by Barbara Barron | Posted January 10th, 2024 | Subscribe to this newsletter

Last fall, I wrote an article about what I see as the misplaced emphasis on participation as both a focus of the advancement team’s work and a measure of the effectiveness of the giving program.

I argued that the 100% goal is more likely a moon shot. There are always people who just won’t support our schools no matter what. That’s especially true for our alumni. We need to get off this merry-go-round and focus our attention, love, and work on those who do want to support us. 

This month, I read an excellent article — Rethinking Participation Rates | CASE by Ann Synder, Senior Director, Communities Engagement at CASE.

In it, she clarifies that participation percentages are merely “indicative” measures. She encourages us to instead look to more “predictive” measures that tell us far more about how we’re doing and if we are likely to meet or exceed our annual goals. I will paraphrase them here.

First: a mind-blowing fact she provided was that…

…according to the 2023 CASE survey of independent schools, only 60% of parents and 20% of alumni support annual giving programs.

I bet that is going to make many of my readers happy! My client schools typically land in the 75-90% range. A few hit 100%. The alumni stat may depress some of you. (Though I doubt it will surprise you.)

Here are questions to get at more predictive measures:

1.    What’s your progress towards your goal? How are you doing at mid-year?

This may seem obvious, but I see programs that are not entirely sure where they are at any point in time.

Instead, adopt a practice of using a dashboard to track where you are against the previous year and where you are towards your current goal. If by the time you attend the annual CASE-NAIS conference (typically held in late January – this year in Austin!), you ought to be closing in on your own.

I always tried to get there by winter break (or after the mail was sorted in those first days back in January.) Reaching your goal early is not only a strong indicator of a successful program but it makes it possible for you and your team to focus your efforts on other programs or events in the winter and spring.

Ann reminds us that families are never as keen, as positive, or as excited about school as they are in those first months in the fall. Sure, we get a bit of a bump during the festivities at the end of the year but don’t wait for that wave to lift and carry you to shore.  Instead:

·  Use the summer to research new families.

·  Make thoughtful cultivation assignments to Board members.

·  Be sure every new family is assigned to a professional in the advancement department to get to know them and solicit them personally.

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2. How are your leadership giving levels set? 

I ask this in every appraisal I conduct. And I am often asked this by Heads of School. The answer differs widely based on the size and age of your school, the level of affluence, etc. But Ann offers this helpful formula:

Since philanthropy tends to provide around 10% of operating funds, start your leadership giving level at 10% of tuition. You may need to massage that a bit for your school. If you already have a healthy giving level of $25,000 or more, don’t move it back. But if you are struggling to set a good leadership level, try it. It has the added advantage of being clear and easy to explain: 10% of tuition contributes significantly to the school’s bottom line. Many donors will appreciate that clarity of impact.

3. What percentage of new families are actively assigned to someone in the advancement department to cultivate?

This one is especially painful for the small shop people out there. And in particular to all of you hard-working solo practitioners. But simply bringing this best practice to your Head and to the advancement committee may have some effect. No, you may not suddenly be granted another FTE but it may help bolster your argument for more active cultivation and stewardship help from Board members.

Those with larger teams can still take this to heart. I believe that every gift officer, regardless of title, should be actively fundraising. The ROI of the department simply makes no sense if that’s not happening. Directors: make those assignments thoughtfully so your team members are successful, and your donor families feel cared for. Discuss this in your team meetings. Celebrate the securing of new and increased gifts. Center this work and see great results.

 4. What percentage of your annual fund is given by your 3 largest donors? And therefore, what’s happening with your pipeline?

Ann’s stat, once again, made me sit up straight:

In the 2022 DASL data, reporting schools said that 43% of their support came from their top three families.

Yikes!  I have written about the risk of relying too heavily on angel donors. This clear and current data should compel us to work hard to continue to earn and thank those supporters. But it should also cause us to double down on showing them that we are building out a pipeline of supporters that will join them in their generosity.

How? Well…

·  Study your lists. Who might be a prospect to increase their giving?

·  What does your stewardship of those mid-level donors look like? Are you telling stories about how their gifts are making a difference daily?

·  How are you raising the giving sights through interesting initiatives or a budding major gifts program?

Finally, and this pertains to all four of Ann’s points, take this article and hers to your advancement committee. The proper and thoughtful setting of annual goals is vitally important. Your ability to influence that process by educating decision-makers at your school and engaging with them in meaningful conversations about what is really going on might mean the difference between another tough slog next year or a smarter way of working that leads to healthy returns.

 As always, thanks for everything you’re doing.

Barbara Barron
barbara@barbarabarron.com

BARBARA BARRON is one of the most respected and highly sought-after independent advancement professionals in the country, having worked with dozens of schools in every corner of the United States.

She has raised over $20 million for schools where she served as the Director of Development. Barbara is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and presenter who currently advises dozens of schools in various capacities. She is considered a thought leader in the world of advancement, with her writing widely shared by professionals in development offices worldwide.

More Advancement Articles

• 
  How Can You Set Yourself Up So That Next Fall is a Huge Success?April 14, 2026
• 
  Metrics That Matter vs. Metrics That Don’tMarch 16, 2026
• 
  What is Your Brand?March 2, 2026
• 
  Success Story #2February 16, 2026
• 
  The Steps We SkipFebruary 1, 2026
• 
  What if Fundraising Was Really about Creating Donor Joy?January 21, 2026

The post Better Metrics appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted November 8th, 2023 | Subscribe to this newsletter

Having a niche is both cool and challenging. Mine happens to be independent school advancement. I don’t work with other non-profits. Just schools. Very defined.

But it is a small world.

When I decided to begin a consulting practice almost 7 years ago, the answer to the question of how to “market” my services was through my writing. I am a published author of 4 books — including a perennial best seller. I like to write and most days, it comes fairly easily to me.

Most days.

The discipline of publishing twice a month keeps me sharp and has resulted in a pretty substantial library of articles. Some of which I suspect you’ve never read. Here is a complete listing of them all.

