According to some rough calculations, Oorah raised at the very least $500,000 in the 4 hours from 10 PM – 2 AM, in addition to the many millions of dollars raised throughout the year from their auction, their various businesses, and other fundraising activities.

Its hard to place a solid figure on the actual numbers, but it definitely is substantial enough that Aaron Kotler of BMG only wishes he could get his hands on.

When you stop and take a moment to think about it (does anybody do this anymore?), you may wonder what is so special about Oorah that they are able to raise so much money? Now granted, Kiruv Rechokim is a very worthy cause, and I am not taking that away from them. But we are talking about sums of money that are unimaginable anywhere else – even Chai Lifeline, which does tremendous work for children with cancer, can’t match their fundraising capabilities.

The answer is simple – Oorah’s marketing works. When the Oorah Auction booklets hit your mailboxes in December, you marvel at all the creativity and talent – and then you proceed to enter the drawing. When the notices go up about the early bird deadline, the same thing happens again. And when the Great Big Oorahthon Event takes place, you turn on the radio – just for a moment – and get sucked in again with all the hoopla and the frenzy. Their marketing creates a sense of urgency, which makes you feel compelled to join in the action.

Is Oorah the most worthy organization for our tzedaka money? There is no easy answer to that. But one thing is clear – their marketing works.

Are you wondering – how does Oorah’s marketing help me as I try to leave kollel? There are numerous lessons to be learned, and we will explore them in future posts.

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