15 Ideas from Two Advancement Conferences
I try to attend at least one advancement conference a year, but this year I've been to two: The ISPD Conference in New Orleans last week, where I was honored to give one of the keynotes, and this week, at the Partners in Mission Conference in Boston.
I learn a lot at these things, even after many years of leading schools—so much, in fact, it can feel a little overwhelming, I don't have a "Rolls-Royce" budget! But to help me prioritize, I place a “star” in my notes if I hear an idea that I think we ought to discuss and consider trying:
I thought I’d share 15 of “starred” notes:
Invite parents who attend the weekly school mass for coffee afterwards. Mix it up, some with a “theme” for discussion, others as an “open forum.”
Have counselors call parents of new families after the first few weeks of school to see how their child is adjusting.
Do informal “video tours” of the campus, but by ages—through the eyes of a first grader and family, for example, or a 7th and 8th grader. Amateur videos, which are a little clunky and unpolished, often speak more authentically than the slick, professional ones. Video is king! It is dramatically more memorable than text.
Ask teachers to give “Two things you love about teaching here.” Use their answers as quips about the school in social media. Do the same with students and parents.
Use “geofencing” to target digital ads.
Pick the family in your school—an actual family—that you consider the ideal family for the school. Then design your marketing to appeal to that type of family, so that you’ll get more of them.
One school requires transfer students to spend a “shadow day” with them, visiting classrooms. As part of that day, they do all the admissions tests. That way, they can not only evaluate their performance on the test, but get a sense of how the child interacts with his or her peers and teachers.
Invite loyal donors—those who have given consecutively to the school—to consider a gift in their wills. It doesn’t matter how much they give as much as their loyalty.
Introduce a “25th anniversary” endowment drive for alumni at their 25th reunion, with a vow to fully fund the endowment by the time they reach their 50th reunion.
Plot families on a map. See the holes. Consider geofenced advertising to those areas. Consider busses.
Segment Annual Fund appeals—by new vs. previous donors, at bare minimum.
“Bourbon and Cigars” Night for a Dad’s initiative.
Create Excel files to project operational costs and expenses 5 years into the future, allowing us to change one variable and see the 5 year impact.
Consecutive years of giving should be celebrated in annual reports. Make it a “badge of honor.”
Calling a person to thank them for a gift > a handwritten note> typed letter. But thank within 2 days--85% who feel they’ve been appreciated well will give a similar or larger gift next year.
West Region Manager at Berger Textiles
2moAs a Chapman alumnae, I’m disappointed that the Women of Chapman group requires sponsorship to join (in addition to membership fee). “It is not enough to be compassionate – you must act.”-The Dalai Lama