Fundraising


Step 2: DEVELOPMENT With the aims and objectives for


fundraising agreed, the next step is to look into possible streams of income. Look at several options, rather than relying on one. Monitor the effort- versus-income of each stream so that time is used wisely. Plan timescales to avoid bombardment of information and last-minute grant applications.


Income streams can include: £ Individual giving – parents, grandparents, staff. This could be donations to the school fund or a specific appeal £ PTA – how can you support it? £ Schemes – for example, school lottery, Bags2School, Cash4Coins, supermarket initiatives


When your tightest budget is time….


£ Grants from trusts and foundations – identify trusts and eligibility, deadlines and outcome dates, and then match your school needs to specific trusts (sometimes full cost recovery in trust applications can provide some budget relief) £ DfE and public funding – as with trusts and foundations £ Corporate – this may be local businesses or connections you can make through staff, governors or parents. It may involve identifying specific sponsorship, or networking locally to create your own opportunities £ Income generation – facility hire, advertising and community events £ Alumni – how to approach, engage and ask former pupils for help


Step 3: IMPLEMENT


The fundraising strategy should now be taking shape, with school needs matched to possible income streams. The steps required to gain the funds are clear, with targets, timescales and indicators of success agreed. Be aware that in some cases (with alumni, for instance) you may need to invest a considerable amount of time before a financial gain is seen. In order for the strategy to work, the whole school community needs to be on board. Communication and outreach are vital to ensure results are visible. Remember, this is not about the money; it’s about the projects, resources and opportunities that the money will allow.


Use the following checklist: 4 Fundraising lead in place, with line management and targets agreed 4 Fundraising strategy written and prioritised (forming the agreed targets) 4 Platforms for celebration agreed (newsletters, webpages, noticeboards, social media) 4 Budget agreed for resources (signing up to alerts, surveys, membership organisations) 4 Staff and senior leadership open to meetings and reviewing ideas, applications and materials 4 Agreement in place for ‘signing off’ ideas, plans, trust applications 4 Good line management and support of the fundraising lead 4 A whole school culture backing the fundraising efforts


If you work part-time, then planning and prioritising your hours is essential. Fundraising involves being reactive, anticipating deadlines and dealing with many different avenues all at once. It is both confidence- building for you and beneficial to the school to establish some ‘quick wins’. Cultivating other sources of funding and planning larger applications will take much longer to show effect. For a school with an established culture of generous parent-giving, a school fund appeal may be the quickest way to raise income. For a school with a mixed demographic and low parent- giving, the answer may be more small funding applications. Plan around the best possible chance of success: n Dedicate time to understanding the exact needs of the school, and gathering statistics, information and data to back this up, so that you can be reactive when opportunities arise. n Identify where you might get the best ‘quick fix’. Dedicate time to working on this (it could be a grant application or a crowdfunding page). n Make yourself known: celebrate every success, make sure you have a slot on the website, in newsletters and on notice boards. The quicker the school community understand what you are trying to achieve, the more support you will have!


Step 4: MEASURE


One of the most common pitfalls of any fundraising is when success is measured just in pound signs. Many of the elements of fundraising provide positive change, engagement and opportunities that cannot be measured in financial terms. The fundraising strategy should include targets and measures that reflect the impact on the school, students and community, as well as the amount of money received. Successful applications to trusts and foundations will also require monitoring so that impact measurements can be gauged.


To evaluate success: n Don’t only measure income n Incorporate feedback and ideas as the work progresses into the strategy n Use the measures of success to prioritise ongoing work (was the income generated worth the effort? Is it worth doing again?) n Keep the strategy up to date with outcomes and achievements n Celebrate wherever you can!


FundEd SPRING 2020 33


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