CLIENT: Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, NJ

We helped a local Jewish Federation transition their organization to address the changing needs of their community, update their mission, and develop new fundraising messages and communication tools.

Brochure

How do you help tell a cohesive story for an organization that works in so many areas? We created a compelling fundraising theme, brochure and materials to promote this Jewish Federation. With the headline, “Why should I support the Jewish Federation?,” the inside panel of the brochure answered with, “For the good you can see around every corner.” This was used as the overall fundraising theme to show the impact that the Federation has in many areas around the county. The inside of the brochure presents a virtual walk through the community, visually showing all the ways in which the Federation was supporting the institutions that people rely on.

Ad

The ad presented the concept in one panel – a visual reminder of all the institutions that the Federation supports and a powerful appeal for support.

Presentation

We then created a presentation that allows the organization to delve into the story at a more personal level, exploring the impact based on the values and institutions that donors could identify with.

Brand Manual

While the national organization, the Jewish Federations of North America, had developed a new logo, we adapted it for local use. To help the staff implement the brand successfully, we adapted the national Federation’s brand manual. The manual contains all the messaging elements, shows all the versions of the logos – with and without the tagline, in color and grayscale, and in print and web formats — along with guidelines for logo usage, typefaces, colors, stationery items and other marketing materials.

Email Newsletter Templates

To help the Federation’s recipients quickly identify emails, we created a consistent system for the email templates, with headers for a general, news, and events emails.

Flyer Template

A flyer template helps staff quickly create consistent flyers for events that are professional and recognizable as coming from the Federation.

The Process of Developing the Brand and Fundraising Materials

Federation’s Marketing Goals

• To increase appreciation of the Federation and increase contributions.
• To increase the level of engagement of community members in Jewish life.
• To increase the sense of community among Jews in Greater Middlesex County.

Market Research

Reviewing the Existing Research

Our process started with convening a marketing committee comprised of staff and lay people and a past board president. In the interests of increasing the donor base and appealing to their interests, we examined the current research, which consisted of a demographic study conducted several years ago. The research showed that this federation had low penetration and giving levels relative to federations their size and that their donor base was shifting out of the county.

Conducting a Community Opinion Survey

To understand donors’ needs, we decided to conduct a Community Opinion Survey. This online poll asked about donors’ awareness and perceptions of the agency as well as their values and giving habits. The survey was sent to 6,000 people on the Federation’s email list. Approximately 600 people completed the extensive survey consisting of multiple choice, ranking and open-ended questions. We also conducted interviews to shape the survey as well as interviews with participants in the federation’s programs.

Marketing Production Assessment

Another aspect of our research for the agency, was in assessing organizational capacity to execute marketing. We interviewed all of the staff to assess the agency’s strengths and operations. In order to understand how the agency produces marketing and fundraising materials, we created a flow chart to show what steps were taken. We then made recommendations for improving this workflow based on:

• best use of individual talents
• best allocation of clear duties
• effective communications across the entire marketing team

Message Points

Based the research we conducted, we developed the following message points for the Federation.

Key Points that communications should convey:

• How the Federation addresses local needs.
• How the Federation unites the community.
• How the Federation is in a unique position to do things that other organizations cannot.
• The impact of donors’ contributions.

Secondary Points

• Present the Federation as a leader in the community.
• The Federation cuts across denominational lines.
• The Federation creates a connection to people’s own interests and values.

Mission

Since the research showed that Jews were moving out of the county, and that people were more interested in supporting local social service agencies, rather than those overseas, we helped the Federation to shift their mission to focus more more on building a vibrant Jewish community locally. The new mission statement also provides a more specific direction for the organization and can better be used in guiding their operations.

Old Mission Statement

The Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County is a nonprofit organization that raises funds for Jewish humanitarian needs. Based on the heritage of Jewish values, the Federation is committed to the quality survival, strength and vitality of the Jewish people, locally, nationally, and worldwide.

New Mission Statement

The Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex Count exists to protect and enhance Jewish life in our community.  We do so through fundraising, strategic community planning and providing funding for programs which care for those in need; strengthen and secure the safety of the Jewish people; and foster Jewish renaissance at home, in Israel and in other Jewish communities around the world.

Tagline

The next task was translating the organization’s new focus into an appealing fundraising theme. We presented the following (the first is the one they chose):

“The good you can see around every corner.”

This concept focuses on what the Federation does in the local community and how the Federation is the one group that can lend support to Jewish organizations across the spectrum from schools to social service organizations down the street and across the world. The impact the Federation achieves is evident every day in the organizations that the community relies on.

“Be a humanitarian of many.”

The second concept stems from the concept that people want to contribute to Jewish causes and make a difference, but may not know where the greatest need is or what organizations to support. With the Federation, there is collective strength that transcends individual’s support. Becoming part of the Federation gives impact to your efforts — you aren’t just an individual with a big heart, you can become a humanitarian of many.

“A voice for your values. A force for our future.”

This concept is based on the idea that Jews everywhere share similar values and the desire to create a better world. As individuals, they’re just that—values. But as a group, they can take form and have real impact in our community. That’s the main idea behind the Jewish Federation. Together, we bring our values to action. By not being bound to any one institution, we can go where the need is, so that we are building a vibrant Jewish community and so that no Jew is left behind.

Results

This marketing effort was part of a larger organizational transition to become a more effective organization. The shift in mission was an essential for the organization, and has prompted thinking about the organization’s funding allocation and other strategic issues. As a sign of positive change, the temporary marketing committee has morphed into a permanent body, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to improving their marketing.

Related Stories

Read the full case study and get the inside scoop.

Read “Lessons from Branding a Jewish Agency”

Links

• See other nonprofit branding case studies.
• Contact Red Rooster Group for help with your marketing.

Red Rooster Group is a New York based graphic design firm that creates effective brands, websites, and marketing campaigns to increase your visibility, fundraising, and communications effectiveness. Contact us at info@redroostergroup.com.

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