plans for a community multi-sport pavilion. The model is now being replicated for other sports at the college, with a call-to-action to the alumni community via social-media channels. And the best part? The whole project was managed by a small working party, requiring little input from me!
Business relations Many schools are developing strong, businesses – these relationships function best if they deliver a win-win solution for all parties. Schools get access to business mentors, volunteers and sponsorship and funding support, as well as help in preparing students to be work-ready. Businesses, meanwhile, are able to forge stronger connections with students, sampling future local talent. Some businesses may like a low-level
association, while others are driven by altruistic motivations or a desire to meet corporate social responsibility (CSR) expectations. Whatever the driver may be, your school needs a clear understanding of what you can offer in order to meet these expectations. Ultimately, schools should be absolutely clear on what they’re looking for from the relationship, and this originates from your fundraising strategy – if you have a well-thought-out approach at a strategic level then you will have already mapped out your appeal to commercial partnerships. Nationally, there is a mixed picture
when it comes to the reported success or otherwise of outward-facing schools. A recent article in The Guardian, quoting a survey by The Key, stated that just 42 per cent of schools are letting out
facilities to generate revenue, 13 per cent were building partnerships with business and 10 per cent were opening an on-site nursery provision. There are some amazing examples of successful, integrated, business partnerships – the Castle and Marlwood Schools’ Premium Partners initiative in Gloucestershire boasts a network of more than 100 businesses and an impressive list of case studies. Liam Deacy at Dorothy Goodman School in Leicester used Leicester City’s recent success to inspire its students, with player-ambassadors boosting fundraising appeals. Again, this proves the point that it is very much a team effort. The initial drive and energy has to come from you, but with planning, responsibility can be delegated with you retaining strategic oversight.
Communication The value of developing both marketing and fundraising strategies is evident when it comes to communications. helps you approach sponsors and businesses – if you’re not clear about who you are and what you’re about then there’s little chance of being able to convince commercial sponsors that you’re the right partner. If you can succinctly wrap up your
offering in an easily digestible format, their involvement will have, then you’re far more likely to succeed. It’s important you understand your target audience this – so your fundraising efforts are directed effectively. Internally, your
Justin Smith is Managing Director of Chameleon Training and Consultancy (
chameleon-training.co.uk), providing specialist marketing and income generation support to the education sector. For over 14 years, Justin has worked in secondary schools, developing – and successfully implementing – fundraising, sponsorship and marketing strategies. In 2015, Justin was awarded the NASBM Marketing Award.
students and staff are your best ambassadors so use them – spread the word and delegate the workload! Most schools (over 60 per cent) are
managing Facebook accounts, while the majority of Twitter users are under the age of 35, so again, utilise these social-media channels as necessary. YouTube enables you to visually promote your appeals; a short, two- minute video embedded into your website homepage is more likely to engage audiences than pages of text. Ultimately, a coherent and structured
income generation plan, with careful consideration given to the resources you can deploy, is always going to be far more effective than an ad hoc approach. Bringing ambassadors into play and utilising the strengths and experience of those already emotionally connected with the school (governors and parents) is especially powerful. And with around £1.5bn of funding available for schools to bid for each year, why wouldn’t you?
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FundEd SUMMER 2017 11
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