‘To generate ongoing income, it’s vital to
plan strategically and build positive and
mutually beneficial relationships’
one of the lowest funded schools in the country, receiving just over £4,000 a year per student and less for sixth form students. That simply wasn’t going to cover the investment needed to bring our facilities up to date. Exactly how to address this
funding gap was unchartered territory, both for the school and myself. As a part-time, term-time only employee, I was charged with raising three times the cost of running the development office in
the first year alone to justify my existence. This felt like a huge ask. Although I came from a commercial background in marketing and PR, my only experience of fundraising was with my children’s primary school PTA. I was effectively setting up a start-up, armed with little more than a basic spreadsheet of alumni, and an ‘old boys’ organisation that occasionally hosted events.
Build ‘friendraising’ relationships Somehow I did achieve my target, mainly through luck (there was a
The Professor William Mead Library, formerly a ’50s lab, was funded by a generous legacy
former student who was keen to give and I also had a successful bid to a local trust). However, having such expectations for a first year can be counter-productive, because the focus on short-term goals means you pretty much have to start from scratch the following year. To generate ongoing income, it’s
vital to plan strategically and build positive and mutually beneficial relationships (friendraising). Everyone needs to acknowledge that this takes time – and allow for it in the job description. Schools don’t want to be seen as constantly asking for money. Instead the aim should be to create a culture of giving that brings people closer to the school and means the community gives because they really want to help. For instance, alumni are
potentially an important source of financial support but they can also be valuable role models and advocates, and a key resource for expertise, careers advice and employment opportunities. They might even become future parents, governors and staff. At AGS, we have used our alumni comms and events to improve the stewardship of existing donors, as well as identifying and cultivating new ones. By building relationships, we’ve encouraged alumni to be reflective about their experience of the school, as well as understanding the school and its needs today. Recognising their contributions and thanking them is crucial to the friendraising process.
10 AUTUMN 2022 FundEd
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