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It is rare when I see the diaspora do something truly constructive let alone doing exactly what I advocate but it does happen. This organization does exactly what I have been saying for years. It builds bonds between diasporan youth and our homeland. I make this thread so that knowledge of this organization can spread and more Armenians will participate in creating a lasting bond with our homeland.
PRESS RELEASE
Date: Feb 12, 2015
BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
[email protected]
BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA: GETTING THE WORD OUT
Recruit: (verb). To find suitable people and get them to join a
company, an organization, etc.; to persuade (someone) to join you in
some activity or to help you; to secure the services of. Synonyms:
call up, engage, conscript, draft, retain, take on.
One can chalk it up to timing, targeted digital marketing, content,
concerted global reach, and perhaps a few other key factors, but
Birthright Armenia is becoming a common household term that continues
to spread around the globe. What used to always exude a response of
"Birthright? What is that?" now commonly gets "Of course I know
Birthright Armenia, my (fill in the blank) did Birthright and can't
stop talking about it".
As the number of program participants continues to grow, inevitably a
majority of people know someone, a friend, relative, church goer, or
fellow student who has done Birthright or a donor who has supported
the organization, and are therefore already familiar with the basic
premise and mission upon which the non-profit operates. With 970
alums from 35 different countries, positive promotion and word of
mouth generated by these ambassadors on the ground plays a large part
of the program's successful recruitment of new volunteers.
"The best result of our brand being more recognized around the world
is that it really is no longer a question of whether or not our young
people will do Birthright, it's more just a question of when," says
Linda Yepoyan, the executive director of the non-profit organization.
"We are thrilled that volunteering in Armenia is becoming more of a
rite of passage for the 20-32 age set. We couldn't be more pleased,"
she adds.
In order to increase the geographic diversity of participants while
numbers continue to grow, it takes a recruiting effort that includes
more than boosting Facebook posts and GoogleAds. This past year there
was a well-planned recruitment plan in place that was implemented from
city to city, state to state, country to country. The events targeted
church parishes, youth groups and the various Armenian Student
Associations on college campuses for live presentations lead by staff
and local area alumni.
In 2014 alone, a total of 20 cities were visited including Tampa,
Cleveland, Columbus, Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Southfield, New York,
Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Ottawa, Providence, Richmond, Washington,
College Park, London, New Brunswick, Istanbul, and Tbilisi. These
face-to-face presentations are important for getting the word out
firsthand, dispelling myths people associate so frequently about
Armenia, and overall information sharing about the types of possible
placements and the impact volunteer service has in Armenia.
This coupled with an aggressive social media presence has proven to be
a successful recruitment approach which will be continued throughout
2015 with stops planned for Boston, Northern and Southern California,
France, Boca Raton, Montreal, Colorado, New York, and a South America
tour, amongst other cities. If you'd like to host a Birthright Armenia
presentation on your campus, in your church, or for your organization,
please contact [email protected] to schedule.
PRESS RELEASE
Date: Feb 12, 2015
BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
[email protected]
BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA: GETTING THE WORD OUT
Recruit: (verb). To find suitable people and get them to join a
company, an organization, etc.; to persuade (someone) to join you in
some activity or to help you; to secure the services of. Synonyms:
call up, engage, conscript, draft, retain, take on.
One can chalk it up to timing, targeted digital marketing, content,
concerted global reach, and perhaps a few other key factors, but
Birthright Armenia is becoming a common household term that continues
to spread around the globe. What used to always exude a response of
"Birthright? What is that?" now commonly gets "Of course I know
Birthright Armenia, my (fill in the blank) did Birthright and can't
stop talking about it".
As the number of program participants continues to grow, inevitably a
majority of people know someone, a friend, relative, church goer, or
fellow student who has done Birthright or a donor who has supported
the organization, and are therefore already familiar with the basic
premise and mission upon which the non-profit operates. With 970
alums from 35 different countries, positive promotion and word of
mouth generated by these ambassadors on the ground plays a large part
of the program's successful recruitment of new volunteers.
"The best result of our brand being more recognized around the world
is that it really is no longer a question of whether or not our young
people will do Birthright, it's more just a question of when," says
Linda Yepoyan, the executive director of the non-profit organization.
"We are thrilled that volunteering in Armenia is becoming more of a
rite of passage for the 20-32 age set. We couldn't be more pleased,"
she adds.
In order to increase the geographic diversity of participants while
numbers continue to grow, it takes a recruiting effort that includes
more than boosting Facebook posts and GoogleAds. This past year there
was a well-planned recruitment plan in place that was implemented from
city to city, state to state, country to country. The events targeted
church parishes, youth groups and the various Armenian Student
Associations on college campuses for live presentations lead by staff
and local area alumni.
In 2014 alone, a total of 20 cities were visited including Tampa,
Cleveland, Columbus, Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Southfield, New York,
Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Ottawa, Providence, Richmond, Washington,
College Park, London, New Brunswick, Istanbul, and Tbilisi. These
face-to-face presentations are important for getting the word out
firsthand, dispelling myths people associate so frequently about
Armenia, and overall information sharing about the types of possible
placements and the impact volunteer service has in Armenia.
This coupled with an aggressive social media presence has proven to be
a successful recruitment approach which will be continued throughout
2015 with stops planned for Boston, Northern and Southern California,
France, Boca Raton, Montreal, Colorado, New York, and a South America
tour, amongst other cities. If you'd like to host a Birthright Armenia
presentation on your campus, in your church, or for your organization,
please contact [email protected] to schedule.
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