One of the most important groups you should focus on building relationships with is grandparents. They love to support their grandchildren’s endeavors, including their schools—by paying tuition, volunteering, and providing financial support.
Grandparents Day is a popular way to recognize this special constituency, and Grandparents Day (sometimes adapted to Grandparents and Special Friends Day to allow students to invite other important adults in their lives) was a recent Development e-list community hot topic.
Joanne Fleming, Director of Development and Special Projects at The Christ School, FL, shared her school’s Grandparents Day activities, which are held the week of Valentine’s Day and include all of their students, from K to 8.
“We begin the morning with a chapel service presented by our students and an awards ceremony,” she said. The awards include things like who has the most grandchildren, the oldest grandparent present, the grandparent who traveled the farthest, the grandparent who has attended the most number of Grandparents Days. “Middle school students are hosts and greeters. Our middle school cheerleaders cheer during the awards ceremony and help present the winners’ gifts to them.
“Following chapel, the grandparents join their grandchildren in the classrooms and the students become ambassadors and tour guides. We host a reception for the grandparents/students at the end of the morning. Our photographer is set up in the reception area.”
Joanne said that for several years, The Christ School hosted a grandparents breakfast before chapel with a student program and an official “ask.”
“Attendance for the breakfast outgrew our hall so we had to scale it back. Although we did receive some gifts at the breakfast, it was more of a cultivation—an opportunity to educate the grandparents on our mission and journey. I still feel this is a wonderful opportunity if you have the room to host the event,” said Joanne.
Annual fund donors are the very foundation of every school’s advancement efforts, and most schools hold special events to say “thank you.” This month, the discussion focused on donor appreciation parties, including annual fund kick offs and types of events for various levels of donors.
Hill Country Montessori School, TX, launched a highly successful event that incorporates local culture into its annual fund kickoff.
“Being in the Texas Hill Country, Oktoberfests are a big deal around here—we have lots of German heritage,” said Dana Grover, Business Manager. So two years ago, the school implemented an annual fund kick off with an Oktoberfest theme.
“Our new Head of School wanted a way to say thank you and to celebrate in advance our parents’ generosity, rather than stand there with our hands out cajoling people all year long,” said Dana. “She decided on an Oktoberfest. It is a family event with Kiolbassa sausage, tortillas, sauerkraut, German potato salad, drinks, and desserts. There are games for the kids—cookie walk, fishing booth, etc. We have fun while touting the school, and its benefits—and have pledge cards at the ready with a big box to put them in.”
The fun doesn’t stop with the games—and the school's top administrators take it to a new level! “The highlight is the pie in the face contest between the Head of School and Assistant Head of School. We have two donation jars, each with a picture of the two women. The jar that has the most money gets the pie in the face. Needless to say there is much jocularity involved. A student is picked out of the crowd to "‘throw” the pie,” said Dana.
The school has spent approximately $750 each year to stage the Oktoberfest.
“Our first year, we received $50,000 in pledges and payments in the one night. It was a smashing success,” Dana said. “This year the total was closer to $25,000 in the one evening. I was a little dismayed we were only at half the previous year’s draw until I realized that the prior year we had two donors who pledged a total of $20,000 between them and one of those families matriculated out at the end of last year. However, I am happy to say we are back up to $50,000 for this year.”
Additional ISM resources of interest
Ten Helpful Hints for First-Time Development Directors ISM Web site
Development: Your Annual Fund ISM Collection
ISM Monthly Update for Development Vol. 8 No. 1 Three Ways to Maximize Your Personal Connections to Boost Your Annual Fund
Additional resources for ISM Consortium Gold members
To The Point Vol. 16 No. 7 Grandparents Day Builds Bonds With Key Supporters
To The Point Vol. 13 No. 6 The Donor Cultivation Cycle and Your Annual Fund
