Development Development
Mike Ziemski, M.Ed. - SchoolAdvancement
These articles will be published once a month to help schools move from a "Fundraising" mindset to one of "Development." If you've already developed a Development mindset, then check out Advancement Articles or Advancementality: The Blog as to how Development fits within an Advancement framework.
April:
Perhaps your school has started a development core team, and the members have networked with other schools to find out what successful development efforts are in place there. Through your research, you've decided that there are three main items you'd like to focus on - an annual fund (to which alumni and members of the community can contribute), a special event (maybe a dinner/dance or a concert) and a golf outing. One of your people on the core team is an avid golfer, and, after having attended many golf outings, would love the opportunity to put one together using all the successful things she's experienced over the years.
In the greater scheme of things, the golf outing can be considered a fundraiser, as can the dinner/dance or concert, since someone has to do something (buy a ticket, or send in a registration fee) in order for the organization to raise funds from the net proceeds. "Real" sustainable development dollars come monetary gifts that people want to give because they feel compelled to be engaged with the organization. One development professional calls it "meaningful involvement," and in that spirit, there is some kind of relationship that has to develop between the donor and the organization - not just a relationship between individuals not involved with the organization that have somekind of relationship to individuals that support the organization. That's just step one. The real goal is to translate that personal relationship between two individuals to a relationship between the one not involved with the organization and the organization itself. Events such as a dinner and a golf outing are great "first steps" to meaningful development efforts at your school.
You must remember that other schools might have special events and golf outings. Other organizations in your local community might have special events and golf outings too. And, yes, you will be stepping on toes, since participants and potential donors may have to choose between your golf outing and another organization's event. While it's good news for you when they choose yours, the other organizations will feel threatened.
Last month’s article spoke about the non-threatening nature of fundraising (since “everyone” fundraises) and the threatening nature of development (since it has the potential to bring in significant dollars from individuals and organizations engaged in the mission of the organization). Since a donor’s contribution amount may be limited, choosing your school as a gift recipient may mean that other organizations may not receive as large a portion of funding as they did in previous years. Some overarching or "parent" organization also may not allow a smaller, affiliated organization to solicit contributions unless their “prospects” are reviewed by the larger group. Even though the larger organization may be successful in securing the gift, it is still the donor’s prerogative to direct the contribution to the affiliated organization rather than the overarching organization. A gift cannot be forced; if it is, it is not a gift, since gifts are freely given. It is up to the donor to decide where his or her contribution will be directed. The more a potential donor is engaged with the mission of an organization, the more likely it is for the donor to direct their gift to that organization’s efforts.
So if the other organization is threatened, it's probably because the donors and potential donors are more aligned with your organization, its purpose and its results. In reality, these other organizations, or the overarching/parent organization, need to do more to deepen their relationship with their donors...but, it's quicker and easier for them to threaten your organization with potential sanctions, actions and perhaps litigation than it is to create meaningful, lasting and strong relationships.
Remember, the more successful you are, the more that other people and organizations will try to "knock you down." The other thing to remember is that you will always have challenges. As my mother taught me, "Little kids, little problems; bigger kids, bigger problems." The same goes for non-profits that begin to act as real non-profits rather than just "li'l fundraising organizations."
Next month’s article will focus on how to increase potential donor engagement.
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2011
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March:
Last month’s article described the differences between fundraising and development. While fundraising (candy sales, car washes, sales of products, etc.) is still important in the short-term, the long-term way to ensure the viability of an organization is through development (such as annual and alumni appeals, grantwriting, major gifts and business/corporate sponsorship). The article ended asking the question, “Why is fundraising non-threatening and development threatening? Fundraising is non-threatening because everybody fundraises.
Organizations sell wrapping paper, cookie dough, pizza, candy, and soft pretzels to raise money to fund their projects. While a "Signature Fundraiser" can generate some significant dollars (for instance, a hoagie sale that generates $10,000 in revenue every year), most fundraising projects bring in a maximum of $5,000 – which is why there has to be so many of them. Also, when other organizations see you doing a ton of work for a profit of $2000 to $3000, many will seek some other type of fundraising program in hopes that it will raise more revenues with less work. Sadly, they don't and become viewed as "Just another sale" or create the mindset of "We're always selling something!"
Development, on the other hand, has the potential to bring in significant dollars in the five- and six-figure range. It takes a lot of up-front work, seed-planting and cultivation, but projects that continue to interest and engage audiences outside of the organization open the doors to people that want to support the good work that the organization does precisely because of what the organization does – not because of what it sells.
