As Development Director, you are constantly striving to establish and nurture relationships with your families. Your school wants their support whether it is through the annual fund, a capital campaign, or annual auction. But you also want to keep them a part of your school family after their children leave—much like colleges and universities do. A great way to do that is to learn as much as you can about the family as early as possible. And you can start with the admission process.
When a family first inquires about your school, the admission staffer who fields the call should be using an inquiry form that includes at least the student’s academic, arts, sports, and club interests in and out of school, as well as community service that student does. You want to know how the family learned about your school, especially if someone referred them. You also want to know who else lives at home—are there more children who many enroll at a later date, for example—and if any relatives attended your school. Another good piece of information is the potential student’s nickname, so the admission office will know how to refer to the student on a visit.
On the admission application, ask parents the reasons they want to have their children come to your school. This will help you connect your mission to their passion, and give you insight as to the perception of your school in the community. Get the parents’ professional and educational backgrounds, and any grandparent information you can.
Knowing who your students and families are before they walk in the door helps you start the relationship building right away. The more information you can glean and note while they attend, the easier it will be to maintain the relationship once they have moved to the next level. And when they do move on, keep tabs. Alumni are your greatest fans—you just need to do your homework to keep them in the family.
Additional ISM resources of interest
Marketing Your School Trilogy ISM Publications
Online Marketing for Schools: Prospects, Constituents, and the Social Web ISM Summer Institute
Additional resources for ISM Consortium Gold members
Ideas & Perspectives Vol. 26 No. 3 The Hunt for Lost Alumni: Four Strategies to Bring Them Home
To The Point Vol. 16 No. 9 Track Alumni Success and Validate Your School’s Programs
