From the Leadership Team
Shalom Y'all! My name is Jake Forstein, this year’s NFTY-SAR CJ Co-Director! I’m from the TYG of GREFTY in Greenville, SC, and Camp Jenny: A Whole New World will be my 5th Camp Jenny. I want to give a quick shoutout to our amazing unit leadership, who have all already started writing fantastic unit programs that will take place during Camp Jenny. Remember to turn on Slack notifications for any and all threads you are a part of, and feel free to reach out with any questions y’all may have!
Individual Fundraising News
It's been amazing to watch everyone's momentum as they setup their pages and start fundraising. This week we want to give a shoutout to everyone who has received 10 or more donations to their page:
Name | Total Donors |
Lauren Mond | 29 |
Anna Wynne | 28 |
Jacob Wall | 25 |
The Forsteins | 23 |
Lola Bessoff | 23 |
Eliana and Gil Bloom | 18 |
Matthew Zukowski | 11 |
Lily Ragals | 11 |
Lindsey Geer | 11 |
Check the tips section below to learn more about how Lola and Lauren have had success in getting lots of their friends to donate!
Fundraising Tips
Did you know that EMAIL or PHONE CALLS is actually the best first step for fundraising? Posting on social media is good, but it's better to start with sending emails to some of your closest family and friends - the people that you know will make a donation. Once you've gotten those first few donations, others will be more likely to donate.
From Lauren Mond (currently has 29 donors!): I had been frequently posting about Camp Jenny, but realized most people aren’t going to donate from a little flyer on Instagram or Twitter because they don’t understand why I am raising money or what the money is going towards. I started individually texting all of my friends with a blurb about what CJ is, why it’s important to me (with my past experiences, stories, etc.), and why it’s important to fundraise for!
Individually reaching out has definitely been the reason I’ve been able to get so many donations. A lot of my friends have also found it easier to venmo me (since they already have their cards linked up) & then I transfer the money over for them. I emphasized to my friends that it wasn’t necessary to donate a lot, but something as small as $5 can build up and make such a huge impact! Overtime, the many $5 & $10 donations I received added up into what I have now 🙂
From Lola Bessoff (currently has 23 donors!): I first started off with reaching out to family, friends, and anyone in my contacts. I then posted it all over my Instagram with fun incentives after I raised a certain amount of money.
Finally I called people who work with kids. For example, teachers and volunteers from different organizations. I explained what Camp Jenny was and why I am passionate about it. I made sure they knew exactly where their money was going. To thank them, I hand wrote notes telling them how much their love and support meant to the campers, staff, and me. Hopefully this encourages them to spread the word and donate in years to come.
Thank you Lauren and Lola for sharing your tips with us!
Upcoming TYG Fundraisers
There are so many Camp Jenny fundraisers happening in the next few weeks! We hope you'll go support one if you live nearby!
Want to be featured in our next newsletter? Be sure to tell Jake or Daniel about your upcoming fundraiser! Want us to brag about the success of your fundraiser? Be sure to fill out the post-fundraiser form to let us know about your fundraiser's results!
Program & Logistics Updates
The unit leadership had their first Program Review call last night, and there are some amazing ideas in the works! We'll share a few highlights from some of the unit programs and specialty area plans in the next newsletter. Registration will also be opening soon (by the end of March), so be sure to make your travel plans now!