Throughout the year, we meet (or know of) Jewish teens through events, school, social media, sports, camp, family, and beyond. These Jewish teens who are not yet in BBYO are just waiting to be asked. Most teens are not a part of BBYO because no one has ever thought to invite them.
To do this right, the names can't live only in our heads. When we work as a team, we can record a smart, long list of teens to bring closer to our Movement.
Every Jewish teen who is not a part of BBYO yet should be on a prospect list. A prospect list is a shared online document (i.e., Google Docs) where information about prospects is stored and managed. When your chapter gets together, you should always be looking at your prospect lists to keep them up to date.
A good prospect list will help you build a strong relationship so making any ask is easy. Knowledge is power and understanding a prospect's interests, current involvement, who they are friends with, and basic information goes a long way.
MRIHA doesn't just apply to recruiting members. Explore some of the different types of lists we make to grow our Movement:
Membership Prospect ListSummer Prospect ListIC Prospect ListConvention Prospect ListEvent Prospect ListIf you're not having fun while prospecting, you're doing it wrong. Make the process of prospecting fun by ordering food, blasting music, putting something on TV, or going somewhere fun with your chapter.
Once you have your list, it's time to send out some invitations.
So many teens miss out on BBYO experiences because they are simply never invited to come. With our excellent prospect lists, we can strategically invite prospects to upcoming events to give them a taste of BBYO and learn about the perks of membership.
Strong calendaring drives healthy recruitment. It’s important that calendars are planned well in advance so there are plenty of opportunities that cater to everyone's interests.
Calendar TemplatesStrategic CalendaringCalendar ChecklistIt's not enough to get them in the door. How they are hosted during an event will make or break their want to return.
It’s on us to make sure every prospective member has a great time. We can make sure they have a ride, give a special gift during the event, or assign an experienced member to look out for them. The goal for any prospect is to create a desire for continued involvement. If no one talks to them or pays attention to them at the event they were invited to, they probably won't want to come back.
A good prospect list will make hosting easier because you already know a little about them!
Hosting TipsMRIHA is an ongoing cycle. Typically, we repeat the invite and host phase a few times before making the ask. It's important to build the relationship so the ask comes naturally.
This is when it gets really fun. Once a prospect member is interested in what AZA and BBG has to offer, you get to give them the greatest gift of all: membership.
Leveraging AZA and BBG traditions like AIT/MIT classes, big and little brother/sister pairings, bid cards, inductions, conventions, and international experiences are all surefire ways to amplify your ask. More than anything, being direct and expressing to any teen that this is a community that will support them, embrace them, and from which they can do great things is what is most compelling. Everyone wants to belong to something bigger than themselves. You can make that possible for every Jewish teen.
This button below will be pretty important when it's time to make the ask to join AZA or BBG.
Become a MemberBut wait, what if the person I'm asking to join has some pretty legitimate reasons for not wanting to sign up? They have basketball practice every day after school, their parents don't see the value, or maybe it's too much money. Learn how to combat these common roadblocks to registering. It's a good idea to have these in your back pocket when making the ask.
Combat Roadblocks