I’m proud of that trove of articles, and am delighted on a regular basis to hear that a piece was especially timely and helpful. It’s always special to see when one of you good readers has forwarded an article to dozens of people. Or when one goes wide in social!

But, at the end of the day, the prize for me is when something I share or suggest resonates and works. My goal remains today what it was at the start: to be helpful.

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So maybe its because we’re headed toward Thanksgiving that I am feeling especially grateful for my life and family, my little business and my terrific clients. It’s also important for me to be clear that all the tips, advice, insight, and best practices I write about and use with my clients didn’t originate with me.

The truth is this: I am the beneficiary of the wisdom and experience I’ve gained from many smart and dedicated advancement professionals along the way. A couple of early mentors and school leaders took a chance on me at the start of my career. I’ve worked with smart, funny, and thought-leading professionals who taught me some best practices. People I trust have encouraged me to take risks to become a successful fundraiser. I’ve led a couple of high functioning, soulful, dedicated teams who believed in my leadership and therefore made me a better leader. And I routinely benefit from participating in a rich and generous association with other school advancement professionals.

It’s a constant learning curve.

The sum of all those rewarding experiences, as well as the failures and disappointments along the way, combine to give me a view that I am privileged to share. This is a hard profession. The pressure is high even when the pay is low. The hours and expectations feel relentless and only ever seem to go up. Often the results we seek are not truly in our hands to manifest.

And yet we press on because the rewards are really sweet: securing support for organizations that are vital and doing the beautiful work that independent schools do. I believe it is all worth it. But every person doing this work could use support. Every person doing this work benefits from fresh ideas, from time to time. And, most important of all, every person doing this work can use a thought partner who gets it and who brings a sense of optimism and a can-do attitude.

I strive to be that person.

So, enjoy the articles. Thank you for reading and sharing them. And, as always, send me ideas for topics you’d like to read about.

Thanks for all you’re doing. Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving.

Barbara Barron
barbara@barbarabarron.com

BARBARA BARRON is one of the most respected and highly sought-after independent advancement professionals in the country, having worked with dozens of schools in every corner of the United States.

She has raised over $20 million for schools where she served as the Director of Development. Barbara is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and presenter who currently advises dozens of schools in various capacities. She is considered a thought leader in the world of advancement, with her writing widely shared by professionals in development offices worldwide.

More Advancement Articles

• 
  How Can You Set Yourself Up So That Next Fall is a Huge Success?April 14, 2026
• 
  Metrics That Matter vs. Metrics That Don’tMarch 16, 2026
• 
  What is Your Brand?March 2, 2026
• 
  Success Story #2February 16, 2026
• 
  The Steps We SkipFebruary 1, 2026
• 
  What if Fundraising Was Really about Creating Donor Joy?January 21, 2026

The post What Good Are Trade Secrets If We Don’t Share Them? appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted October 11th, 2023 | Subscribe to this newsletter

Recently I was working with a client school on the community appeal for their capital campaign.

Like most appeals, this one was electronic, and it required the need for thoughtful customized segments.

As I’ve often written, when we write a generic appeal, we’re speaking to no one because it’s not personal and the reader knows it.

We ended up with six segments. Even then, there were those special one-offs. For example, we had the family whose financial situation has changed from last year, and the family with a pledge booked but has yet to make the first installment. Then there is the best one: the super special solicits that require at least one in-person conversation before any letter is going out.

My regular readers will know that it’s that last group I am focused on. Those 3-5 (or 10-15, lucky you!) families who have the potential to make or break this whole game. They must be handled carefully. And by that, I mean, personally.

So, let’s decide this group gets no letter at all. Do what you must to have a conversation instead.

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Meanwhile, back to the committee of volunteers that was understandably interested in using technology to make this project easier and more streamlined. As good millennials, technology is their wheelhouse. They trust it.  And while I love certain aspects and uses of tech to customize our work – to add an element of “surprise and delight” when we can, frankly – there are moments when doing it old school is smarter and better. And frankly, saves time.

Here’s what I mean: those one-offs don’t just need an approach that is different from the segment (“you generously gave $X gave last year, please consider a gift of $Y this year”) but one that is unique to them. Each one. Sure, some of the basic language of the appeal–the case for why and the impact a gift will bring to the school and its mission-driven program—but the appeal itself needs to speak to them.

Technology can be a friend in these moments, but also a foe.

If you’ve got a system that can pull the name of the attending student, or alum, or other pertinent info about that family and its giving history, then cool. Use it. But too often it falls short. A whole lot of time and frustration on workarounds and you end up with meh. Especially in small schools when we’re working with maybe 200 appeals.

The objection to doing it individually and outside of some combination of queries/spreadsheets/csv files/merge platforms is that it’s going to take too much time. You’re pressed, this project is already a day late. I understand the pressure.  But your time is the most valuable and controllable asset you have! If you’re worried that the additional time is too costly, consider the possible outcome.

Would you spend an extra 15-30 minutes to secure a 5 or 6-figure gift? I suspect you would. Every day and twice on Sunday.

Technology can be grand. We’d be lost most days without it. But in our world, the most powerful tool we have is the opportunity to sit with a family, to talk about our projects and the impact they will have or are having on the lives of our students and faculty, today and into the future. To have the honor to ask a family to support our schools, our initiatives, our campaigns, is gold. Take the opportunity.

Go do what you are uniquely suited to do.

Your presence and passion are way cooler and better than any technology.

Here’s to you and all you’re doing.

Barbara Barron
barbara@barbarabarron.com

BARBARA BARRON is one of the most respected and highly sought-after independent advancement professionals in the country, having worked with dozens of schools in every corner of the United States.

She has raised over $20 million for schools where she served as the Director of Development. Barbara is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and presenter who currently advises dozens of schools in various capacities. She is considered a thought leader in the world of advancement, with her writing widely shared by professionals in development offices worldwide.

