Baby Steps: Practical Strategies for Attracting Families with Young Children Mark I. Rosen, Brandeis University Jodi Jarvis, Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Vivien Dean, North County San Diego PJ Library/Shalom Baby Presented at the URJ Biennial December 13, 2013 San Diego, California Baby Steps: Practical Strategies for Attracting Families with Young Children Mark I. Rosen, Brandeis University Jodi Jarvis, Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Vivien Dean, North County San Diego PJ Library/Shalom Baby Presented at the URJ Biennial December 13, 2013 San Diego, California

Overview of Today’s Presentation Part 1: What Can We Learn From Research? - Mark Rosen Part 2: Best Principles for Reaching and Engaging Families with Young Children -Jodi Jarvis Part 3: Success in North County San Diego - Vivien Dean Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 2

PART 1: What Can We Learn From Research? 3

Two Essential Questions  What are the characteristics of Jewish families with young children, especially those who are not connected to the Jewish community?  What are they looking for, and what might attract them? Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 4

Are Parents Even Looking for Jewish Connections?  Parents with young children attending focus groups generally say that:  they are not looking for Jewish learning  they are not inclined to join congregations  However, they do say that they are looking for Jewish connections Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 5

Question From a Recent Survey of Chicago-Area Parents Are you as connected to the Jewish community as you would like to be? Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 6

Families Who Were Not Synagogue Members Were Much More Likely to Be Looking For Connections Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 7 n=1,389

Families in Which the Oldest Child Is Under Two Were More Likely to Be Looking for Connections Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 8

Jewish Friendships Matter  Parents are strongly influenced by peers  Most parents learn about programs and institutions from their friends  Secular friendships will lead to secular choices  Jewish friendships lead to Jewish choices  For those who are not connected to the Jewish community, connections start with Jewish friendships  Connecting Jewish parents with each other should be a high priority Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 9

Survey Question At this point in your life, are you looking to develop new friendships? Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 10

Three Out of Four Chicago-Area Parents Were Looking to Develop New Friendships Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 11 n=1,465

Families with Younger Children Were Even More Likely to Be Looking For New Friendships Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 12

Getting Families Connected: Some Practical Questions  To what extent are less-connected parents interested in attending Jewish programs rather than secular programs?  To what extent are less-connected parents comfortable attending programs at a synagogue? Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 13

Survey Question If two programs were similar in content and offered at the same time, which would you prefer?  The program offered by a Jewish organization  The program offered by a secular organization  No preference Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 14

Sponsorship Preferences Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 15

Survey Question If you could choose between attending a Jewish program at a public library or a synagogue, which would you prefer?  A public library  A synagogue  No preference Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 16

Venue Preferences Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 17

Getting Families Connected: The Challenge for Synagogues  For families who live within a reasonable drive, synagogues are a logical place to make new friends and connect to the community.  Families connect when there is reasonable fit between a particular family and a synagogue’s membership, clergy, programming, and denomination.  Fit is less likely to exist when a synagogue has mostly older members, or when it doesn’t have programs for young families that help them to connect with each other.  “Our synagogue does not have a ton of active families with young children.”  “At my synagogue there are not a lot of parents close in age to me. It would be nice to find more young families.”  “I think it would help if our synagogue had a moms and tots program so I could meet more of the people in our synagogue.” Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 18

PART 2: Best Principles for Reaching and Engaging Families with Young Children 19

Overview of Best Principles  Awareness Who are the parents/ families in your community? What do they want? What is the competition? Get the word out!  Be Welcoming and Inclusive People, spaces, places, program content, marketing, mission versus membership  Making Connections Relationships, building community, the right staff person, support of professional and lay leaders  Engagement Efforts Programming experiences – Who, What, When, and Where?  Strengthen Collaborate and evaluate – Who? What? How? Jodi Jarvis – Combined Jewish Philanthropies 20

Awareness  Who are the parents/ families in your community?  What do they want?  Meet people, high quality, easy-access, low-cost experiences  What is the competition?  Find out which local institutions offers local programs that are popular and well attended  Businesses that cater to families with young children  Nonprofits such libraries and local parenting organizations  Music, yoga, art, sports, etc.  What do local programs cost?  Get the word out!  How do local parents learn about programs?  Peers, internet, websites, social media, etc.  Be sure your lay leaders and professional staff are aware of and supporting your efforts Jodi Jarvis - Combined Jewish Philanthropies 21

Be Welcoming and Inclusive  Understand the diverse range of families  Interfaith, GLBTQ, single, working, multi-cultural, bi-racial, all abilities, ages and stages, food allergies  Be sure that staff and lay leaders know about your experiences, who they are geared for, and that everyone is welcome  Do your online and print materials reflect a welcome and inclusive experience?  Do you offer easy access and low barrier content, without certain Jewish knowledge expectations, opportunities to learn and/or reinforce? Jodi Jarvis – Combined Jewish Philanthropies 22

