Feb 11, 2015  By Jewish National Fund  Category: Travel,

Are you a social-media star? Get sent to Israel and help make a difference!

Photo: Anne Taillandier
In the summer of 2014, Social Media Executive Committee Member 
Alicia Yaffe gets up close with plants at a Be'er Sheva community garden 
farmed mostly by new Ethiopian immigrants.
Last year, Vivian Grossman, a member of the Jewish National Fund's national board of directors, had a vision. What if JNF were to convene a team of creative, committed, forward-thinking social-media professionals to help tell the stories of the many people JNF touches and accelerate the organization into the juggernaut for Israel it was meant to be? 

With the help of Abigail Leviss, JNF's director of grants and foundations, and the blessing of CEO Russell Robinson, the social-media executive committee was born.
The inaugural committee featured an incredible group of volunteers -- employees of Saatchi & Saatchi, R/GA Advertising, The Huffington Post, CNET, and a startup that represents major clients including the estates of Janis Joplin and Michael Jackson. The group traveled to Israel last summer, heading north to south and east to west to visit JNF partners and see firsthand how the JNF is making an impact in areas like infrastructure, water, historical preservation, tourism, and care for the disabled. Upon their return, the group began working closely with JNF professionals to increase the JNF's visibility and sharing social-media tips with the JNF-loving masses.  

Then we started hearing from all corners of the globe from people who wanted the chance to be on the committee. That opportunity is now open to everyone.

For 2015, the team is welcoming a new group of passionate evangelists -- people who post to Instagram as often as they breathe, share on Facebook to generate all manner of discussion, Snapchat without stopping, and have made new friends from Twitter interactions. We envision a group of people with skills ranging from photography to video editing, copywriting, and strategic campaign development. If any of this sounds like you, or someone you know, visit this page to find out how to apply. 
A panel of media professionals and JNF staffers will review all applications, and those who get selected will go on a fully funded trip to Israel to collect content and strategize campaigns. Member will be asked to commit to serving a minimum one-year term on the committee, and will design and execute a number of campaigns throughout the year to educate current and potential donors about the projects the JNF oversees and the impact of JNF’s work. Additionally, the committee will work to generate new donor dollars.
JNF has consistently remained one of the highest-rated nonprofit organizations on Charity Navigator. It's easy to see the tangible impact of JNF's work and the way that JNF's mission improves people's lives in Israel in very measurable ways. Do you want to put your skills to social good? Join us. Apply now!


Photo: Anne Taillandier
The inaugural JNF Social Media Executive Committee tours the historical city
of Akko, site of a major revitalization effort.