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Is It the Holiday Season Already?

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Eid mubarak! That was the appropriate greeting for Muslims at the end of June 2023, as they celebrated Eid al-Adha, one of the most important holidays of the year.

When Eid is on Sunday, most people in the U.S. would have no trouble avoiding schedule conflicts with Eid al-Adha this year. The secular calendar that most people use in the U.S. is based on the Gregorian calendar, created under the direction of Pope Gregory. Because of its Christian origins, it assumes that Sunday is not a work day.

But Muslims follow a lunar calendar, which means their holidays are NOT on the same date every secular year. Jews follow a lunisolar calendar: ditto. Other religions and cultures also follow their own calendars, so you won’t know the date of their holy days and holidays the way that, for example, everyone in the U.S. knows December 25 is Christmas.

Even if you have a printed or online calendar that mentions all the dates, how do you know whether that day is something that is merely marked (like Ash Wednesday for certain Christians), or taken off from work completely (like Easter)?

The Best Thing to Do is Ask

When you’re scheduling a meeting with a group of people, the best thing you can possibly do is ask ahead of time.

Of course, if you ask and someone says, “I can’t make it that day because of a religious holy day,” you have to be prepared to say, “Okay, let’s look for another date.” If you ask and then you say you’re holding the meeting anyway. think of the message you’ll be sending!

You can look up a calendar of holidays ahead of time and familiarize yourself with other people’s religious observances and cultures–but that is no substitute for asking the people you’re actually working with!

A Jewish Holy Day Calendar for 2023-2024

 

 

Here’s a guide to scheduling around the Jewish holy days that I thought you might find useful.   I didn’t write it, only edited it slightly and updated it each year, but I vouch for its accuracy.

Category I.     MOST JEWS PARTICIPATE.  Please do not schedule meetings around these holidays.

ROSH HASHANAH (Jewish New Year) begins at sunset Friday, September 15, 2023 and continues through Sunday, September 17.

YOM KIPPUR (Day of Repentance) begins at sunset on Sunday, September 24, 2023 and continues through Monday, September 25.  While Yom Kippur is a fasting day, meals are prepared in advance for the breaking of the fast at the end of 27 hours.

Typically, even some of the least religiously observant members of the
Jewish community do not work on Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah.   Please keep in mind that even though the holy day may begin at sunset, these are
home ritual centered holy days, so a great deal of advance preparation is
required.  In other words, please don’t schedule a meeting for the afternoon
preceding the holiday because I will be cooking!

PASSOVER (Celebration of Freedom from Slavery in Egypt) begins at sunset
on Monday, April 22, 2024; continues through nightfall on Tuesday, April 30. THE FIRST TWO DAYS (through Wednesday evening, April 24, 2024) require refraining from work. LOTS of cooking and preparation before this holy day.

—————

Category II.   Many observant Jews refrain from work.  I count myself as observant.

SUKKOT (Festival of Booths, or Tabernacles) begins at sunset Friday, September 29, 2023 and lasts through Friday, October 6.  THE FIRST TWO DAYS (through Sunday, October 1, 2023) traditionally require abstaining from work.

SHMINI ATZERET (Eighth Day Assembly, ending Sukkot) begins at sunset on Friday, October 6, 2023 and lasts through Saturday, October 7.

SIMCHAT TORAH (Rejoicing with the Torah) begins at sunset on Saturday, October 7, 2023 and lasts through Sunday, October 8.

The LAST TWO DAYS of PASSOVER begin at sunset Sunday, April 28, 2024 and last through Tuesday, April 30.

SHAVUOT (Festival of Weeks, or Pentecost to our Christian friends) begins at sunset on Tuesday, June 11 2024 and continues through Thursday,  June 13.

TISHA B’AV (fast day marking the destruction of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem) begins at sunset on Monday night, August 12, 2024 and continues through Tuesday, August 13.

—————–

Category III. Observance doesn’t require refraining from work.


HANUKKAH (Festival of Lights) begins at sunset on Thursday, December 7, 2023 and
continues through nightfall Friday, December 15.  Every night, candles on the
Hanukkiah (eight-armed candelabra, sometimes called “menorah”) are lit.

PURIM – Begins at sunset on Saturday, March 23, 2024; continues through Sunday, March 24.

And a few other seasonal and historical holy days that I won’t mention, because enough already! If you want to know the names of those days and when they fall, see https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/. If you want to know more about the meaning of all these holidays, you might consult www.jewfaq.org or the book Seasons of Our Joy, by Arthur Waskow.

[Dennis] A final note which I thought worth adding from my own experience: Even if someone (who might be Jewish) tells you “It’s no big deal” to schedule meetings and conferences on these days, doesn’t mean that that’s true for all Jews. People maintain various levels of observance, and a more secular Jew may work on a day when I would not. (We are both telling the truth.)

