August 11th, 2021 by Barbara Barron Conflict between development and business offices doesn’t have to be a thing, but my experience in this profession has shown me that it often is. Many school’s business and development offices live in an awkward space between conflict and cooperation. Sometimes the relationship is chilly but workable, other times unproductive, even adversarial. From the …
Open for Business on Both Coasts
June 30th, 2021 by Barbara Barron Quick life update. A few months ago, my beloved and I purchased a second home in Northwest Connecticut. We did this to create a “home base” much closer to our five grandchildren. (And their parents, of course!) The house is a rambling old thing but we’re having fun getting it set up. We love …
How Can We Fit In at Our School?
May 26th, 2021 by Barbara Barron and Kelly Tieger We talk a lot about “fitting in” at schools, don’t we? Our admission teams are charged with identifying and enrolling students – and families – who we believe will be a “right fit”, or a “good fit”. This is, of course, crucial, because selecting students and families who seek the program …
How to Make Yourself Invaluable to a New Head of School
Revised May 8th 2024 | Originally posted May 19th ’21 by Barbara Barron It’s the season! “Turn over time.” From Heads of School to teachers and administrative positions, it’s the time of year when we see the postings, the openings, the announcements. People come; people go. It’s a moment in the year that can be as exciting as it is …
Finishing Strong in a Strange Year
May 5th, 2021 by Barbara Barron As we head into the final stretch of this fiscal and school year, now is a great time to stop and take a quick assessment. For many, you may be right where you hoped and planned to be. (Awesome!) For others, you may be behind where you were in the B.C. days. Or even …
What We Can Learn From Banks – and Then Do Very Differently
April 21st, 2021 by Barbara Barron My husband and I recently went through a real estate transaction that reminded me of my least favorite donor experiences. As we were going through the rigamarole, I thought to myself, “This is uncomfortably close to how our donors sometimes feel.” Sad, but true. Story summary: we refinanced our home in CA and purchased a …
What Do We Want New Parents at Our School to Feel?
March 24th, 2021 by Barbara Barron First impressions matter. I’ve spoken at length about this because I believe it so fervently. I know I’m not the only one who believes that the first impression sets the tone for the rest of a relationship, moving forward. How do I know? Because one of my most popular articles is about how we …
How to Start a Major Gifts Program at Your Independent School
April 7th, 2021 by Barbara Barron Let’s begin with a definition of terms. What is a “major gifts program?” A major gift program is an ongoing part of a mature and robust advancement program. It is different from the Annual Fund or a capital campaign in that it does not necessarily have a specific timeline, launch, or end date. It …
Let’s Hear it for the One-Woman Development Office
March 10th, 2021 by Barbara Barron Please note that this article is intended for the eyes and ears of the Heads of School and Executive Directors out there. Read on, dear development pro. But then forward this on to your leader, with my best wishes. There she is, toiling away in her tiny office. Can you see her, in your …
Ignoring “The Gap” and Moving Away from a Scarcity Mindset
February 24th, 2021 by Barbara Barron I get why “The Gap” was created. Back in the day, it made a certain amount of sense for independent schools who were charging tuition but still needed additional non-tuition revenue to mount annual giving campaigns to make their operating budgets work. No doubt they were finding it incredibly challenging to explain to parents …