ISM has long insisted schools must be clear about their primary marketplace stance (price, product, process). We also have recommended schools develop supporting Purpose and Outcome Statements that align with their market position and articulate their mission, values, student outcomes, and faculty characteristics. However, successful and sustainable schoo
Harness the Power of Parent Volunteers to Enhance Your Development Efforts
Parents are central to daily life in schools—from spreading positive word-of-mouth in your community, to donating to the Annual Fund, to volunteering throughout your campus. You rely on parents to lift up your school in many ways. It’s essential, therefore that when you create development parent programs, you also establish a culture of support and partnership in service of your school’s mission.
The Major Gift Toolbox: Donor Personas, the Donor Cycle, and the Giving Pyramid
To consistently build a productive major gift program, you, as Development Director, must learn to manage relationships with a broad spectrum of individuals who have varying attachments to your school. Development teams in private-independent schools are generally too small to have one or more individuals who are solely dedicated to identifying and creating engagement, solicitation, and stewardship plans for your major prospects. Consequently, it is important to use a set of tools that makes your work more manageable and:
Using Analytics to Boost Your Spring Annual Giving Plan
Maximize your effort this spring to achieve your 2022–23 goals and position your 2023–24 campaign for success!
Too often development teams focus on participation, using the same techniques they used in the fall to meet their spring fundraising goals—casting a big net and hoping to see results. But using analytics to determine your target demographic can help you meet your goals more effectively.
ChatGPT: The Game-Changing Technology for Private School Marketers
You’ve probably heard of the revolutionary new AI language model, ChatGPT. And now you’re wondering:
- Do I really need to learn how to use it?
- Is this just a fad?
- How can this new system actually help with our school’s marketing?
- Aren’t the outputs too basic and generic?
As a fellow marketer who has spent over 200 hours studying ChatGPT and implementing it in my own marketing efforts, I can confidently tell you it is a game-changer!
The problem is, many people don't know how to use it to its full potential.
The Development Director and Annual Giving in Tough Times
Inflation reigns, and the stock market is uncertain. Enrollment and re-enrollment are down. Last year’s annual giving target wasn’t met, and parents who are struggling to pay tuition aren’t likely to contribute additional funds. The school’s overall financial position is precarious.
Communicating Your Planned Giving Program
A well-conceived, concerted effort is necessary to educate all your school’s constituents about a planned giving program.
Getting to Know Your Alumni: Finding the Data That Matters
Gain the tools you need to nurture productive relationships with alumni and gain their invaluable support.
Create a Stewardship Plan to Thank, Honor, and Retain Your Donors
As Development Director, you know that, when a donor gives a gift to your school, they are not merely conducting a monetary transaction. Through their contributions, they express their personal values and aspirations for the school and support each child who chooses it.
How to Use Video For Impactful EOY Solicitations and Stewardship
As video engagement continues to power many of the digital interactions donors of all ages experience, how can you use this channel effectively in your own campaigns?
Join ThankView President JD Beebe as he walks through how to deploy video campaigns for different audiences—from solicitations to stewardship, from 1:many to 1:1 outreach.