More Advancement Articles

• 
  How Can You Set Yourself Up So That Next Fall is a Huge Success?April 14, 2026
• 
  Metrics That Matter vs. Metrics That Don’tMarch 16, 2026
• 
  What is Your Brand?March 2, 2026
• 
  Success Story #2February 16, 2026
• 
  The Steps We SkipFebruary 1, 2026
• 
  What if Fundraising Was Really about Creating Donor Joy?January 21, 2026

The post Is Technology a Crutch? appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted September 6th, 2023 | Subscribe to this newsletter

Years ago, my team and I set out to put the then-popular 80/20 rule into practice.

I posed this challenge: since 80% of our support comes from 20% of our donors, should we not deploy 80% of our time, resources, energy, and love on that loyal, generous group? I urged us to budget for it, schedule for it, and plan our days around it. We were a small but mighty team, and we went for it.

And we failed. Spectacularly. (This was before anyone thought about important issues of equity and inclusion.)

Regardless, it was much harder than we imagined. Impossible in fact. There were always simply too many things we needed to do and too many competing mandates to serve to make that goal a reality. Development offices often function as the de facto special events office. Or they are asked to help with student activities or at admission events. (Those I approve of!)

It was simply not realistic.  

Plus, the world of independent schools and the communities we strive to create and maintain simply can’t allow for that kind of elitist activity. And that’s good. And right.

But what about that still-small group of supporters who make it all work? The top 20%? How can we be sure that we are serving them — along with everyone else in our community? And what do we do about the near-constant push from well-meaning leaders of all levels of experience for us to increase participation? From all constituencies, including alumni?

It is a competing mandate, I would argue.

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You might ask, why not work to get more alums to support our fine schools? I used to think that as well. My earliest awakening to the possibility that this might not be the best strategy occurred when I really tried to understand why so few alumni support their alma mater. I know there are schools that boast alumni support in the teens or low twenty percent of all dollars given. Good for them. Most of those are boarding schools that graduate high schoolers. But even those with “high” percentages are ceaselessly striving to up their numbers. And beating themselves up for low participation stats. Never mind schools that end in 5^th, 6^th or 8^th grade…

It’s widely accepted that we tend to support the place we were last. So, for most, that is their college, then their high school, and then, maybe, maybe an extraordinary elementary school.

If we accept this premise, why then do we press development pros to fight against the tide? Or rather, why do our leaders continue to think this very long ball is a top priority?

How “worth it” is it to have a member of your team work all year to maybe raise $1000 from 200 alums? 

Cost per dollar, anyone?

The hard fact is that there is always going to be a portion of our people who will never support our schools. They or their child may have had a fabulous, life-changing student experience, but they simply aren’t going to give. The end. And as frustrating as that is to accept, accept it, we must. Not saying you can’t keep asking them but do it inexpensively and for heaven’s sake, don’t spend precious resources, particularly human resources, begging people to give when it likely just annoys them.

Let’s stop chasing participation, which is the wrong metric, and instead focus on the people who care.

How? By getting to know those who keep showing up. Our hardworking volunteers. Our Board members, Our generous and loyal parents and alumni parents. Our newest families who are eager to engage. Let’s organize our efforts to spend more time with them, learning what they care about, sharing stories about their gifts in action. Holding onto donors and growing their support is a far better and more rewarding use of our time than chasing those who aren’t interested.

It’s always going to be somewhat of a compromise, right?  If we’re not going to die on the participation hill and we can’t focus exclusively on only top donors, we need to find a balance. But as someone told me very early in my career, if you raise more money, people will trust you and stop asking you to focus on the wrong things. Or not bug you too much about it, anyway!

Your job is to stay clear on what matters and do that. Trust me on this. And trust yourself.

Here’s to you and all you’re doing.

Barbara Barron
barbara@barbarabarron.com

BARBARA BARRON is one of the most respected and highly sought-after independent advancement professionals in the country, having worked with dozens of schools in every corner of the United States.

She has raised over $20 million for schools where she served as the Director of Development. Barbara is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and presenter who currently advises dozens of schools in various capacities. She is considered a thought leader in the world of advancement, with her writing widely shared by professionals in development offices worldwide.

More Advancement Articles

• 
  How Can You Set Yourself Up So That Next Fall is a Huge Success?April 14, 2026
• 
  Metrics That Matter vs. Metrics That Don’tMarch 16, 2026
• 
  What is Your Brand?March 2, 2026
• 
  Success Story #2February 16, 2026
• 
  The Steps We SkipFebruary 1, 2026
• 
  What if Fundraising Was Really about Creating Donor Joy?January 21, 2026

The post Why Participation is Not Worth Fighting For appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted August 16th, 2023 | Subscribe to this newsletter

A new school year. A new chance to get off on the right foot.

If you’re like me, after a needed refresh over the summer, you’re ready to take it on again — but maybe with some new thinking. A new set of practices to keep us productive and protect against burnout.

My summer was full of competing priorities. Both personal and professional. So I’ve been thinking a lot about how best to identify what really matters, what will have a real positive impact – especially with the people I care most about – and what I need to jettison, frankly.

That last one is tricky, right?  But freeing.

Recently, I saw – for what must have been the 1,000^th time – the four quadrants I have always associated with Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It turns out these quadrants are originally credited to Eisenhower. Known as the Eisenhower Matrix, the Time Management Matrix, and The Eisenhower Box, it’s the 4 boxes labeled: Important, Not Important, Urgent, Not Urgent. 

Let’s see if this model might be useful to us to understand, organize, and prioritize some of the development activities we all manage. Let’s see if it can help us stay in better balance.

As a primer: for the purposes of this exercise, “important” means significant. “Important” things will likely have a positive impact, or maybe prevent something terrible from happening in our professional lives.

“Urgent” means serious, critical. It is something that we should or must deal with now(ish).

Too often, it’s the non-urgent and not important things that rule our days. The pointless email threads. The meetings with no purpose. The stuff we use to distract ourselves or rest our weary minds for a minute. And some of the latter is fine. But if we are craving a break, why not go find a colleague to check in on (more important) or take a short walk and get some fresh air?

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Nothing works every single time. But, for our purposes here, I challenge us to lift ourselves out of the “unimportant” and “not urgent” boxes for more of the day. And the way to do that is first to take some time to plot your regular activities into the four boxes so you can take a hard look at where you are spending your time.

