APRIL 3 | 2 × ×™×ˇ×ź
Since 2005, J-Serve has provided teens with a unique opportunity to band together through service as a united global network committed to fulfilling the Jewish values of gemilut chasidim, acts of loving kindness, tzedakah, just and charitable giving, and tikkun olam, the responsibility to repair the world. Every year, Jewish teens worldwide join each other on this special day and throughout the spring to make their community and the world a better place.
J-Serve is a collaborative effort made possible by an incredible team of organizations.
In an effort to empower a growing number of communities around the world to participate and expand their program efforts, we are excited to announce that community grants are now available for J-Serve 2022! All grant applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.
Available Grants for J-Serve 2022 include:
Up to $500Â USD
Open to all J-Serve projects engaging 10+ Jewish teens (grades 6-12) in partnership with at least one other local community movement/agency.
‍
Up to $1,800Â USD
Open to all J-Serve projects led by new or returning agencies that can demonstrate 2+ established community partnerships and whose programming will reach 100+ Jewish teens (grades 6 - 12)
Up to $2,500 USD
Open to all J-Serve projects led by new or returning agencies that can demonstrate 3+ strong community partnerships and whose programming will reach 200+ Jewish teens (grades 6 - 12).
J-Serve continues to include all forms of meaningful social change. Participating communities are encouraged to explore new opportunities to engage a broader range of Jewish teens by redefining what is traditionally thought about as 'service'. J-Serve welcomes and celebrates all ideas that are grounded in tikkun olam, the repairing of the world.
Direct Service
Advocacy
Philanthropy
Life Skills Training
Issue Organizing
Entrepreneurship
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Vienna, Austria
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Princeton, United States
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Toronto, Canada
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cleveland, Ohio
“Since J-Serve is the International Day of Jewish Youth Service, we feel more connected to the projects because we’re all young people ourselves. Through hands-on service projects, we hope to help as much as we can... The best part is we can inspire everyone to continue to serve their communities beyond J-Serve!”
‍
— Rebecca M., Orlando Project Leader
It's never too early to start dreaming about your next J-Serve project! Review our comprehensive J-Serve Project Planning Toolkit—brought to you in partnership with our friends at Repair the World—to help elevate your program. This toolkit is designed to help translate passions into a project vision that speaks to the interests, skills, and creativity of your community.
We hope this resource will serve as a useful reference guide for teen project coordinators and professional staff alike.
Before you dive into the planning process, be sure to learn what's important to the success of your event. Review the goals and parameters of the initiative you're working toward, and understand key opportunities for innovation to elevate your experience from good to WOW.
What is the purpose of this initiative?
How can you maximize creativity and innovation in working toward stated goals?
How can this effort be layered into your programming calendar to enhance your funnels?
What does success look like for this experience (including metrics tied to program engagement, quality, innovation/risk, etc.)?
How will achieve that success?
Once you clearly understand the task at hand, IDEATE together with teen and staff leadership to build a unique experience that will best serve your community's needs within the context of the initiative. Do a community mapping exercise, clarify key responsibilities, and establish ambitious (and attainable!) goals.
What are the unique opportunities (and challenges) afforded by your community - including people, places, experiences, etc. - and how can you take full advantage of them to elevate your event?
What responsibilities are key to the success of this experience, and how will you divide the work (among specific teens and staff) to define expectations and share the load, while also leveraging individual skills?
Set SMARTÂ Goals
What specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals will enable you achieve your stated objectives to maximize success?
With a clear vision to guide you, take time to STRATEGIZE everything you'll need to enable success. Solidify basic logistics, design your program budget, seek out partnerships, outline a clear marketing strategy and swag, designs, all while further elevating your program plan to produce a truly 'high res' experience.
What are the key Who, What, When, Where and Why components of your event?
What program plan will you use to drive progress toward your desired outcomes?
How will you push your event concept beyond the status quo to build an experience that is as inclusive as possible and that will defy all expectations?
How can you get creative to maximize your experience while minimizing dollars required?
Where might you apply for additional funding to go above and beyond for your program?
Considering the nature of your event, what local/national organizations can you engage as community, program, and/or brand partners?
How can you leverage parents, alumni, and other stakeholders to help?
What steps are required to turn your program idea into a reality?
What tasks and support are needed to make that happen, and along what timeline?
How will you leverage your network using all available communication channels to promote your event far and wide?
Who will own each touchpoint, and along what timeline?
What relevant, sophisticated, and desirable swag will you offer before/during/after your event to surprise and delight your guests?
Where are there opportunities to bulk order items to keep costs low?
Good things come to those who HUSTLE. Use branded templates and an all-in approach to promote your event early and often. Create smart online systems to stramline registration. Dig deeper to recruit more teens across all social circles, and make sure the press (and the Order!) hear about what you have planned.
How can you leverage (and customize) available promotional items to build major buzz about your event through a variety of digital, print, and live sharing platforms?
How will you use BBYO's online registration portal to promote your event and encourage pre-registration for planning purposes?
What other fun information could you collect to inform surprise-and-delight opportunities?
How can you activate your recruitment plan in a way that builds real FOMO among your target audience, and what exciting incentives can you offer to encourage hustling toward pre-registration?
Engage the Press
How can you pitch the community impact of your event (to elevate BBYO's brand) in a way that will attract local/national media to take note and either attend or cover the experience?
Celebrate Internally
What information can you share about your event to help BBYO build a strong global narrative touting the reach and impact of our Movement's most influential programs?
Toolbox
As you gear up for the big day, get ready to EXECUTE. Send out final reminders, walk through the event with your steering committee, prep supplies and swag for distribution, and BBYO-ify your venue. Steward prospects (and members) with intention, and surprise and delight your guests to leave a lasting impression.
What unanswered questions remain, and how will you address them?
How can you use final pre-event reminders and confirmation messages to enhance overall buzz throughout your network?
What program moments should be scripted in advance (versus free form), and how should leadership team members plan to handle any issues as they arise?
How can you use branding and signage, as well as lighting, A/V, risers or other fun seating options, reserved VIP areas, and other venue elements to bring your space to life and enhance its fullness?
What expectations can you set and systems can you put in place to easily identify prospects (and under-active members) to ensure that all new attendees are well taken care of from the time they arrive to when they leave?
What fun surprises, snacks, and/or other program enhancements can you offer to ensure all attendees leave eager for more BBYO?
How will you share upcoming event information so everyone knows what's next?
Take advantage of the shared energy and momentum from your event while it's fresh to make sure attendees keep coming back for more. Coordinate an individualized follow-up plan to gather input to inform future programs, say a heartfelt thanks to all involved, and close out the MRIHA model by making the Ask!
How can you use technology and/or individualized outreach to gather input from prospects and other attendees to help improve your community's WOW programs in the future?
How can you customize available branded templates to personalize your follow-up outreach to all key guest segments (prospects, members, parents, partners, stakeholders, etc.)?
How can you coordinate targeted 'Ask' outreach to invite all prospect attendees to join BBYO in a timely and effective manner?
Branding
Utilize the J-Serve Brand Kit to get the word out about your event! The Brand Kit includes digital flyers, Instagram story templates, letterhead, header, footer, service certificate, share squares, slide templates, thank you note, values slides, and zoom backgrounds. We've linked some of the examples from the kit below. Get creative and let us know if you need any help. You can access the designs via Google Drive or Canva (contact your local staff about Canva access).
Access TemplatesToolbox
Share all of your J-Serve posts with the hashtags #JSERVE2022 to showcase all of the incredible events happening around the world. Maybe if you're lucky you'll get a shout out from @BBYOInsider.