Planning is key in the world of development. To help you best track the Development Committee's calendar through the end of the school year and summer, we've listed major points you should be sure to tend to as the year progresses, starting with the month of February.
February
- Relax, take a breather, kick your heels up—you get the idea.
- If you'd like, you can feel bad for the Business Office as it deals with the increasingly large deluge of financial aid applications.
March
- Enough of your daydreaming—it's time to get to work! Establish the schoolwide fund-raising calendar for the coming year, including all special events, printing deadlines, and campaign kick-off activities.
- Begin recruitment of leaders and volunteers for positions in next year's annual giving campaign.
- Establish the methods of solicitation to be utilized with different constituencies, whether it be phone calls, mail/e-mail, or personal visits.
April
- Review the progress to date of this year's annual giving campaign. Decide how to deal with any unexpected shortfalls.
- Set the annual giving goal for next year's campaign.
May
- Assist with the "mop-up" phase of the present year's annual giving campaign.
- Ensure that the Development Office has mailed thank-you letters to all this year's donors, co-signed by the Head and the Chair of the campaign.
- List enhancements secured for the children this year and include a list of all givers, to preclude omissions or misspellings in the annual report.
June
- Confirm the new Development Committee members for presentation to the Board for approval at the final Board meeting, as well as the Annual Fund's Campaign Committee Chair for next year.
- Assist the Development Office with the preparation of all campaign literature.
- Initiate the review, editing, and upgrading of the major gift prospects list by the full Board. This implies donors who may offer annual campaign leadership gifts and/or specially solicited major or leadership gifts in a capital campaign.
July
- Identify and enlist leadership gift solicitors for the annual giving campaign as well as leadership gift prospects.
- Review the major gift prospects list to plan for the upcoming year.
August
- Assign leadership gift solicitations and monitor the progress.
- Strategize the cultivation or solicitation schedule for your major gift program, both for annual giving and/or any special gifts this year.
- Confirm with the committee chairs that all volunteers are in place and trained.
- Plan the annual campaign kickoff event.
September
- Ensure that all leadership gift solicitations have been concluded.
- Complete Board solicitation and see that faculty solicitation (by the Faculty Campaign Chair) has been concluded.
- Ensure that the annual report has been mailed.
- Hold the annual campaign kickoff event.