Try filling in these 4 boxes with some of your most common tasks.

Now let’s think of some together: ideas to get your brain going.

• Planned Giving. This is an excellent example of “Important but Not Urgent.” Planned giving is always on the back burner. Every single day I hear school leaders lament their stagnant or non-existent planned giving programs. This, my friends, is totally worth your time. No, it won’t likely produce big results tomorrow. But if you build it, they will come. More about how to do that here.  

• Checking in personally with top donors. Definitely “important” and maybe even “urgent.” They need to be at the top of your mental to-do list. When did you last give an update on a program they care about? Do it!

• Pestering young alums to make a $5 gift to the annual fund. “Not important” and “not urgent.” Ditch it.
  
• Crafting a highly personal appeal to a new family. “Important” and even “urgent.” Too often I see development officers waiting until the family has “settled in”. Why? Parents are never (ever) as excited, optimistic, and open as they are during the first 6 weeks of a new school year—before anything has gone wrong. If you’ve done a good job of letting them know what to expect when they join your school community, there’ll be no surprise. See how to do a better job of that here.

Inevitably, we all have tasks like development committee meetings and parents’ association meetings that may seem, on the surface, unimportant and totally not urgent. And ok, not urgent, until things go sideways and then we have a situation that is both urgent and important (and out of control).

Instead, let’s look at those meetings as opportunities to create a productive and worthwhile experience, for everyone!

Sometimes success is a reframe.

And I would be glossing over a vital point if I didn’t recognize that we are rarely totally free to set our priorities. At work, we have supervisors, colleagues, and donors. At home, we have partners, family, and friends. There can be good-willed differences of opinion or full-on clashes about what matters most. One person’s “important” may hardly register with another. And since they often carry a certain emotional vibe, urgent/non-urgent items can cause big conflict. I’m not suggesting this work is always easy or smooth but the act of identifying for ourselves into which box a particular action fits (and having a frank conversation about it with those who hold a different view), may help us use this approach to move towards more peace and productivity.

Whatever else is on your plate this coming year, looking at things through this familiar and yet still highly on-point lens may be helpful.

Excited to kick off the 2023-24 school year along with you!

Thank you for all you’re doing.

Barbara Barron
barbara@barbarabarron.com

BARBARA BARRON is one of the most respected and highly sought-after independent advancement professionals in the country, having worked with dozens of schools in every corner of the United States.

She has raised over $20 million for schools where she served as the Director of Development. Barbara is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and presenter who currently advises dozens of schools in various capacities. She is considered a thought leader in the world of advancement, with her writing widely shared by professionals in development offices worldwide.

More Advancement Articles

• 
  How Can You Set Yourself Up So That Next Fall is a Huge Success?April 14, 2026
• 
  Metrics That Matter vs. Metrics That Don’tMarch 16, 2026
• 
  What is Your Brand?March 2, 2026
• 
  Success Story #2February 16, 2026
• 
  The Steps We SkipFebruary 1, 2026
• 
  What if Fundraising Was Really about Creating Donor Joy?January 21, 2026

The post How Can We Set Priorities that Serve Us and Our Programs? appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted February 8th, 2023 | Subscribe to this newsletter

Having just spent three days in NYC attending the CASE-NAIS conference, I have thoughts.

First: it was beyond lovely to see so many friends, colleagues, and former and current clients. We development people are naturally (or trained to be) super friendly. But this was beyond.

Next, the content was excellent. Plenary sessions were thought-provoking and heady, with subjects appropriately set at 10,000 feet from leaders in our profession with broad and wise perspectives. Elective sessions were chock full (for the most part) of great takeaways. Those presenters delivered. Exhibitors offered cool new products and services for our industry and gave away some fun swag.

But I went also for the new learning!

My overarching “ah-ha” was that the sometimes tough-to-make tactical goals of increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at our schools were made real in several sessions — with actual, honest-to-God solutions that we could take home and implement.

Even better, doing so is a path to fixing some of the terrible practices our professional has been saddled with. Imagine that: doing the right thing turns out to be a smart thing. For my faithful readers, you know I’ve been railing about some of these outdated practices for years.

Like which ones?

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Auctions Are Over

Thank the goddess!

Instead of exclusive, expensive, and showy events that engage maybe a third of the school community (at best), smart and inclusive schools are moving to inventive alternatives. Cite: Thatcher School and their shift to a week-long giving challenge. They are raising far more money, have cut their expenses by 80% (EIGHTY!), have less exhausted (“happier”, they claim) development professionals, and boast huge participation stats from all constituencies. And they still offered a chance to party for those parents that want one. But that is not the central point anymore. It’s raising vital dollars for students and teachers. Whew.

Naming is On It’s Way Out

I participated in an honest interrogation of the subject of the value vs. the potential damage caused by naming physical spaces around our schools. In what felt like a collective moment of heartbreak, the presenter shared the story of the student who said he hated going to one certain classroom because over the entrance was the name of the family who donated big money; the same family whose child wasn’t very nice to him. Or the day many families claim is hard at their homes: when the school annual report arrives in the mail and their kids search for their family’s name on the list, and not finding it among the top names of some of their friends.

Ouch, and yuck.

Interestingly, most of my clients have not been listing names in order of cumulative giving in reports for some time. And increasingly, fewer offer naming opportunities for their campaigns. But one size has never fit all and there are certainly exceptions. The presenters of this session shared their reasoning for offering naming in their campaign, at a school that has a long tradition of such. They explained the process and principles of their naming policy to ensure expectations with donors are clear and the visual identity of the campaign and facility remains intact. Still. It leaves you wondering.  This is another example of how the goal of DEIB is taking hold. And making things better for everyone.

