Welcome to our latest Technology Program eNewsletter.

This month, we have two exciting announcements. First is the Grinspoon Institute Webinars. These free monthly online learning opportunities are meant to continue the learning and sharing among all GIJP participating organizations throughout the year. Our first Webinar - Making Reunions Work - will be held on Tuesday, March 17 at 1 PM EST. Join us as Robin Rubenstein, Alumni Coordinator of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, presents the What, Why, and How of their successful Alumni Reunions. Please Register Now for our inaugural Grinspoon Institute Webinar. It is open to all staff and volunteers from all participating GIJP organizations.

 

A special thanks to Robin for sharing her experiences; we know it will be an informative session.

 

In tandem with the launch of our new Grinspoon Institute Webinars, the GIJP Technology Program is excited to announce its new website. Found at www.gijptech.org, the new site offers a Discussion Forum so that camps can share ideas and best practices; a Registration form for the new Grinspoon Institute Webinars; the Technology Program blog; all archived Technology Program eNewsletters; and expanded Technology and Outreach Resources. Come back again soon, as the team will work to ensure the content is updated regularly.

At our November conference, one of the many invited philanthropists mentioned something very interesting. When he was a child, he grew up in an area that was rife with anti-semitism. Jewish Camp was a refuge for him, a place where he could be himself in a safe, happy environment. However, his family couldn't afford the tuition, so he went to any camp that would offer him a scholarship. Over eight years, this philanthropist attended six separate camps!

 

How does this apply to your camp or organization? Despite being a very successful businessman who just happens to be a prominent philanthropist, not one of those six camps has ever reached out to him for a donation. Not one of those six camps has ever even sent him a newsletter! Obviously, these camps do not have a good process of tracking their alumni and keeping them connected to their camp.

 

What should you do? First, make sure you are tracking your current campers and parents effectively. Keep your data in a central location, and keep it up to date.

 

Next, include details about the campers that may prove useful later in life. Did they receive a scholarship to help defray the costs of camp? Track it! Scholarship recipients may be more likely to donate to a scholarship campaign someday. Were they especially interested in your arts, theater, or sports program? Track it! These campers may be interested in supporting those programs when they need help in the future.

 

Finally, clean up all those old alumni records and start reconnecting. Who knows? Maybe this particular philanthropist received a scholarship from YOUR camp!

 

Do you have any creative ideas for reconnecting with alumni? Do you track details about your campers and camper families that might prove useful in the future?  Let us know! We are sure that others can learn from your experiences.