At first, the going can be very slow, and usually is - to the point that if folks don’t see a quick increase of income, they’ll scrap development and continue with the search for the perfect fundraiser...and continue to search for a better way to raise revenues. However, there is none - that's retrogression. Even the term "advancement" suggests there is only forward movement. There is no "reverse."
Successful development efforts are threatening to other organizations because once someone sees the potential, other organizations become interested in doing the same thing, and may be approaching the same audiences for the same significant support.
Next month, why the threatening nature of development is merely a perception. It seems “real” because "perception is reality."
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010
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February:
There are two ways of raising money to support your school. The first is development, which is the most challenging and time-consuming, but is the most effective way over the long haul. The other somewhat easier, less time-consuming, but more commonly used way – the way we’ve done it for so many years - is fundraising. Many consultative entities will say that you must make fundamental shift in your strategies, but don’t provide a timetable for successful implementation. Therefore, schools buy into development, drop all their fundraising, and guess what happens? They close. Successful financial support requires both strategies as the organization moves from a fundraising mindset toward a development mindset.
Think of it as trying to turn a large luxury liner around. It’s a long process. The same happens with moving from fundraising to development. The usual time frame for a successful full-blown implementation is usually three to five years. Even then, there may be some “Signature” fundraising events or activities that you may wish to hold on to. If it generates significant income, it becomes associated with your school, and most importantly, parents look forward to it and have a fun time with it, by all means, keep it! Remember, it’s “FUN”draising…not “TEDIOUS”draising. The following chart offers a framework to help recognize the important differences in these two concepts:
FUNDRAISING IS:
Short-term (planning done on a year to year basis)
Emergency Funding
Spaghetti Dinners
Candy Sales
Car Washes
Special Events
Bingos
Non-threatening to other organizations
DEVELOPMENT IS:
Long-term (planning done on a three to five or five to ten year basis)
Tied into strategic planning
Annual Alumni & Community Appeals
Planned Giving/Major Gifts/Bequests
Grants, Underwriting and Sponsorships
Endowments
Partnering with Community Businesses
Threatening to other organizations
Why is fundraising non-threatening and development threatening? That’s the topic of next month’s article!
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2006 - 2011
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January:
For the longest time, the Catholic schools survived on the sacrifices of female religious women and the members of the parish, since, at one point, the directive of every parish created in the United States was to first build a school before building a worship space (which is why so many of our churches look like schools). Every parish had their own school - and book fees were the only cost associated with attending.
As the reforms of the Second Vatican Council began to take hold, it became clear that it was the job of every baptized Catholic to be fully alive in the modern world. The work of the Church was no longer relegated to religious men and women, but ALL the baptized were to be the "living stones" of the Church, spreading the Good News. One of the unintended consequences of this movement of the Holy Spirit is that the number of religious women decreased, causing teachers to be hired, causing costs to escalate, causing tuition to be charged, causing families to consider their economic circumstances before enrolling their children.
When tuition became insufficient to operate schools, fundraising began to support the activities of the school, but has become a more and more prevalent line-item in a schools' budget. Today, parents are "hitting the wall" when it comes to not only paying tuition that seems to keep rising every year, but being responsible for raising more and more money through sales of anything and everything from cookie dough to wrapping paper, as well as a myriad of "-a-thon" events.
In light of more and more economic pressures, school have moved toward Development models, which "Seek Outside Sources For Funds:" alumni, community members, businesses, parishioners, philanthropic organizations and foundations and friends must first become "engaged" with the school, and then will support it with dollars through Annual Appeals, Major Gifts, Grantwriting, Capital Initiatives and Planned Giving opportunities.
While fundraising activities and events are still necessary during the transition, they should have parent coordinators to track activities, provide goals and reports of how far off target fundraisers were to determine if they are worth keeping, strengthening, or capitalizing on it as a "signature sale" event. If you sell hoagies (grinders, subs, - whatever you call them in your neck of the woods), you should present a monthly chart of your progress toward your goal for the year to the group, rather than just saying "We sold 50 hoagies last month, so we'll have to do better next month." People want to know their efforts will have and effect.
A functional, appealing and CURRENT Web site is integral to this process, with three main functions in this order of importance:
1) to market the school to prospective parents;
2) to showcase the achievements of the children and the school; and
3) as a resources for current parents to access information about the and their children's progress. This portion of the site should be password protected.