Women’s Leadership Circle of Giving

I also learned how a school established a women’s leadership circle of giving, at a venerable and historically very male school, resulting in big major gifts from women for women’s education. This is effectively a major gifts campaign, centered on 50 years of women’s education but what is resulting in (it’s ongoing) is a group of women who are deeply reconnected to their alma mater, making possible scholarships for girls now and into the future. What a smart intersection of major gifts and alumnae relations: meaningful to the women who are participating, creating terrific stewardship stories for the office to tell the donors, and beginning outstanding modeling for future generations of alumnae. A stunning amount of early money they’ve raised. But this concept can work at a smaller or less-resourced school. Brava!  My list goes on.

In Closing…

My take-home sentiment, beyond my gratitude for the opportunity to attend and learn from good people doing good, is a renewed intention to lean into this work. With some specific fixes that lead to more engagement and better fundraising. I’m reenergized to help others do this, too.

Let’s talk! 

Barbara Barron

barbara@barbarabarron.com

About the Author

BARBARA BARRON is one of the most respected and highly sought-after independent advancement professionals in the country, having worked with dozens of schools in every corner of the United States.

She has raised over $20 million for schools where she served as the Director of Development. Barbara is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and presenter who currently advises dozens of schools in various capacities. She is considered a thought leader in the world of advancement, with her writing widely shared by professionals in development offices worldwide.

More Advancement Articles

• 
  How Can You Set Yourself Up So That Next Fall is a Huge Success?April 14, 2026
• 
  Metrics That Matter vs. Metrics That Don’tMarch 16, 2026
• 
  What is Your Brand?March 2, 2026
• 
  Success Story #2February 16, 2026
• 
  The Steps We SkipFebruary 1, 2026
• 
  What if Fundraising Was Really about Creating Donor Joy?January 21, 2026

The post Sacrificing Sacred Cows: Some Reflections on CASE-NAIS ’23 appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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 outside, it looks like we ought to be squarely on the same team. Both offices, along with the admission department, are responsible for 100% of the revenue that comes into our schools. Oftentimes, solely responsible. Together, we make up the business side of the organization. We typically have, as requested by the Head, responsibilities to the Board through standing committees. We report at their meetings. We all have goals and numbers to hit. We are so in this together.

But why doesn’t it feel like that? Too often what I experienced as a director – and what I now witness as a consultant – is a much sadder scenario.  What does it look like at your school? Perhaps your business office colleagues are skeptical or even dismissive about the pledges you are so excited to count. They may act miserly about budgets, not fully understanding or appreciating the value of money spent on cultivation and stewardship. I’ve seen business office personnel act territorial about things like data updates. From their seats, it looks like their colleagues across the way in the development office are always “out to lunch.” Or “planning fancy parties.” They see “those development people” spending money while the business folks slave away, carefully tracking every precious penny spent. Not fun.

Meanwhile, we in the development office can be a bit dismissive about the importance of adhering to close and regular reconciliation – the thing that our business office colleagues need to do their jobs well. We can oftentimes be too casual about documentation, especially of those important pledges. We are sometimes not all that diligent about notifying the business office when restricted funds can be released. And then we may act rather put out when we’re asked to provide backup documentation, like during the audit.

So everyone feels overworked and a bit testy. I’ve seen requests between departments go unanswered or given only the most passive aggressive replies. If the development team feels unappreciated for the charitable dollars they bring in with minimal thanks against fundraising goals they had little to do with establishing, the business team feels unappreciated for balancing budgets on the head of a pin amid ever increasing costs.  No parties for them – even though the development team is forever tasked with anything remotely hospitality related!

Now, this is clearly a dismal, worst-case situation I’m painting for you. Hopefully your school has achieved détente or even a nice cooperative atmosphere. But from my seat, I see that most schools fall somewhere along the continuum from hostile enemies to productive partners.

Recently, I spoke with two experienced CFOs from very different schools. Both are former colleagues of mine with whom I enjoyed really good working relationships at schools in the past. Actually, I count them as trusted friends for many years now. We talked about the sources of that conflict, much of which I have captured here. More of our conversation centered on what I prefer to do: find and amplify the positive.

The question came down to this:

What are some practical and positive solutions we can implement to improve the working relationship between these two important offices?

After all, we are in this together. As leaders, this is our work to do. Our staff is watching us. And even if that doesn’t motivate you, I can assure you that your Head of School has little interest in being pulled into arbitration between you! So let’s make this better.

Like with so many conflicts, the solution is never found at the level of the problem. We need to get above the pettiness and find common ground. Start with the fundamentals. A shared vision. Mutual respect. Relationships we establish early, that are based on understanding and respect. So simple and yet not always so easy. 

Let’s begin with the basics. How often, if ever, do your two offices come together? Do you each know what the other does, beyond a cursory understanding? How about a gathering (with snacks, naturally) to talk about what you are each facing, your log-jam times, your high-pressure moments during the school year. Learn about each other’s worlds and how little things can make life easier or a nightmare for all of you.

Beyond that kind of meeting, how about occasional gatherings that simply and vitally build relationships? Between people. Between colleagues. A shared meal is so simple and yet powerful. Talk about what movies you’ve seen, what you’re reading and binging. It’s far harder to “other” someone you have come to know. One of my CFO buddies told me about working at a college that owned a bowling alley. She brought the two offices together for some fun and healthy competition in the lanes.

But beyond shared experiences and some all-important fun from time to time, there is an essential piece that may be missing but is easily found.

My other, wise CFO friend said it well when he talked about “the importance of sharing why we work where we work.”

He said that we should regularly ask ourselves: what it is about the school’s mission and values that resonate? There are plenty of places to work, many at which your paycheck would be greater. It follows that there must be reasons that brought each of you to this place, this work. What about being at a school, your school, that draws you in? And keeps you there? He said that he’s found that when he has that kind of conversation, a common thread is revealed. Often it is a desire to do what we can, in our roles, to serve the students. To support and enhance the student-teacher relationship. He speaks of being “custodians of the parents’ trust”. I like that. 

And as a plug for my development peeps out there, never forget that it is your department, your work, that makes any and all diversity possible for your school. Healthy diversity that improves life and learning for everyone. Without the charitable dollars and those specifically raised for financial aid, our schools would not be the rich and vibrant places they are. Maybe the business folks have just never thought about it that way. Is this a conversation that you, as the director (or Head of School), can help facilitate?

