Multi-tasking made easy


When fundraising is just one part of a growing to-do list, it can feel overwhelming. That’s where your support networks come in, says Helen Ward


D


uring the decade I’ve been working in education, I’ve never had a generous budget. But with school


fi nances now under increasing pressure, we need all the help we can get with fi nding ways to support and enrich the curriculum. My main role at Cranbourne, a


secondary school in Basingstoke, is school librarian, but I now also manage income generation, and have taken on the post of careers leader. Additionally, I hold unpaid roles as a staff governor and chair of our newly formed PTA. It sounds like a lot, but there is actually quite a bit of crossover. Nurturing relationships with people beyond our own school walls not only helps with PTA support but can reap many other enefi ts too. or instance, I oten fi nd parents who can support our careers provision. Parents and the wider community


have an important part to play in supporting schools, and it is vital to let them know how much we value them. You need to look for the synergies and unseen links that can make raising money, or other donations, more successful and ointly enefi cial. etworking and building rapport is, in my experience, hugely important in creating a support network that will ring longlasting enefi ts. Parents can hold the key to all


kinds of enrichment you can’t otherwise afford in school. As careers leader, my ears prick up when I hear about a parent who works at a particular company or does a particular job. I need all kinds


22 AUTUMN 2019 FundEd


of industry expertise to deliver an exciting and varied careers education programme, and I see these parents as my future keynote speakers. This year we’ve had a couple of parents who work in quite unique IT areas and are keen to come and share their experience with our students. Being parents, they really see the enefi t in eposing our students to wider experiences. It’s important to understand


the working commitments of potential speakers so that you can accommodate them in school. Such relationships often develop into introductions to others keen to help our young people. Or maybe the speaker can offer match funding, a donation o a rafl e prie, or sponsorship for an in-school activity. Since these relationships start with the parents, they are fully invested in making a difference to our school, because it is their school. It’s not quick, or necessarily easy. Showing gratitude and returning calls or emails really promptly is key. Don’t let your enthusiasm dwindle because you’re being pulled in other directions at school. If people don’t feel valued and informed, they’re going to take their offers elsewhere. Not everything can be donated,


and hard cash is often needed. It’s essential that someone in school takes responsibility for managing grant funding opportunities, and


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