Fund Raising NAD Principals’ Handbook Excerpt
Finding adequate funds for programs and activities on a school campus is a constant challenge. Fund raising can be separated into two categories: development program and organizations/activities.
Development Program
Schools must have an organized development program in order to provide an additional source of income to the institution. A development program establishes a base of financial support through contact with the school’s alumni, interested parties, local businesses, and foundations. While the principal can manage such a program, time generally does not allow for the principal to carry out all the duties necessary. It is better to have a development director or a development committee. Using the consulting services of Philanthropic Service for Institutions (PSI) at the NAD, a principal can initiate and support a successful development program.
Organizations and Activities
Various organizations (e.g., senior class, student association, music department, Home and School, etc.) will choose to raise funds for activities. A school should have a policy for determining:
• Which organization gets which fund-raising activity.
• How the fund raisers are scheduled.
• Fund-raising guidelines (e.g., types of items to be sold, activities presented as fund raisers, etc.).
• Appropriate handling of funds.
September 2019 | Volume 8, No. 2
What is the Purpose of a Foundation Committee?
Carla Thrower | Principal of Takoma Academy / Takoma Academy Preparatory School
O ur schools are tasked with raising funds to meet several goals. Among them include:
• Increasing the schools' academic image in the community.
• Enhancing programming and offerings inclusive of technology usage.
• Providing professional development and coaching.
• Designing and implementing a marketing plan.
• Developing a scholarship program for students needing assistance to attend.
These goals cannot be managed by the school administration alone. Various stakeholders and entities within and outside of the school are encouraged to support the needs and participate in the accountability needed to establish a solid program. Hence a committee designed to meet these pressing needs is valuable to the ongoing support and development of each school. This committee can be a subcommittee to the board, whose sole purpose is to ensure that the goals are indeed being met. The purpose of the Foundation Committee is to help develop and implement a fundraising program for "Your School."
Creating a “FOUNDATION COMMITTEE”
Ronnie Mills | Former Director of Institutional Advancement for Takoma Academy / Currently serves as
Associate Director of Development for the Voice of Prophecy
FOUNDATION COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS
General Commission: The Foundation Committee is commissioned by and responsible to “Your School’s” Board of Trustees, to play a pivotal role in conjunction with the Board of Trustees in raising money for "Your School."
Composition:
RESPONSIBILITIES
Committee members will:
TERMS
FOUNDATION COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
Foundation Committee:
Principal:
Development/Advancement Director:
FOUNDATION COMMITTEE ROLE
“Your School” Foundation Committee raises money, recommends fundraising policies to the Board of Trustees, works with your Development/Advancement Director, and takes appropriate roles in implementing fundraising plans.
“I’ll do anything but raise money.”
Getting Your Board Engaged in Fundraising
Lilya Wagner, CFRE | Director, Philanthropic Service for Institutions
Faculty member, The Fund Raising School at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Of all the overused and underappreciated phrases fundraisers or leaders in charge of fundraising hear, this one must be one of the most dreaded; "I'll do anything but raise money." Yet we know from research, experience, results and collegial verification that board members have definite roles to play in our success; in making linkages for us, providing us with information, being advocates for our organizations and for fundraising, for serving on our committees, and above all, asking AND giving.
One of my former clients/students who is now a principal in a private school recently wrote, “Like most fundraisers, I've seen this over and over again.” But unlike many of us who complain about this state of affairs yet rarely manage to overcome it, she has suggestions she has put into practice. “What I do with the unengaged board is to identify the tasks with which we need serious help, and then work with each board member to develop a customized, time-sensitive way to engage each person with those critical tasks. I get a good 'take' on the board member and also am very clear about the organization’s needs, and then figure out where the two intersect for this particular person.”
She went on to explain, "This doesn't have to take a lot of time or effort, just a to-the-point conversation which mines the interests of the board member and divulges personality characteristics which inform me on how this person might be helpful. For example, someone who is a sales-type 'people person' is someone I would ask for fundraising help. If our need is to cultivate donors we've identified in a far-away geographic region where this person is, I would ask him to do that and coach him on what that involves. If she has a ‘sales’ bent, it would be quick and easy to coach her. If our need is to increase our donor base, I would ask this person to identify 3 or 5 of her contacts who would have the strongest interest in what we do and begin cultivating them—again, giving her a 5-minute phone primer of what this involves. I'd ask her to set a deadline of when she might be able to accomplish this. Then, I'd add it to my calendar and check back with her. Again, these are tasks we really need done, so although they involve effort on my part (riding herd in some cases), I try to keep that effort minimal, and it is effort well spent because it furthers a specific critical need.”
In conclusion, my friend the principal advises, "The main point is to engage members in a way in which they're able to offer service in the areas of their passions and skillsets and to offer lots of praise and gratitude when they complete their tasks. Asking a shy, brilliant, socially inept teacher to make solicitations doesn't make any sense, even if she is on the development committee. I would, for example, ask her to advise me on a specific facet of a program which would resonate with her interests and background. But overall, it's about meeting people where they are, and maximizing the benefits of that.”
No doubt, this being a complex issue, there are many more suggestions on how to get a recalcitrant board involved and active, but the main points of this principal’s experience and advice can be summarized by the following:
For more information on fundraising principles and board involvement, please contact Dr. Lilya Wagner at lilyawagner@nadadventist.org, or 443-391-7172.
lilyawagner@nadadventist.org
MISSION: STRENGTHENING ADVENTIST EDUCATION ONE LEADER AT A TIME
Newsletter Coordinator
Carla Thrower
Takoma Academy/Takoma Academy Preparatory School Principal
Newsletter Editor
Berit von Pohle, Editor
Pacific Union Conference, Director of Education
Ed Boyatt, Editorial Advisor