People support successful organizations - not because they're OUR kids (which is a fundraising mentality), but because they're doing great things to bring honor to your school and your community. Keeping this thought top of mind makes your school an asset to the community, rather than a liability of the parish or parishes your school is affiliated with.
Discovering additional sources of revenue through relationship development is the goal of Development. As fundraising becomes more difficult (and decried in today's media), getting the outside community and greater community to support your school becomes an important part of your school's activities. The difficulty is that most school educators are experienced with the "school" side of the school (faith formation, activities, curriculum, technology, and surroundings - yes, that spells FACTS) that little attention is usually paid to what needs to be done to be able to carry out the school's mission.
Next month: Detailing the Difference
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2006-2011
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December:
Transition
Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Once you get the Development ball rolling, you'll discover three things:
1) Doing something different does indeed product different results (although they may be much different than what you expected to happen);
2) Once the decision to do something different is made, the decision must be constantly reinforced until some type of desired results are achieved, rather than reverting to "the way we always did it;" and
3) Once a system is in place, simple adjustments can happen to ensure the system continues, and continues developing.
About four years ago, there was great concern over the financial resources of a parent booster organization I worked with. Even though the group was a organized as a non-profit organization, the board could completely change from one year to the next, and the charge of the board was to raise enough money for the year so that the organization it supported could achieve the vision for that year as provided by the Director. It was clear, however, that more and more fundraising ideas were met with more and more resistance...which was nothing compared to resistance we encountered when a new way of thinking was instituted. We changed the way fundraising dollars were processed, and put financial restrictions on the amount of funds the director could spend without board approval. That led to a leadership transition, as well as ways to reach out to the community for support. Through new leadership and new partnerships with community members and organizations, a spirit of enthusiasm and achievement has permeated the group and the members of the organization the parents support. The organization is now on a firm financial footing, which is a great intermediate achievement (which took us four years to get to). More goals now need to be set to secure that firm financial foundation for the organization, even in these trying economic times.
Many fundraising/non-profit organizations have reported that 2009 was an awful year because of the economy – but giving still continued; 2010 has showed philanthropic difficulties too, but organizations are still moving forward. Most people “pull back,” and rather than give to large organizations that have (or at least are thought to have ) a large infrastructure, they focus on the things that are REALLY important to them – and for many, that means organizations that are close to home and close to their heart. Realizing this, it’s humbling to know that, even in trying economic times, our successful events and positive spirit have encouraged others to place the positive achievements of children in that “REALLY important” category.
Development can be likened to churning milk into butter. You have to keep the processes going until one day, a piece of butter floats to the top. Once that happens, more butter will be created, as long as you keep churning the milk. If you stop churning once that first lump of butter surfaces, you won't have a lot of butter. Similarly, when that first kernel of popcorn pops, it means the oil is finally hot enough to pop the rest of it. You don't take it off the heat...but you must manage the heat well, lest the popcorn get burned.
Development requires constant reminding, thanking, encouraging, and inviting to continue to be successful. You'll find that these 12 articles on Development Development will simply repeated with minimal tweaking to help keep the message top of mind. Indeed, some folks do get tired of hearing about development. Guess what? Every non-profit organization has members that tire of hearing about it. The thing to remember is that there are always people that haven’t heard about it, or have heard, but have not yet understood its importance. As we transition to a begin a new year, it’s vital that the message of what we’ve learned is conveyed to the new parents we will be encouraging to come to our school, and that the message is carried forth by current parents, alumni and alumni parents to their social networks.
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010
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November:
The Importance of the Invitation
A national company that works to help schools and churches defines development like this:
Development is the meaningful involvement of people in your institution’s mission and vision for the future.
Many schools have a pretty good idea of what their “mission” is, but here's an example of how transformative a "compelling vision" can be. Every May in the high school marching band program I'm involved with, we attend an event called "The Unveiling." Parents, band alumni, members of the school, the community and "Friends of the Fund" are invited to the high school auditorium on a Tuesday night near the middle of the month. Since it's a competitive band program, the theme of the upcoming marching band season's show is not only announced, but the music is previewed through a synthesizer rendering, the instructional staff is introduced, the schedule through the summer and fall is distributed and the logo for the show is "unveiled." The while "The Unveiling” generates excitement throughout the community, enthusiasm also touched competitive band programs across the country. All involved experienced the excitement grow from week to week as the vision became reality. Your homework assignment: How do you do that for your school?