Be Welcoming and Inclusive  Are your spaces and places accessible, age-appropriate, safe, comfortable?  Playspace, baby and toddler zone, toys and materials, food sensitivities  Include/invite staff, lay leaders, teens to help  Mission versus Membership  Invest in families engaging Jewish life and our Jewish community first  Think of the process as similar to dating… feelings grow stronger over time after a series of positive experiences… it takes awhile to make a commitment  If you build it (community) they will come (and join, eventually) Jodi Jarvis – Combined Jewish Philanthropies 23

Making Connections  It’s all about RELATIONSHIPS!  Parents, families and children (parents first!)  Jewish role models – use them in your experiences  Rabbis and cantors  Jewish educators  Other parents who are living a Jewish life  The RIGHT Staff person – FwYC outreach and engagement coordinator  Warm, friendly, welcoming, inclusive  Understands families (parents, families and children)  Outreach and social media skills  Does not need to be a Jewish educator since programming is low barrier, easy access  Works well with and complements other staff (clergy, educators)  NOT the early childhood director Jodi Jarvis, Combined Jewish Philanthropies 24

Making Connections  Identify experienced program leaders in the community for special events, but not all (otherwise you create a following for them, not your program or organization)  You don’t just want to provide Jewish experiences, you want to create a community of families who find a home at your congregation  Connect with your lay leaders and other programs and arms to align and gain support Jodi Jarvis, Combined Jewish Philanthropies 25

Engagement Efforts  Create low-barrier, easy-access, low or no cost experiences so that everyone feels comfortable regardless of their level of Jewish knowledge  Recognize that some parents are self-conscious about their Jewish knowledge – uphold their sense of dignity  Opportunities to learn and to reinforce  Consider timing of events to meet families needs  Work, bedtime, naptime, meals, etc.  Reality check – they will be doing secular activities on Shabbat  Activities are easy, do not require complete parental support (they want to talk with each other), teens are an option Jodi Jarvis – Combined Jewish Philanthropies 26

Engagement Efforts  Target experiences for very specific ages - different types are effective at different stages of a child’s growth  Welcome Baby! – free gift and home visit for parents of newborns  Playgroups for parents of infants  Tot Shabbat, holiday, music, social action, Torah stories programs for parents of toddlers  Parents alone, families, children alone, combined experiences  Offer experiences in and out of your synagogue walls for those who may not be comfortable at first in a Jewish setting, remember Judaism can be celebrated everywhere!  Offer opportunities to socialize, schmooze, good food!  Offer volunteer opportunities that are easy, realistic and manageable  Collaborate with other events to integrate FwYC, not just in isolation Jodi Jarvis – Combined Jewish Philanthropies 27

Strengthen – Collaborate, Evaluate  If you collaborate with other local congregations or organizations (preschools, JCC, etc.), parents will be exposed to a broader range of options, and it will be more likely that they will find a place that appeals to their Jewish sensibilities and needs  The goal is get families involved in Jewish life … wherever they are most comfortable; the right fit is important to both parties  Learn, Design, Observe, Evaluate  Learn more, Redesign, Observe, Re-evaluate Jodi Jarvis – Combined Jewish Philanthropies 28

PART 3: Success In North County San Diego 29

Shalom Baby and PJ Library Practices in North County San Diego  Outreach – collaborating with secular and Jewish partners  Utilizing resources that families use:  Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Work with community partners to advertise in newsletters or websites  Programming – think out of the box!  Use of appealing public spaces:  Bookstores, community centers, theatres, supermarkets, public libraries, coffee houses, etc. 30

Shalom Baby and PJ Library: The Facts  Established in January 2001  Welcomed over 3,000 babies born to Jewish and interfaith families  Six new playgroups formed each year  Groups formed among parents who have had a new baby within two month period  Concierge services  Approximately 60 contacts per day  Currently over 2,100 PJ Library subscriptions 31

Shalom Baby and PJ Library: Best Efforts  Shalom Baby playgroups  PJ Library story time at local libraries  Community celebration for Jewish holidays  Collaboration with other Jewish agencies  Concierge services 32

Opportunities and Challenges  Questions, thoughts, comments, your story…  Resources:  Powerpoint will be available for participants  Engaging Families with Young Children in Jewish Life: A Guide for Synagogues (2013, CJP) Engaging Families with Young Children in Jewish Life: A Guide for Synagogues (2013, CJP) 33