Meet Them

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 non-member teens are not a part of BBYO because no one has ever thought to invite them (or followed up after asking once).

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.

Record Information

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 (e.g. Google Sheets) 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:

If 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.

Invite Them to an Event

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 membership. It’s important that calendars are planned well in advance so there are plenty of opportunities that cater to everyone's interests.

It's not enough to get a prospect in the door. How they are hosted during an event will determine if they want to come back.

Be a Great Host

It’s on us to make sure every prospective member has a great time. We can make sure they have a ride, give them 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!

MRIHA 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.

Make the Ask

This is when it gets really fun. Once a prospect 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 make space for them to 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 page linked below will be pretty important when it's time to make the ask to join AZA or BBG.

But wait, what if the person you're 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.

Once they are a member, MRIHA doesn't stop. We continue to use this model to prospect members and make asks about attending local events, conventions, summer programs, IC, and more.

The MIT/AIT Curriculum is a set of tools to teach new members the lasting traditions, history, and rituals of our Orders. The MIT/AIT Curriculum is split into seven sessions, each with its own theme, activities, and resources. There are also links to external tools to help strengthen the educational experience and expand the new members' knowledge of AZA and BBG. We are confident that you will find the process of building this experience fun and rewarding.

One way to keep all members engaged is through a Big-Little program. Creating big and little relationships is one of many ways to engage upperclassmen in unique programs that offer opportunities to build relationships with a new class of Alephs or BBGs. These relationships create a family lineage that can be carried year after year and strengthens the bonds between individual members and the chapter overall.

Learn how to set up a big-little program in your chapter to keep members involved.

Upperclassmen can be a difficult audience to keep involved. Some may be burnt out or begin to take on other interests in high school. For keeping these members engaged, your chapter can provide exclusive upperclassmen-only opportunities. Experiences could include barbecues, college tours, retreat weekends, swag, appreciation nights, and more. It’s important that we create intentional moments to celebrate upperclassmen just as we would a new class of MITs or AITs to ensure they, too, keep coming back.