We must remember to continue to invite people to be a part of the mission and share in the vision. Students must encourage their friends that may be in other schools to join them; parents must invite other parents to be a part of the school community; alumni must invite alumni to continue ensure that the experience of your school continues for the next generation of students.
Invitations that are prepared and sent through email or the US mail work, but the most effective type of invitation is the “personal ask.” It holds true for concerts, performances, sporting events and special evenings at the school. It’s even better when the invitation includes a personal commitment of support, as in, “We’re going to the 'Night in Hawaii' dinner at the All Saints – why don’t you come along with us!” Examples abound – from the apostles of Jesus who were personally invited to follow Him, to the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion who were personally invited to tag along to visit Oz. Individuals must be personally invited and supported as a first step to their meaningful involvement with your school. It’s how the tradition continues and eventually becomes legacy.
Next month: transition…how values play a vital role in determining what changes and what remains the same.
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010
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October:
CHANGE – Continued
Someone once told me, “Be careful what you wish for; you may get it.” Not only has the political climate changed in our nation, but so has our nation’s financial situation. This is not to say that all change creates negative situations – but all change is difficult, simply because it’s different. If we want to change our diet, the foods we eat may not be the most pleasing to us, making the process difficult. If we want to begin an exercise routine, we’ll feel aches and pains after our first workouts. If the phrase, “No pain, no gain,” applies to exercise, diet, and other practices associated with our health, then why should we expect finances to be different? Certainly we should know and impart to our children the benefits of accomplishments that are associated with discipline, practice, and sacrifice.
The same is true for development efforts. In last month’s column, I pointed out how CHANGE stands for the 6 aspects of development, with Communication, Happenings, and Appeals making up the first three.
N is for Networking. It’s important to involve others inside and outside the organization having expertise that the organization requires. While communication simply spreads the word about the achievements and accomplishments of the organization, networking personally reaches out to others, starting with the people that are closest to us. It’s not only “Who do you know” sessions that are typical with sales lead groups, it’s “Who do you know that can help us achieve the objectives we’ve set out in order to attain our goals.” It’s a phone call or a home visit. Our kids network too, evidenced by students encouraging students to be involved in activities, or, even remain in the school, because of their positive experiences.
G is for Gifts and Grants. From a small donation from a school alumnus to a major gift from a corporation, we must always offer “Thanks” for the gifts that are given to us. It is incumbent upon us to share evidence that their gifts are making a difference in the lives of our students. Grants are major projects, usually put together in order to approach a corporation or a foundation for substantial funding of a pre-determined project. If a grant is awarded, not only thanks and evidence is necessary, but periodic status updates must be reported back to the awarding entity.
E is for Energize and Educate. As Stephen R. Covey calls it, “Sharpening the Saw.” If a person doing development work does not continually energize and educate themselves, they will burn out. If members of the organization are not energized and educated about development, it will take a back seat to other activities of the organization. If development is put on the back burner after it is begun, the change that’s begun will not be seen through…and then fundraising concerns will again being to rise. Going back to the way something was done before is regression – not development.
Next month, it’s time to prepare for next year…already!
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010
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September:
CHANGE
The letters of the word form an acronym describing the activities of people involved with development. And, not only is change difficult, it’s feared. For the past three years, I've been working with an organization that has slowly been modifying the ways they've raised their funds, simply because the traditional way of fundraising doesn’t work as a long-term strategy anymore. Through this journey, we're finding:
1) ways to increase participation by making connections with potential incoming parents of students
2) parents have less time to fundraise - because parents may not only be involved with your school, but be involved with other causes that require them to fundraise.
3) community members have less tolerance for fundraising - be it fixed income, economic conditions, etc.
4) costs are constantly increasing.
Put all those things together, and it points to the necessity for a new ways to generate revenue.
That's the first "change" that must happen. It's "Revenue Generation;" Not "Fundrasing."
So what does CHANGE stand for? It can be an acronym for “Constantly Having a New Growth Event,” since to change is to grow - and we need to grow...or else we die.
It also stands for six elements critical for Development to succeed. C is for Communication. It’s not just getting the message out there – it’s tailoring it to the intended audience. The way the organization communicates with a parent is different than the way it communicates with the media…which is different than the way it communicates with incoming parents, which is different than the way it communicates with school administration, alumni or area businesses. These four constituencies must be treated differently because they provide different functions. Each of the communication avenues serve to retain members, bring in new members, promote the activities of the school to the general community, or to the people that financially support the organization. If you haven't got a Web site - you're behind the times. Pretty soon, you'll have to have a mobile one (one that's tailored to an iPhone/iTouch/iPad or Droid...or whatever new mobile device comes down the pike). For a GREAT exemplar of a Web site - click http://www.almaheights.org
H is for Happenings. These are events which involve the greater community, like a Race for Education, a Car Cruise, or the annual celebration dinner.