As always, thank you for what you’re doing.

Stay well,

Barbara Barron

barbara@barbarabarron.com // @BBAdvancement

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The post Moving Beyond Conflict Between the Development & Business Offices appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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 we offer and are invested in our communities positively impacts everyone. Without this careful process, we can’t fully deliver on our school’s mission. As I’m sure you’re well aware, myriad frustrations and even heartache ensue from a “bad fit.” It affects student and faculty morale and can cause real damage to the student.

In short: the fit matters.

The same goes for hiring. Schools regularly invest big sums to recruit quality faculty and staff who they believe will add value to the community. These are dollars well spent when the fit is right and the new hire is suited to our school’s mission and culture. Good fit faculty and staff usually stick around – which is good for resource management. A great faculty placement benefits everyone, including the students.

But there are risks inherent in this process of finding someone who “fits.” On the candidate’s side, it’s possible that the school she sees in the admission materials, on the website, and even during interviews is not the lived experience. On the school’s side, the candidate can say all the right things about wanting what our school has to offer but misrepresent themselves entirely. Opportunities abound for possible mismatches, and “bad fits”.

What if we told you that as much as the fit matters, there’s really no such thing as a “good fit” or a “bad fit?” That there’s as much inherent value for those who are in the IN group as those who are not? Would that blow your mind? Because, once we got thinking about it deeply, it blew ours.

We believe that, for those of us who feel like outcasts in our communities, what is happening is less a mismatch of fit than a mismatch of expectations based on faulty or incomplete information. Instead of bemoaning the circumstances that led us to become strangers in a strange land, what if we accepted that the personality of a school and our own are quite different? What if we, in fact, celebrated that fact?

What can we do as new hires, as new co-workers, as teachers, as leaders in a community – to smooth out some of those possible bumps in style, and ensure that everyone, regardless of role, style, and personality, has a voice and a place to add their gifts and values?

You may not know this, but a few decades ago, I co-authored a best-selling book called DO WHAT YOU ARE. In it, my co-author Paul Tieger and I helped readers discover their Myers-Briggs Personality Type. We then helped them apply that knowledge to make better career decisions. Decisions that would lead to greater satisfaction and fulfillment in their work. The book has sold over one million copies since 1992 and has just been released in its completely revised and updated 6th edition, co-authored by our daughter Kelly Tieger. Pretty beautiful full circle since she was 3 years old when it was first published!

And now, nearly thirty years later, Kelly and I are thinking about how we can apply some of these insights in the world of Independent Schools, a realm we both inhabit professionally. It came down to two questions:

• Do schools have their own personality? Or Personality Type?
• If so, can we use our know-how of how our own personality differs or doesn’t differ from our schools to gain powerful insights about the ways our school operates – its true culture and style?

Really, can we “fit in”? And if we recognize that we don’t, isn’t that actually our superpower?

Let’s use an example. Perhaps you are an extraverted, strongly thinking person, considering a position at a more introverted and feeling school. (Yes, you are a square peg looking to be placed in a round hole!) But instead of saying, “I don’t think I fit in here…”, think differently. Isn’t it just as likely that this institution could utilize your energy, and your take-charge attitude? Of course it could! If you let them, they will absolutely benefit from your candid, logical voice when working to resolve conflicts.

Now, understanding how personalities can clash, you need to be aware that your approach may frequently require some tempering, the use of a gentler tone than is your preferred style to express your opinions. But what a difference that knowledge and contribution could make! For you and for the school, there’s the opportunity to create a more balanced and fair decision-making process. That’s a “bad fit” that is actually a “perfect fit.”

Now let’s use an example from the school’s side. Perhaps you are tasked with hiring a faculty position. (You got this!) Your school is competitive and bustling. A place where traditions are deeply entrenched and highly valued. Rigor and achievement are central to the student experience. Your first-choice humanities hire has a variety of experiences in smaller schools, those with an emphasis on the student-teacher relationship and a focus on diversity and the arts.

Can you see how there is a likelihood for a disconnect here? And how cruel it may seem to hire this person who will no doubt struggle to “fit in”? Imagine the opposite, instead. See a future filled with all the unique gifts this new teacher will bring. Envision how this pitch-perfect hire will deepen the school’s advisory program and add new and valuable insights to the curriculum. Think of the rich conversations. Your school’s emerging DEI program could be infused with newfound sensitivity and depth. It’s win after win after win.

Regardless of whether you’re a new hire, or doing the hiring, or are someone who is looking around at your amazing school and wondering, “How did someone like me end up at a place like this?”, this advice is for you. Most growth occurs when we are faced with what’s unfamiliar. We adapt when we are required to shift our perspective and see things differently than is customary for us. People with differing attitudes and styles may confuse or trigger us, sure, but they can also prompt us to expand our thinking and consider a new way of working, thinking, and interacting. I invite you to see people for who they are and encourage them to bring their most authentic selves to the table, free from judgment, so that they can add layers of nuance and intelligence, helping us create and sustain school environments that are truly more diverse, inclusive, and healthy – for everyone.

If you’re interested in attending a session on this topic, we are presenting at the Carney, Sandoe & Associates’ 2021 Women’s (Re)Institute. Our session is on June 3. Here’s a link to register for the conference:

https://www.womensreinstitute.com/

And to learn more about our book, DO WHAT YOU ARE, visit: https://dowhatyouarebook.com

As always, I’m here if you want to discuss this idea. Just reach out via email.

Stay well,

Barbara Barron

barbara@barbarabarron.com // @BBAdvancement

My name is Barbara Barron, and I’m writing this blog to share advice on a profession that I adore.

ve been working in the field of Independent School Advancement for nearly 20 years. In that time, I’ve had the pleasure of creating and implementing successful Strategic Fundraising Plans for so many incredible schools. I’ve had the privilege of seeing real growth at The Carey School, Marin Primary & Middle School, Woodside Priory, Crystal Springs, Presidio Knolls and others. (Maybe we’ve met!)

