Registration Now Open for the 2011 Grinspoon Institute Annual Conference!

Now that camp sessions have come to an end across the country, each of you involved in youth camping should take a moment to look back on the summer and reflect on the importance of your work; thousands of Jewish children (and their families) reconnecting with their religious and cultural heritage and creating memories that will last a lifetime. After a well-deserved (but short) rest, I know you will be planning for next year - and beyond.

To that end, registration for the Grinspoon Institute Annual Conference is now open! Please take a moment before you leave on your hard earned post-camp break to register for the Conference. The Conference provides me with yet another chance to meet each of you and better understand your progress and ongoing challenges. Our conference design team has developed the conference schedule and workshops to help camp professional staff and lay leaders to gain knowledge both through traditional workshops as well as through collaboration with one another: the Leaders in the Field of Jewish Camp. This year, picking up on this idea of collaboration, we will be incorporating more opportunities for camp-to-camp sharing and advanced workshops on best practices among Jewish camps. To maximize the benefits that you will get from the Conference we are asking for your help. I am asking that each of you come prepared to share examples, samples, and stories of your camp's greatest accomplishments in the areas of Governance, Fundraising, and Outreach. We have much to learn from one another.

The Conference will be held on Sunday, November 13 and Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. To be assured of a place at the Conference, please register now and make your transportation plans well in advance. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Be Noticed - How to Make Your Camp's Appeal Letter Stand Out

Once Labor Day arrives and Rosh Hashanah looms, you can bet your mailbox will soon be flooded with appeal letters seeking donations from all kinds of organizations.

In the face of the coming deluge, Grinspoon Institute Mentor, Dan Kirsch, offers tips to make your camp's appeal letter stand out for your readers and prompt them to act.

Registration Now Open for November Conference!

Registration is now open for the Grinspoon Institute Annual Conference! The conference will be held on Sunday, November 13 and Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel. Due to our ability to accommodate more participants, there are no restrictions on the number of attendees per camp this year. Thanks to the generosity of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, registration for this event will remain free.

You will receive a confirmation email from RegOnline if you have correctly registered for this event.

Please note that participant registration is at the sole discretion of the Director of the Grinspoon Institute.

Please register today to take part in this year's conference.

General Conference Information: Leaders in the Field

We who have committed our professional and volunteer lives to Jewish camp are enjoying a remarkable moment in our field. Jewish camps are forging new ties to enthusiastic alumni, developing high performance governing boards, and inspiring new levels of philanthropic investment from people who value our essential role in securing the future wellbeing of the Jewish people. At the Grinspoon Institute Annual Conference - Leaders in the Field - we will commend and share the work that has earned us this remarkable moment. And we will explore the implications and obligations of our success in charting the future of Jewish camp and the current and future leaders in the field.

We look forward to seeing you in Springfield in November!

Grinspoon Institute Awards - Nominations Close September 15

We are excited to present the Annual Grinspoon Institute Awards at this year's Conference, given to those that have demonstrated outstanding achievements over the past year. We are seeking your nominations to help us celebrate those most deserving of these awards. Please fill out the following short forms to submit nominations in two categories:

• Outstanding Board Leadership Award
• Outstanding Development Professional Award

Nominations close on Thursday, September 15, so make sure you get your nominations in today!

We will also present the Outstanding Philanthropist Award and Impact in Technology Award at this year's Conference. Note that award recipients will be selected from among the nominees by a committee of Grinspoon Institute staff whose decision shall be final.

Camp Case: Tamarack Camps

A culture of philanthropy now permeates our Board; they are key members of the development team. Board members are deeply involved in many stewardship activities, including camp visits for prospects and donors. The Board also boasts 100% participation in Tamarack Camp's Annual Campaign.

In tandem with our improved planning and governance structures, the Grinspoon Institute Matching Grants programs have spurred the completion of a number of fundraising campaigns and associated projects. A few of these projects include:

• Completion of the dining room interior
• Complete renovation of the Butzel Conference Center. This facility is used to host Family Camp activities, and had not been updated for decades. Madeline H. and Mandell L. Berman and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit were the primary donors for this project, but the Matching Grants also supported the project. As a result, we now have an increased number of Family Camp events and participants
• Added needed improvements to the horse barn and pasture facilities
• Rebuilt two hockey rinks
• Updated the dance barn
• Improved housing for camp senior staff

Due to our affiliation with the Grinspoon Institute, we now view things differently. We have laid a foundation for not only the work we've already accomplished, but for ongoing and future campaigns and projects, including additional capital improvements and a re-emphasis on alumni outreach. The Grinspoon Institute has "taught us to fish" for ourselves in a sustainable way.

Of course, we continue to rely upon David's advice. In fact, when we were searching for a new Executive Director, he received the first phone call to help guide our process! The Grinspoon Institute Annual Conference is very helpful for ongoing learning and collaboration with other camps

Thanks to our affiliation with the Grinspoon Institute, we have made important improvements both at camp and how we work. We are sure that our continued partnership will allow us to continue to provide excellent Jewish residential summer camp experiences to campers for years to come.

35 Mistakes You Don't Need to Make on Appeal Letters

Will you be writing your camps' appeal letter this year? Then you must read this quick, easy to understand, gem of an article, one of Jerry Huntsinger's "tutorials" published on the website SOFII, 35 Mistakes that Brenda doesn't need to make.