The development process is the same for people of all cultures: Get to know who your donors and prospects are—what are their values and interests—and then begin to educate, cultivate, and invite them to join others and invest in your school. Understanding their traditions and customs will allow you to tailor how you develop your relationship with them.
Research is your first step. You need to educate yourself in cultural nuances, and a good place to start is the library or the Internet. Check out Dos and Taboos Around the World by Roger Axtell; Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How to Do Business in Sixty Countries by Terri Morrison; and Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures by Myron Lustig. And don't be afraid to ask your current international constituents questions, either. The basic knowledge you can gain from resources such as these will help you avoid faux pas in your fund-raising campaigns, and could have a tremendous positive impact on your results.
You need to carefully educate your diverse cultures on the role "giving" plays in private-independent education. While this is true of all your families, in some cultures, asking for donations is the equivalent of begging. In the Pacific Rim, it is seen as currying favor—so you must make sure these parents understand that making a contribution does not gain special favors. It is quite helpful to write letters introducing your campaign in the language of your populations.
Cultivation is critical with diverse families. It must be face-to-face, and you need to select your messenger with the utmost care. In Asian cultures, the mother is the caretaker of the children's education, and the teacher is revered above any other member of the school staff. Families from Europe, South and Central America, and Southeast Asia are best approached by parents with children in the same grade level. You need to connect all these dots to make the best impression.
The "ask" is the diciest part of the deal. You must conduct the process with delicacy and sensitivity. Understand who is responsible for the education, and who makes the monetary decisions in the family; usually, it is important to solicit with both parents present. And always include how the gift will be used. "The ask" is most successful when your team is carefully selected for the family or culture.
Say thank you. Acknowledging gifts is essential in all cultures, and thank-you letters from the Head should be in the language of the home. Recognition parties also work well for other cultures, but should be held in the home of a prominent international giver.
To read more about general fund raising across cultures, check out ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership's article "$ense and $ensitivity: Keys to Attracting Diverse Donors."