A is for Appeals. Utilize your alumni list to craft an annual appeal...but don't expect to simply ask for funds and get them. You have to communicate "why" individuals should give. The "Why" is the essence of a "Case" statement you need to craft for each appeal you make (which is why most schools focus on one large annual appeal). Highlight the achievements and recognitions of our school and its students. People want to contribute to positive experiences; they don't want to contribute to help you meet shortfalls. Interestingly, a well-known nationwide non-profit held a "fundraiser" this past year because of a funding shortfall - and the organization's long-time chairman is no longer in that position. Individuals must be invited to become involved, and then, as the involvement deepens, engagement happens. The more people are engaged with the organization, the more they are likely to support it. And, you have to keep at it - sowing, cultivating and reaping.
Next month, this column will be brought to you by the letters N, G and E.
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010
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August:
Why is development like the Stock Market?
As we’ve seen in the past few months, the stock market can be at an all-time high one year (October, 2007) and at a significantly lower point on down the road (February, 2009) and then back in five-figure territory less than year later! But experts still say that the Stock Market is best measured over the long term than it is in the day-to-day or mont-to-month performance. Financial analysts have encouraged working individuals to keep contributing to their mutual fund accounts in down markets, since the same monthly investment is purchasing quite a bit more shares than it did when shares were trading higher. It’s doing the little things right on a consistent basis that leads to a successful long-term development program.
Some organizations have seen successful Development efforts even in a challenged economy. A national non-profit dedicated to music programs in schools held their first annual appeal last year, targeting as many participants as possible that were involved with their organization to help meet its budget. Selling products (one of the most popular forms of non-profit fundraising) just aren’t enough anymore. While some leaders think, "Let's have more fundraisers," if everyone is tightening their collective belt, then six fundraisers might raise the same amount as three. Perhaps less, especially if you keep going after the same people time and time again. And in difficult econonic times, unnecessary purchases are the first things to be cut from the family budget. Times are changing, and continue to change every day.
Also last month, it was stated that the letters in the word “change” can stand for six aspects of development, since development is a change from fundraising - Communication, Happenings, Appeals, Networking, Grants and Gifts, and Enrichment/Educate/Energize are activities that take place within a development structure. In September and October, we’ll take a closer look at three of these elements per month.
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010
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July:
Development means "Change"
In the past 18 months, our nation has seen unprecedented changes - the first African-American elected President of the United States; the worst economy since the Great Depression; bank failures, auto industry bailouts and skyrocketing unemployment. The price of gold continues to climb, as the dollar becomes worth less and less in the world market. Oh, and don’t forget health care legislation.
Be careful when you ask for change – you may get it.
While fundraising is still necessary during the change to a development mindset, fundraising is characterized by its short-term nature. Sell a hoagie, keep some of the revenue as income; sell some candy, keep some of the revenue as income; sell an Entertainment book, keep some of the revenue as income. Note that all of these activities have an element of “sales” involved.
On the other hand, development is more long-term, diversified, sustainable income, where one really doesn’t “sell” anything - except, perhaps, the entire organization as a whole, "selling" the great things the organization does. The key to development is “the ask.” While anyone can buy a hoagie, a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels or a raffle ticket, you really can’t just ask anyone to give money. Those being asked have to have a special relationship with an organization – a person who’s been a part of it, a volunteer to make the organization’s vision a reality, or someone who has a special affinity for the organization because of its purpose.
The letters in the word “change” can stand for six aspects of development, since development is a change from fundraising. Communication, Happenings, Appeals, Networking, Grants and Gifts, and Enrichment/Educate/Energize are activities that take place within a development structure. In all these, the message is one of invitation – for individuals to become more involved with the organization so that they can become engaged with it, to the point that they feel they contribute to the success of the organization through their gifts. It’s all about intensifying and advancing the relationship, moving people from “interested” to “participating” to “involved” to “engaged” to “committed.”
Remember - CHANGE is Constantly Having A New Growth Event, since to change is to grow. If you're not growing, you're dying.
Next month: Why development is like the stock market.
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010
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June:
As the summer approaches, Development Development articles will shift toward activities of an overall development program. I like to use the acronym CHANGES for these types of activities, namely Communication, Happenings, Appeals, Networking, Grants and Gifts (which include Grantwriting, Major Gifts and Planned Giving), Energize, and Strategic Planning.
