Schools dream about attracting Board members with deep pockets. “If we could just get a few rich Trustees, our problems would be solved!” In reality, the way you structure your Board membership must be designed to support your school’s mission, as expressed through the strategic financial plan. That means creating a “Board profile”—a list of the resources and expertise you need to meet those strategic goals.

Saying thank you is one of the simplest ways to show your appreciation when a donor gives to your school—and one of the best ways to encourage repeated generosity. Most schools opt to do so in a letter, note, or phone call. This year, why not buck tradition and make a thank-you video? To get you started, we’ve collected some of the best private-independent school video thank-yous from around the web. Ranging from technically masterful and scripted to the spontaneous and genuine, all epitomize the sincere and heartfelt appreciation your own end-of-year thanks should embody.

With your end of the year push to reach your funding goals and the mountains of thank-you notes waiting to be signed, sealed, and delivered, a chance to escape from the stress might feel impossible. Still, there’s no reason you can’t steal away from the hectic office on occasion with a good book—especially when it’ll help you improve your school’s development efforts. We’ve coupled each book with a webinar from our e-Learning archive, so when you make it back to your desk, you can spend an hour or two learning something new.

Summer is a slow(er) time for the Admission Office, though tours are still scheduled and family meet-and-greets are still planned. The brief respite before the beginning of the next recruitment season means you can relax with a good book. Here are a few we think are worthy of taking a starred place on your summer reading list, paired with relevant ISM webinars.

Not too long ago on our Admission Directors e-List, one director related an awful bind in which she’d found herself during a tour with a young child and his mother. During the tour, there were several “red flags” that the child was not developmentally ready for her school’s program and would probably be denied if the family applied for admission. Her question for the e-List: Should she deny the student before even receiving the application, or let the family pay the fee and go through “due process”? To answer this question, we need to introduce the idea of "emotional banking."

More and more, technology plays a bigger role in the classroom. We use it to create, explore, communicate, and store important pieces of a puzzle that, when assembled, help create part of your students’ overall educational experience. With increased use, however, comes an increased need for technical support and expertise. Cue your IT department! Whether that department is one dedicated professional or a team caring for all your private-independent school’s devices and software licenses, these people work hard to keep your school safe and moving forward into the 21st Century. But sometimes it can feel like your priorities and theirs aren’t on the same page. Here, then, are some tips on how to work well with your IT department.

School gardens certainly gain popularity this time of year, when the day lengthens and the air grows warm. While it’s a nice, “feel good” sort of activity, there are other advantages to having an agricultural bent to your curriculum, like chicken therapy. (No, really! “Bird therapy” has helped at least one student’s attention span.) Continue reading for four more interesting facts about garden and horticultural programs schools are using to engage students and community alike.

Your private-independent school receives funds not only through predictable hard income from tuition, but also through unpredictable funnels, such as your school’s development efforts and various philanthropic events. When ISM talks about a school’s “advancement plan,” then, we’re really talking about all of these financial efforts combined, not just admissions or development alone. One person—or even a whole department!—can’t accomplish everything, which is why your school’s Advancement Team is so important. But who’s on this team, and how does each member contribute to the overall effort?

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer although our calendars tell us that summer doesn’t begin until June 21. It’s safe to say that come Memorial Day weekend, pools open, life guards return to beaches, people pack away winter clothes and break out their summer wardrobes, and grills are fired up for some tasty backyard feasting. Sounds like summer to us!

Q: We rely on our volunteers. What concerns, if any, are there with using parents as volunteers?