Fundraising: How schools can get started

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FundraisingHow schools can get started

• Practical advice and avoiding pitfalls
• Enterprise in Schools
• 18 March 2008

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Introduction

• Mungo Dunnett Associates
• Team of 32, based in Oxford
• Short, sharp work in Schools and HE sectors
• Also the leading commercial strategy consultancy
  in the UK banking sector (where we charge a lot
  more!)
• Our focus How can you operate more efficiently?
  How can you function more profitably?
• Schools commercial strategy and effectiveness
• Positioning of School vs. competitor peer group
• Parent research
• Admissions and pupil recruitment
• Marketing and income generation

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Purpose of the session to describe and explain

• The (too) typical situation within Schools
• The practicalities of doing fundraising yourself
  
• Resourcing it correctly
• Databases and how to use them
• Communicating properly making it relevant
• Corporate donors and the role of the Head

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Fundraising what it is

• An accountable science
• Requiring a high degree of database skills,
  people skills, and persistence
• A crucial conduit for revenue into the School
• A vital linkage with your stakeholder community
• A means of building ongoing relationships with
  ex-pupils

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Fundraising what it isnt (surely this isnt
you?)

• A lovely job for under-utilised or semi-retired
  staff
• Lots of lunches with a small number of personal
  contacts
• Brand building
• Occasional unfocused mailshots
• Occasional fundraising dinners
• People stuff bit of advertising, bit of PR
• No real measurement or accountability and
  rarely seen at School

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The start point resourcing it correctly

• The right person
• Yes, a personal network is useful
• And so is an established linkage with the School
• But is this person right?
• Are they known and liked or simply officious?
• Are they organised and reliable or a
  dilettante?
• The right support
• With databases, marketing letters and event
  management
• Linking the Fundraiser into the School
  infrastructure
• Appropriate performance-related bonus (no easy
  wins!)
• This is not amateur stuff

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Databases your friend

• Databases facilitate everything but only
  if they are
• 1) built correctly, and
• 2) used correctly
• A alumni database that works
• Is the current one up to the job?
• Can the Fundraising team use it?
• Do you need another one? Be careful!
• Populating the database
• Vital to capture leavers forwarding address
• And the real secret keep it updated more
  shortly

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Databases and campaign management

• No amount of personal networking will deliver
  the results of effective campaign activity
• But you probably share my misgivings about
  US-inspired fundraising techniques
• Bombardment of unsolicited messages
• Pressure to donate
• No reference to ourselves as individuals
• Quite inappropriate to most British schools
  ethos and modus operandi
• However there are lessons there
• In terms of both what to do and what not to do

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The secret intelligent communication

• The greatest weakness of communication is its
  tendency to be generic
• Big volumes of ho-hum messages a numbers game
• With no actual Communication or Recognition
• People want to be remembered
• Maintain that rapport a lifelong affection, if
  sensibly nurtured
• Also people want to hear about their particular
  areas of interest
• Such as..? Do you know?

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Targeted, relevant appeals

• Couched primarily as information
• Speaking to the recipient personally
• Personally signed
• Personally tailored
• Never stoop to volume efficiencies
• Fundraising should be divided into meaningful
  sub-sections
• Find a heading that fits one of your interest
  groups
• Not necessarily a separate activity (though it
  could be)

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Maintaining that relevance ongoing communication

• Capturing personal interests at school-leaving
  point is only the first step
• This is the beginning of a lifetime of relevant
  dialogue
• The first 10 years are crucial
• The school must remain relevant
• Make clear that the school is interested (no
  financial agenda whatsoever)
• Key fundraising role maintaining latent
  affections
• Fostering the wider school community
• The world of Facebook and LinkedIn
• Where is the role for your school in ex-pupils
  lives?

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Corporate donors and the role of the Head

• Networking is the secret to corporate support
• The school as part of the community
• Not simply for charity regulatory reasons
• But also because it is part of the community
• Parents businesses?
• Attachment to industry?
• Local education-and-employment social
  professional groupings
• This is where the Heads status is vital
• Marketing/Fundraising creates platform for Heads
  involvement
• Very focused time is limited
• Reciprocal links (utilise HE experiences)

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Summary

• Get the right person
• Support them properly people and database
• And make them accountable metrics and rewards
• Capture leavers details and forwarding details
• Maintain personal contact
• In their areas of interest
• By showing interest in them
• Packaging of communications and appeals
• Always make it directly relevant
• Drive networking and community involvement
• The Head as guided missile

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Questions?
Mungo Dunnett Associates 11 Polstead Road Oxford
OX2 6TW Tel [phone] Email
info_at_md-as.com Web www.md-as.com