Board members are instrumental in the ongoing success and impact of nonprofit Jewish Camps. As a board member you have many ways to support camp. Here are 15 ideas to get you started.
Volunteer Service:
- Tell the Story: Get experienced and comfortable at telling the story of the impact of Jewish Camp…and your camp specifically. Share the story enthusiastically.
- Be Active on Board Committees: Actively volunteer on a committee of the Board. Over time, step up and lead a committee.
- Thank Donors: Volunteer to write personal “Thank You” notes to donors, and sign as a Board member.
- Engage Online: Add your Board service to your personal email signature and LinkedIn profile. “Like” the camp on Facebook and follow them on other social channels. Forward interesting camp blogs/emails to your network and friends.
- Visit Camp in the Summer: Plan on observing camp life during the summer for a day while you are a Board member, if you are able. Experience the magic of camp firsthand.
- Attend Events: Participate in local camp fundraising events and/or national Jewish Camp conferences as a Board member.
- Open Doors: Actively connect camp leadership to your personal or professional networks to help raise the visibility of the organization.
- Host an Event: Host a house party and invite your circle of friends to learn more about camp.
Financial Contributions:
- Keep Camp in the Top 3: Make Camp among the top 3 organizations you support philanthropically while you are a member of the Board
- Become a Monthly Donor: Monthly donors help the camp with cash flow in the lean winter months. Tell others why monthly donations are so extremely helpful to camp.
- Make a Direct Investment: Make an additional restricted donation beyond your monthly giving to camp for specific projects that interest you, such as additional basketballs, new art supplies, or covering the costs of travel and lodging for a visiting Rabbi. As a board member you will also be expected to make an additional generous gift to a current capital campaign.
- Give a Gift of Jewish Camp: Give a gift to camp in honor of a friend’s birthday or other event.
- Join the Crowd: Join in with a contribution to crowd-funding or peer-to-peer opportunities if your camp participates, such as a bike-a-thon event.
- Give an In-Kind Donation: Donate the cost of your travel to attend Board retreats, the costs to host a party, or other expenses that camp would otherwise have to cover from the budget.
- Leave a Legacy: Consider leaving an end-of-life gift to camp through your estate.
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Written by Julia Riseman. Julia is a Mentor with JCamp 180. Julia leads Data2Donors, a program to advance Alumni Outreach, improve camp databases, and raise more major gifts, and Fundraising Fundamentals. Julia has also sparked the creation of many JCamp 180 programs and offerings, including this blog.
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Who we are: JCamp 180 is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF). Our goal is to significantly enhance the long-term effectiveness of nonprofit Jewish camps in North America. To meet this goal, we provide affiliated Jewish camps with consulting services, annual conferences, shared resources, professional development, and matching grant opportunities. Find more at www.jcamp180.org.