Nothing makes me happier than seeing a struggling school start to thrive. My hope is that you’re here to make a positive change as well. I hope my advice can be a part of that change.

Shoot me an e-mail if you want to swap tips, or share your voice here.

Let’s do this, together.

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  Success Story #2February 16, 2026
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  What if Fundraising Was Really about Creating Donor Joy?January 21, 2026

The post How Can We Fit In at Our School? appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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 -who had just written a tuition check – why an additional gift from them was also being requested (or expected). No doubt families coming from public schools found this model particularly mystifying. After all, why didn’t the school simply charge what it actually cost? Why this nasty fundraising?

So here was a problem in search of a solution: how could a school explain their need in a way that made sense? How could they build a case for annual support that was in any way clear, never mind, compelling?

Now, I’m imagining this next part. Some hard working, under-valued someone, tucked away in a development office somewhere, had a moment. Wait! What if we called it “the gap”?  Imagine the feelings of the exhausted person who cracked that nut!

You can see it starting to take shape in their mind: “We can simply explain to parents that the actual cost of the program we offer is $XX more than we charge for tuition. Ere go – the gap! 

Further, we can explain that if we ever really charged that true amount, we’d lose a huge portion of our middle-class enrollment and rapidly become a school filled with mostly well-to-do students. There would be only a handful of students on financial aid. So much for a richly diverse community we have and love. Yuck! No one wants that! Yep. The Gap it is!”

And so, it got legs. Boards approved. Development professionals everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief because they had their answer! They had the language. Parents understood this concept and, to their credit, felt the responsibility to “do their part” to make up this gap.

Schools everywhere adopted this approach. Some took great pains to illustrate the literal gap — the non-tuition revenue needed to balance the budget, divided by the number of students. And for many donor families, they responded with gifts of precisely that amount. (Small aside: I have a terrible, vivid memory of sitting with a wealthy family and hearing the dad say, “So the gap is $5,000, right?” and before I can respond, he hands me a check made out for that amount. I felt sick. I’d failed to get ahead of that Mack truck — the dreaded gap.) 

“Wait a second, Barbara. He handed you a check. What is the problem, again?”

Well, in that situation, the dad could have easily written a check for three times that amount. But, for the dang gap. It preempted us.

The overarching problem, dear reader, is that – in my humble opinion – any school using the “gap strategy” is effectively putting a lid on the level of generosity that families might entertain. It lowers the bar. It kills the very concept and practice of philanthropy from your giving program.

Sounds dramatic — but it’s true.

For the families of significant means, like the dad above, when presented with what appears to be merely a “fee”, they are only too happy to pay it, to cover their fair share. Instead, they could have given a more meaningful, even transformational gift. To families looking to invest in a community and a program they believe in, to share their abundance to make wonderful things happen, this approach feels pretty lackluster. No emotion. Zero impact.

And it’s not just the wealthy families this affects. Since most gaps are in the $5,000-10,000 range (or far more!), families receiving financial aid can’t possibly consider a gift like that. And even if their appeal letter doesn’t directly reference it, if a school publishes a gap anywhere, consider it everywhere. Families receiving financial aid, in my experience, tend to be very generous within their means. But with the gap approach, either they choose not to give at all or do so feeling like their gift is meaningless since it falls so far below the mark.

None of this is good. Donors don’t want us to simply get by, pay the bills, keep the lights on. Yuck. I am mystified when I read appeals from wonderful, inspiring, forward leaning schools that still resort to this scarcity mentality language.

Beyond all of that negativity, this approach leaves us no place to go when talking about what’s possible for a school. And that’s where the magic lies.

Let’s ignore the gap. Instead, let’s clearly show our supporters that our budgets are built conservatively and responsibly. Explain that they are managed by professional and competent nonprofit experts, with fiduciary oversight from committed and experienced Boards. Let’s illustrate that, while tuition and (if we have it) ancillary income cover the basics, it is the Annual Fund (the primary source of non-tuition revenue) that allows our programs to grow, to respond, to soar.

This is the moment to talk about the myriad benefits of supporting our schools. Tell stories about the students who contribute to the vibrancy of life in the classroom and on campus. The people who are our children’s lifelong friends, but who, without the Annual Fund, might not be able to be part of our communities.

Give examples of talented, dedicated faculty and their ongoing professional growth and development that keeps them engaged and improving their craft. Explain that in order to attract and retain those excellent educators, we need to pay them a living wage and provide for the ever-increasing cost of health insurance and other essential benefits. All from the Annual Fund. 

Next, detail how our educational programs, always evolving and responsive to our rapid changing world, need the Annual Fund to provide for enhanced technology and other resources.

Finally, share how the Annual Fund empowers our Heads and administrative teams to respond daily to the challenges and opportunities that arise. To help them deliver on the promise embedded within each of our vital missions. Imagine a school without those resources over this past year. I know of some. They are hurting. Some are closing.

Unless we are willing to raise tuition to such a degree that it drives away half of our community, we will continue to rely on a robust Annual Fund. So, let’s make them powerful, joyful, engaging campaigns that celebrate all that is good and special about our schools.

Say it with me: “No more gap!”  

When we make this shift, our conversations with parents and other donors will be about all the great ideas our teachers have. About all the places the program wants to go. The talented kids we can begin to serve. We will begin to connect our donors and their giving to those initiatives. And then, with thoughtful stewardship, we may earn the opportunity to begin to talk about the ways they can truly make the school’s dreams come true through their major gifts — or other leadership capacity building initiatives.

It may sound lofty, but I have been in many meetings just like that. They are so awesome! It’s what makes all the rest of the work worthwhile. And not just for you as the advancement professional but for your Head of School, your Board members, and – most critically — for your donors.

It’s up to us to start and lead the conversation. To shift the narrative to being about the change we wish to see. At first, you’ll encounter resistance. People might be scared they won’t know what to say to counter the objections. Go find the stories. Ask the teachers. The small, meaningful moments make the best examples. Be specific and real.

Start a campaign to gather the evidence of the benefits derived from a healthy Annual Giving program. Continually look for what wants to happen. Discover what is ready to grow or change or improve. See what needs just a little extra support.