When in doubt, please ask! I can’t speak for other Jewish consultants, staff, board members, and interns, but I know I always prefer to be asked.

Thank you!

3 Tips to Revamp Your Nonprofit Website’s Homepage

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A guest post by Murad Bushnaq of Morweb

Your nonprofit website’s homepage is the very first place prospective supporters will land when they find your website. Is it providing the most engaging and informative content possible to grab their attention and motivate them to continue exploring your site?

If not, you may need to revamp your homepage so supporters will stick around and find more ways to get involved in your mission. Use these essential tips to guide your homepage design:

  1. Brand your homepage.
  2. Include your mission and values.
  3. Use compelling CTAs.

According to NXUnite, your nonprofit website is an integral part of your digital marketing strategy — let’s explore how you can strengthen your overall marketing plan with just a few edits to your existing homepage.

1. Brand your homepage.

Your branding helps to set your nonprofit apart from the crowd and demonstrate why supporters should give back to your specific cause. Branding also helps to boost your credibility and build your reputation, making your website look more professional and put together.

Make sure to include the following branded elements:

  • Logo. Place your nonprofit logo in the top right corner of your homepage, so users instantly recognize your organization. Keep your logo consistent throughout every page of your website to maintain credibility.
  • Images. Brand your homepage with images that tell your nonprofit’s story. Show your mission in action with photos of volunteers and beneficiaries experiencing your organization’s unique impact.
  • Typography. Choose easy-to-read fonts for your website headers and copy. Consider staying within the same font family to keep your homepage visually consistent.
  • Messaging. Don’t assume your website visitors know what it is you do. Rather, clearly explain what makes your nonprofit different and how you’re working to improve the community or world at large.
  • Templates. Use specialized tools like adaptable website templates to effectively organize your homepage information. These templates can help your team quickly structure your homepage without getting bombarded by technical logistics.

All of your branded elements should be visually appealing and connect back to your mission so supporters can pinpoint your nonprofit’s unique personality. If your website lacks an essential brand element or needs some retouching, consider updating your homepage with a new template or exploring images that better encapsulate your values in action.

2. Include your mission and values.

What does your nonprofit stand for and why should people care about this cause? Clearly identify your mission and values and make sure to make them both emotionally compelling and concise. This will give supporters a deeper look into who your nonprofit is.

No one knows your mission as well as you do. However, website visitors often don’t have time to dig into the details of your nonprofit. To keep your mission section brief and impactful, consider applying these tips:

  • Use stats. Numbers don’t lie. Tell your nonprofit’s story by highlighting impactful statistics like how many wells your team has built or how many families have been fed. Include statistics to update visitors on your current progress and nudge them towards support.
  • Include a video. Sometimes video is the most effective method for communicating your nonprofit’s vision. Prioritize visually conveying the emotional impact of your cause, and consider partnering with a nonprofit video provider to get the editing just right.
  • Add testimonials and quotes. Sum up your organization’s purpose with quotes from your beneficiaries. Consider adding the beneficiary’s photo next to these quotes, but be sure to ask for consent before publishing them on your homepage.
  • Provide case studies. Organize your mission section by providing brief case studies of your organization’s efforts. For example, you might include the results of successful campaigns over the years.

 

Your mission and values section represents the core of your organization. Use these tips to convey who you are in a memorable way, so supporters quickly understand the gist and are motivated to donate, volunteer, or learn more.

3. Use compelling CTAs.

Another website best practice is to create clear user pathways across your homepage. Use distinct CTAs or calls to action to urge visitors to become supporters. Make it easy on them by keeping your CTAs prominent, so all users have to do is click to support your cause!

Direct supporters to your donation page, volunteer sign-up page, and other important pages to keep to encourage website donations. Your CTAs should be:

  • Brief. Aim to keep your CTAs between one or two lines to get your message across. For example, you might choose to incorporate a “volunteer today” or “donate now” CTA next to relevant campaign information.
  • Urgent. Inspire support by conveying an urgent tone. Communicate that your nonprofit needs supporter help to make your mission a reality.
  • Bold. Catch website visitors’ attention by carrying a boldness in your message. Don’t be afraid to get emotional and tell your visitors why your cause is worth their time.
  • Well-placed. The best CTA will go unnoticed if it’s buried under unnecessary website information. Place a CTA at the top of your homepage and add specific CTAs throughout your website’s pages.
  • Action-oriented. Remember, it’s a call to action — use energetic language to convey a rallying cry. Transform “submit a donation form” into “join the fight against hunger!”