While many non-profits ask for a gift during November and December, and tie their campaigns with "Thanks" or "Gifts" associated with the holidays during those months, many businesses end their fiscal year this month - which is why you may be finding more and more appeals from non-profits in your home mailbox (and your email inbox too). This could be a good time for your school to do a "last minute appeal" to your donors that may have not contributed to your annual fund which took place during the fall. If you think this is a good idea for your organization, now is not the time to start working on it. Instead, put it in your plan for next year, and begin working on it during February.
With that in mind, this is a good month to get your year-long plan together for the coming school year. It's also a good time to take some time and NOT focus on development. When you do, a strange thing happens - you'll get all kinds of ideas for development! When the conscious mind is not focused on the matter at hand, the subconscious takes over. It's why may people find creative solutions to problems just before they go to sleep, right before they wake up, or while they're in the shower. Personally, I go to the beach in June. Listening to the waves at night is more relaxing for me than getting burnt during the day. The relaxation is quickly broken, though, when the amount of "breakthrough" ideas start happening when the relaxation starts to take hold.
If you haven't experienced anything like this, perhaps it's because many vacations are now "experiences" - Disney, a cruise, ANYTHING with an itinerary. Maybe this is the year you can take some time to "retreat to a quiet place," spend some time in prayer, and do nothing in order to let God speak to you.
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010
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May:
This month, I promised to focus on increasing potential donor engagement. One way is to invite. People LOVE to be invited to participate. They may say "no," but they're appreciative of the fact that they've been "invited" to become involved rather than "asked" to participate. Think of it this way: If you open your mail, and there's an invitation to a birthday party, an anniversary, a wedding or other special event, you go to your calendar and see if you're free. If you receive a phone call and the person on the line says, "Hey - we're having a party this weekend. You free?" Your reaction depends on the way you are asked. Invite everyone to remain connected to your school. In the true spirit of development, it’s up to the alum or the parents of the alum to choose or refuse to be connected.
It’s also up to that individual to become even further connected. Those individuals are called “engaged,” and it’s the next step to becoming a donor to the organization. Parents, alumni or parents of alumni are indeed already contributors of their time, talent and treasure, but the goal of development is to bring people from communities outside the organization to that level of participation and commitment. I’m sure we can all think of one or two people that did not participate in our school as a student or parent - yet, they volunteer, or even chair, our events.
How do we increase “engagement?” Usually, we like to say “Get involved.” But involvement implies “requirement.” We “have” to get involved because our children are in the school. But as we know, our involvement becomes more and more intense because we see the great things that our kids are doing. “Engagement” is more than a “need,” it’s a “want.”
Here's something you can do to start reaching out into the community: start a monthly eNewsletter to be distributed to those individuals that have made contact with the school. Not parents - they have their own type of correspondence. This communication must focus on the positive achievements of students and the school to encourage those constituents to become more involved with the school, and then be encouraged to support the successes with their time, talent and treasure. Using an eNewsletter service (like iContact.com, MyNewsletterBuilder.com or ConstantContact.com) can feature just a few “Good News” stories about your school as an introduction, with a link back to your school's Web site so interested individuals can read “more” about the story (and yes, that means your Web site must be updated - think of it as the repository for EVERY news item and detail about your school. That way, when someone says, "Send me more information about your school," all you do it point them to your Web site. If you're embarrassed by it, however, this is your wake-up call.).
These eNewsletter links are is designed to be able to be tracked so you can discover what topics they’re interested in as a way to further engage them. Maybe they're interested in your art/music/drama events; maybe they're interested in the success of your sports teams; maybe they're interested in the successes your students have in History Day or forensics competitions. then, when special projects that may need funding occur, you have a group of people that are interested in that area of your school, and can approach them for "lead gifts" since you know they have a particular interest in monitoring those achievements.
The eNewsletter is an example of “viral marketing.” Once someone receives it, they can forward it to their friends, members of their class, or others whom they know are interested in your school. The recipient is automatically added to your eNewsletter database once they open the eNewsletter and choose to subscribe. This database should also be coordinated with your annual appeal database.
If this sounds like a lot of work, it is…but the potential results build the organization, developing long-term relationships, rather than just inviting a person to buy some cookie dough or wrapping paper.
Next month, we start to explore the divisions of development.
© Michael V. Ziemski, SchoolAdvancement, 2010
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