat up all the chicken and corn seems kind of hallow to me. I could just feed people, but privileged jews don't need a hand out, and in the end what was accomplished. We had an event a couple weeks ago that was just food and schmooze, and it felt OK, but it didn't feel great, because it didn't feel like people walked away with a better sense of where they lived.
Coming from a performing arts background, the events I host at the house are not just free food, but a chance for people to get to know one another by sharing there experience, weather it be hilarious or deeply personal. The Last event we had, Shabbat House Concert, was a complete success with comedians, singer/songwriters, storytellers and even a mime. The force of people's laughter completely shattered any social stiffness that a group of strangers might have. People who attended got to know a different side of the performers who shared, weather it be a sweet lullaby sung on the guitar or a story filled with love about about one's mom. This was an event that had a lot of sharing, and in turn a feeling of community.
Before Moishe House I used to think all you needed for a good party was lots of delicious food, but after throwing a couple events I've realized that while full bellies are important, for me, a successful event also incorporates laughter, silliness and sharing.
Just a regular BBQ where folks who I don't know or don't care for come to the house and eat up all the chicken and corn seems kind of hallow to me. I could just feed people, but privileged jews don't need a hand out, and in the end what was accomplished. We had an event a couple weeks ago that was just food and schmooze, and it felt OK, but it didn't feel great, because it didn't feel like people walked away with a better sense of where they lived.
Coming from a performing arts background, the events I host at the house are not just free food, but a chance for people to get to know one another by sharing there experience, weather it be hilarious or deeply personal. The Last event we had, Shabbat House Concert, was a complete success with comedians, singer/songwriters, storytellers and even a mime. The force of people's laughter completely shattered any social stiffness that a group of strangers might have. People who attended got to know a different side of the performers who shared, weather it be a sweet lullaby sung on the guitar or a story filled with love about about one's mom. This was an event that had a lot of sharing, and in turn a feeling of community.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Moishe Dilemma
What Happens when the lines between your Moishe House and your home collide?
We're about to find out.
As is the case with most things, everything always happens at the same time.
Jeremy Moskowitz, our regional director, will be visiting the St. Louis Moishe House over Passover.
My parents also decided to come in that same weekend. So did Ross'.
On top of that, I was offered a ride home for Pesach from a good friend, which I had to refuse due to work, and the aforementioned fact that my parents are coming in.
So what do we do with my parents? What do we do with Jeremy? How do we host a dinner that makes everybody happy?
With finesse, I hope. But this is the reality of Moishe House, in which your life is the communities life, and vice versa. These delineations have become blurred to the point that I've been referred to as The St. Lou Jew.
How do you extricate yourself and keep what is personal personal without detracting from the communal nature of this endeavor?
I'm interested in your thoughts
We're about to find out.
As is the case with most things, everything always happens at the same time.
Jeremy Moskowitz, our regional director, will be visiting the St. Louis Moishe House over Passover.
My parents also decided to come in that same weekend. So did Ross'.
On top of that, I was offered a ride home for Pesach from a good friend, which I had to refuse due to work, and the aforementioned fact that my parents are coming in.
So what do we do with my parents? What do we do with Jeremy? How do we host a dinner that makes everybody happy?
With finesse, I hope. But this is the reality of Moishe House, in which your life is the communities life, and vice versa. These delineations have become blurred to the point that I've been referred to as The St. Lou Jew.
How do you extricate yourself and keep what is personal personal without detracting from the communal nature of this endeavor?
I'm interested in your thoughts
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
AlakaZAM!
Dear Moishe World,
We here in STL have been trying our best to make things happen in the young Jewish community. Sometimes it feels like everyone wants to see us succeed, sometimes we feel like rebels.
We originally moved into the house so that we'd be big enough to house more people for dinners, now we are running out of place settings again and trying to figure out what to do.
We've made friends with the owners of local bars (we pretty much keep them in business), become connected with artists, musicians, politicians, and hosts of others, and the question to some extent is...where do we go from here?
How do we move MH STL forward so that it really becomes bigger than us?
In terms of funding, succession planning, etc.
Also, how do we tell people that they should probably help us clean up? We try to be green by using our plates and glasses, instead of disposables, but it definitely creates more of a mess.
We (Ross) instituted a no shoes rule to help keep our floors clean, which I think has helped.
An interesting phenomenon is that we are seeing a fair number of young Jews starting to consider our neighborhood (or nearby neighborhoods) to live in. Was it all Moishe House, or does cheap rent come into play at some point?
To read more about what is happening in STL, be sure to tune into theSt.LouJew
We here in STL have been trying our best to make things happen in the young Jewish community. Sometimes it feels like everyone wants to see us succeed, sometimes we feel like rebels.
We originally moved into the house so that we'd be big enough to house more people for dinners, now we are running out of place settings again and trying to figure out what to do.
We've made friends with the owners of local bars (we pretty much keep them in business), become connected with artists, musicians, politicians, and hosts of others, and the question to some extent is...where do we go from here?
How do we move MH STL forward so that it really becomes bigger than us?
In terms of funding, succession planning, etc.
Also, how do we tell people that they should probably help us clean up? We try to be green by using our plates and glasses, instead of disposables, but it definitely creates more of a mess.
We (Ross) instituted a no shoes rule to help keep our floors clean, which I think has helped.
An interesting phenomenon is that we are seeing a fair number of young Jews starting to consider our neighborhood (or nearby neighborhoods) to live in. Was it all Moishe House, or does cheap rent come into play at some point?
To read more about what is happening in STL, be sure to tune into theSt.LouJew
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thank God Its Over!
What a crazy election season!
Marcus and I spent election night at the Oregon Convention Center, where there were at least 30 different parties going on, all but a few of which were celebrating victory.
We spent last weekend on a bus travelling the state getting out the vote for state legislative candidates in tight races. Two of the three candidates we helped out won their elections. We did this with the Oregon Bus Project, a nonpartisan organization that fills giant bus with young volutneers and travels the state helping candidates. Check it out at www.oregonbusproject.org.
The campaign that I worked the most on, Measure 65, failed. It was an attempt to open state primary elections to include independent voters. In fact, it went one step further by creating a "top-two" primary, where all candidates for each race, regardless of party compete in the primary and the top-two go to the general. Its very similar to how most local elections are conducted, although under Measure 65 voters would still be presented with information about the party of each candidate.
In Oregon, we have all mail-in ballots. I tried to host a ballot-filling-out party at Moishe House a couple of weeks ago but no one came :( . I think folks were just electioned-out.
Thats all for now.....
Jeremy
Marcus and I spent election night at the Oregon Convention Center, where there were at least 30 different parties going on, all but a few of which were celebrating victory.
We spent last weekend on a bus travelling the state getting out the vote for state legislative candidates in tight races. Two of the three candidates we helped out won their elections. We did this with the Oregon Bus Project, a nonpartisan organization that fills giant bus with young volutneers and travels the state helping candidates. Check it out at www.oregonbusproject.org.
The campaign that I worked the most on, Measure 65, failed. It was an attempt to open state primary elections to include independent voters. In fact, it went one step further by creating a "top-two" primary, where all candidates for each race, regardless of party compete in the primary and the top-two go to the general. Its very similar to how most local elections are conducted, although under Measure 65 voters would still be presented with information about the party of each candidate.
In Oregon, we have all mail-in ballots. I tried to host a ballot-filling-out party at Moishe House a couple of weeks ago but no one came :( . I think folks were just electioned-out.
Thats all for now.....
Jeremy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)