Morweb’s 30+ Best Nonprofit Websites includes several snapshots of well-built websites with CTAs to get inspired by. For example, The Community Foundation of Sarasota (CFSC) furthers community care, empowerment, and success. CFSC’s call to action urgently calls for support:

“Be the one. Each one of us has the potential to impact a person, a cause, a community.” 

Concise, catchy, and powerful, CFSC catches visitors’ attention in a matter of seconds without going into too much detail. Their “donate now” button prompts visitors to “be the one.” Do some more research and find the right CTA language that fits your nonprofit brand and mission.

 

Murad Bushnaq is the Founder and CEO of Morweb. Since its inception in 2014, Murad has acted as Creative Director and Chief Technologist to help nonprofits spread their vision online through engaging design, intuitive software and strategic communication.

What’s the Message of the Day?

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You’re sending a message to your nonprofit audience in every email, every social media post, every newsletter article you write. But is it a message they want to hear?

If you know your audience, you can tell there are some topics they’ll always be interested in, no matter what season it is or what else is going on in the world. We call those evergreen topics. It’s good to have a well of those you can dip into at any time. Posting them is a service to your audience, and it does well by your nonprofit, too, because it keeps your donors and potential donors interested.

There are also some topics that matter at a particular time and not so much at others. We’ll call them seasonal topics. Ideally, you’d like your message to stand out in your audience’s mind. Well, what’s a better way to make sure they do pay attention than to write about something that’s top of mind for them already, right at that moment?

Mother’s Day Messages

This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. It’s a time of celebration for some, and a bittersweet time for others, depending on their relationship to their own mothers and (perhaps) to their children if they’ve raised any. One thing it is for everybody, though, is virtually inescapable: it’s mentioned in all the media.

How did nonprofits tailor their messages to Mother’s Day last year?

Example 1: It’s in their name

MADRE, an international women’s human rights organization and feminist fund, had an easy connection to the day. Their organization’s name means “mother,” in Spanish.

MADRE made good use of Mother’s Day by 1) sending my wife an email that said:

Dear Rona,
Happy Mother’s Day! Today we celebrate all who care for families and lift communities in joy.Make sure you’re honoring the MADREs in your life.It’s not too late to send someone special a thoughtful Mother’s Day e-card!​In celebration,Yifat Susskind
Executive Director

MADRE pop-up messageand 2) by putting a pop-up on their website that says, “Honor mothers everywhere. For Mother’s Day, you can send an e-card with your gift to support feminist initiatives around the world. Give Today.”

These messages hit the spot. They might not make a difference if MADRE weren’t routinely great at telling stories that move the hearts of their audiences. Within a stream of donor communications, however, the Mother’s Day messages grab readers’ attention and call on them to act.

Example 2: From one mother to another

re Power Mother's Day message

re:Power took a different approach. Formerly Wellstone Action, this organization works to “build a future of inclusive politics where decisions about our communities are made by our communities at all levels.” In other words: run for office, mama!

For Mother’s Day, ED Karundi Williams laid out how being a mother and being and activist go together. In a long, thoughtful email, she shared these reflections:

Becoming a mother required me to establish some boundaries, out of a sense of responsibility to my daughter and her needs.

At the same time, motherhood clarified my life’s work. It sharpened my focus and reignited my passion for this important work. 

Clearly, re:Power looked at where it was in relation to its audience and saw Mother’s Day as the right time to deepen and personalize that relationship. The message is consistent with what they would say every day of the year, but it’s couched in language that resonates with readers on Mother’s Day.

Example 3: Mothers are stronger than borders

RAICES provides free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees, especially at the Mexico-Texas border. They do not have “mother” in their name, like MADRE. Their mission is a hard sell to people in the U.S. who are skeptical about allowing more immigrants to enter the country. So, how did they use Mother’s Day to win their audience over?

 

RAICES Mother's Day message

Today, we honor Ms. N, pictured above with her children. We concealed their faces with flowers grown in Afghanistan for anonymity

 

They focused on mothers’ love for their children as a reason why immigrants come to the U.S.

“Mothers provide a deep love — a type of love that borders can’t contain.

This Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate the immigrant mothers and parents who will do whatever it takes to give their children a safer and brighter life.”

RAICES presented the children in the photo as a bunch of flowers, a typical gift for Mother’s Day. Both the photo and the language of the email they sent me put all the emphasis on family, on love, and on hope. The most hardened anti-immigration advocate might be moved–let alone the people on the RAICES mailing list, who already care about the future of immigrants and their children.

Mother’s Day comes and goes, but what’s the next date that your audience will be thinking about? Is it the date of George Floyd’s death? Memorial Day? Shavuot? The end of the school year? What message can you send them that they will pay attention to, and will it make them feel close to your organization, and give?

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