Fundraising


‘The ek robotics Sports Campus is transforming what we’re able to offer students and the community.


It’s come at a critical time, when we need to work extra hard to help everyone rebuild fitness and confidence after the pandemic. It will allow us to enhance equality of provision, and it adds a new energy to the school that will change


lives for the better. My department is really proud to be a part of that.’


Ian Gould, RLS director of sport


The new Sports Campus has been a hit with pupils and the community alike


didn’t materialise until towards the end of the campaign, the highlight being a multi-year pledge totalling £107,000 from ek robotics!


donors to give £1,000 or more by spreading monthly payments over several years.


5. COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING Engaging the wider community was critical. From students to parents to grandparents and alumni, everyone was encouraged to ‘do their bit’ and


join in. Initiatives included: n RLS Runs the World (community collectively ran around the world


on Strava) n 600-Minute Challenge (community challenged to do 600


minutes of exercise each February) n Sponsored bike rides, runs,


silences and more n Bake sales, stargazing evening,


car washes, fairs n Race to 600 (each form was


challenged to raise £600) n Team challenges – climbing the Yorkshire Three Peaks, running the London Marathon etc.


6. CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP We created case studies of effective corporate partnerships, which we shared with the business community. We also built a sponsorship framework to help businesses identify how they could support us. Most corporate support


7. REGULAR GIVING Several schemes enabled monthly donations from around £6 pcm to be


made across several years: n Buy a brick – monthly donations building to a total of £125 (or £300


for a golden brick) n Sponsor a hero (monthly donations towards a £500 total which would be put towards sponsoring a favourite sporting hero on a wall of heroes).


Outcomes The £3m campaign target was met just weeks before the facilities were completed. Contributors included the Football Foundation (£662,000), the London Marathon Charitable Trust (£150,000), ek robotics (£107,000), Racelogic (£100,000), and Garfield Weston Foundation (£50,000). Community fundraising and events raised a further £177,000, while regular giving brought in another £179,000. The doors to the Sports Campus


opened to students and the community last September, prior to a formal opening by Greg Whyte OBE. The reaction has been extraordinary, with a hugely positive impact on users.


n For further details about the 600 Campaign, contact Jo Ballantine at jballantine@royallatin.org


KEY TAKEAWAYS


n Persevere It’s been a long campaign, and we’ve had to ‘value engineer’ the building considerably by making changes to design and finishes to keep within budget. Yet we have remained true to the vision and extended our timescales, rather than curtailing the project.


n Be clear and open about your case for support The Sports Campus isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s essential. We’ve used sporting experts in our network (like the sports medicine team at Arsenal FC) to add value and inspire us to create something unique, so that we can engage donors with real passion and conviction.


n Create defined, simple fundraising events and schemes Constantly review success and refine if necessary.


n Focus on engagement Covid was an opportunity for us to talk to the whole community, be a positive voice, and give supporters the connection they wanted. Fundraising naturally follows connection.


n Understand genuine stewardship, with heart Look after your donors. Be open with them, address any concerns, give them the time and effort they deserve, and listen to their changing needs and motivations. They are your family.


FundEd SPRING 2022 25


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44