Introducing new families to your school’s culture of giving should be just as personalized as engaging them in the admission process. Your goal is not just to get new parents to give money, but also to involve them with your mission through volunteerism and philanthropy. They have demonstrated their commitment to the school with their “gift” of tuition. How can you bring them closer to school life in ways that remind them why they picked your school? How can you build strong relationships that translate into philanthropic giving? The process involves a journey.

A key to supporting a productive learning environment for your students and faculty is the partnership your school creates with your parents. One way that partnership plays out is through the volunteer efforts of your parents, often formalized through the work of the school’s Parent Association. Your school depends on parent volunteers to participate in a wide array of activities throughout the year, ranging from celebratory and community-building events to service-learning collaborations and parent education workshops. A Parent Association can actively engage volunteers in various roles and levels of engagement, based on each volunteer’s ability to participate. These volunteer roles are invaluable for boosting your school’s ability to realize its mission.

Stewardship is at the heart of development. It culminates all the efforts you have made to build relationships with your donors—an ongoing, year-round process that continues to involve them, connect them, and honor them for their support.

Through their gifts, donors have demonstrated their commitment to your school, its mission, and its plans. Now, in the fifth stage of the Donor Cycle,1 recognize these supporters, appreciating and honoring their generosity in ways that ensure they feel reaffirmed and validated about their choice.

 

Solicitation is a process, not just an event. It’s an invitation to a prospect to invest in your school—and to feel excited about supporting an area resonating with him or her. Whether the process involves one meeting or several, a single solicitor or a team, the way that invitation is extended is critical.

Your goal in the Evaluate stage of the Donor Cycle (see the accompanying graphic) is to develop a deeper understanding of your prospects-their ability to give, their commitment, and their track record of giving. You'll achieve this goal by determining the answers to three essential questions for each individual. What is this person's passion? What would it take for this person to make a gift to this campaign? What would it take for this person to make a significant gift?

Private-independent schools of any enrollment size, grade configuration, or operating budget are most likely to succeed with campaigns when the following (not all-inclusive) characteristics are in place well before the public phase is launched. You, as Board Chair, Development Committee Chair, School Head, or Development Director, should consider the following as you look forward to your next (or first) campaign.

Your Development Team has taken the first step in the Donor Cycle—identifying prospects. The next step is to engage them, bringing them into a closer relationship with the school.

Fundraising would be easy if you only had to “follow the money”—acquire an online list of wealthy area residents and assign volunteers to call them. However, the heart of successful fundraising lies in building relationships. Your responsibility is not to “sell” prospects on contributing to a specific school program or project. Understand your donors’ values and interests, and then show them how their commitments connect with your school and its mission.