If you think it’s time for your giving program to move away from the message of scarcity and simply “getting by” (i.e. filling the gap) towards one that celebrates generosity in all its forms and leads to a truly thriving school, I am here to help you. We can take this idea and run with it. We can write the narrative at your school and train your community to talk in a renewed and energized way. Let’s raise more money for your fine school. Together.

As always, stay well,

Barbara Barron

barbara@barbarabarron.com // @BBAdvancement

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  How Can You Set Yourself Up So That Next Fall is a Huge Success?April 14, 2026
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The post Ignoring “The Gap” and Moving Away from a Scarcity Mindset appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted March 13th, 2019

With huge gratitude to the brilliant mind of Gordon MacKenzie and re-reading his astonishingly smart and creative book “Orbiting the Giant Hairball”, I’ve been moved to write about our typical organizational charts and how we might think about them in a very different, and perhaps better, way.

Most schools operate within a pyramid structure to depict their orgs. Something like this, with the power, authority, and direction flowing downwards from the top:

The body tasked with setting the vision for the school into the next several generations of students is the Board of Trustees. They are also responsible for the essential work of supporting, supervising, occasionally selecting – or rarely, dismissing – the Head of School.

The Head of School oversees and manages everyone who works at the school, from the administrative team to the faculty. There are layers in here (division heads, deans, program directors, etc.) but it’s the classroom teachers that are near the bottom of this  “classic” chart.

Let’s stop and reflect on that for a moment.

On any given day, at any given school, nothing gets done without the teachers. The teachers not only make learning possible, but they also make it come alive.  They have the power and influence to spark or snuff out imagination and confidence. They oftentimes spend more time with their students than the students’ parents do. Their classrooms or labs or studios are where the magic happens.

Truly, no other group of staff at our school has more impact on whether our school delivers on its mission or doesn’t.

And it’s not just the school that is dependent on the teaching staff. Our job as Advancement Professionals is intrinsically linked to their performance.

When both teaching and learning are going well, and parents are delighted and, hopefully, grateful — that’s when we can step in and do the most important part of our jobs. It’s when only then that we have the honor, the privilege, to have conversations with parents about their philanthropy.

We’ve all had that experience where a donor family is unhappy. Their daughter was placed in a math class they didn’t think was the right fit. Their son has had a struggle with the science teacher. As a result, their gift goes away or is significantly reduced.

Now, we might argue that withholding their support is hardly helping us alleviate the problem. Rarely does less support make it easier to improve the math program! But since gifts remain voluntary and donors often use their money to make statements, that’s our life. We deal with it.

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My point is: it’s only when things are going well in the classroom that things are possible for us in advancement.

And yet, the teachers are at the bottom of the standard “org chart.” In Gordon’s illustration, which I’ve included here, he speaks for those at the bottom thusly: “Let us out from under this crushing mountain!”

I couldn’t agree more.

So what if we flipped the script? Or in this case, created a totally different image? Let’s substitute the pyramid with a Plum Tree.

Much nicer, isn’t it?

Here we have the Board of Trustees as the roots. They are ultimately responsible for the stability of the organization by tending to its fiscal health.

Next is the Head of School as the trunk. The Head of School is the enduring, central support. He or she must be strong, steady, and – most importantly – upright.

Up and out from the Head of School is our administrative leadership team. They are the branches that support the “product producers”. In a strong Plum Tree ecosystem, the branches are both intertwined and interdependent.

And now we find the teachers. They are the leaves and the stems that nurture the flowering crop. They are in closest proximity to and are therefore directly responsible for, the plums. And, as if it isn’t painfully obvious by now, the students are, of course, the plums.

Gordon goes on to offer voices from the different parts of the tree to bring it to life:

The roots (the board) asks: “What resources do you need to produce the best crop?”

The trunk (the Head) asks: “What do you need to motivate you?”

The branches (division heads) say: “We’ve got what you need – air and sunshine!”

The leaves and stems (teachers) say: “On a clear day, we can see forever!”

A tree, Gordon asserts, is a living organism. A pyramid is a tomb. Ouch.

Altogether, an impossibly lovely image. But what might this re-envisioning mean practically for our schools, and for us in advancement?

It means that our boards would remain squarely focused on growth, the securing of resources, and creating stability from which the tree can grow and thrive. Instead of seeing themselves as the “bosses”, they adopt a service-oriented mindset. They, like the rest of us, seek to serve the needs of those above them.

It means that our Heads provide that enduring support, and seek only to remain steady – lest the branches above begin to shake. They handle the administrative logistics. They mentor faculty. All their resources are pushed up to meet the programmatic needs of the school. With the help of the board’s resources, they provide our teachers, our product producers, the nourishment they need to do their best work.

It means our teachers, who are the source of our success stories, would be less stressed, more independent, feel more respected, and — this is key for us — be far more likely to stay where they are. That’s crucial, my friends. Because without leaves on our tree, we’re living in a permanent winter.

So what might this actually look like?

Let’s use this as an example: the opening week teacher meetings.

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This week is designed using the more conventional model – the one we’re trying to replace. This is management from the top-down. From the general to the specific. The many serve the needs of the few. We typically start these meetings on Monday with one big meeting. All the adults in the school come in for a group session. Perhaps there’s a keynote speaker, a presentation or an exercise. And – because bonding is important to us – we add a happy hour or similar at the end of the day.

What are our teachers, especially the newer ones, thinking? “Could I please just get some time in my classroom?!”

The next day (or days) we break into smaller groups, either by grade or division. Better. But most teachers are still anxious about everything they need to do to be ready for the first day of class. It isn’t until Thursday or even Friday that our teachers are free to spend a chunk of time in their classrooms, getting them and their own hearts and minds prepared to start the year.

Now, what if we flipped it? Just like we did our org chart?

Let’s make Monday a classroom prep day. All day. On Tuesday or Wednesday, we start to meet in larger groups, by grade, division, or by discipline. We end the week with the big group session, the speaker, the exercise. And the happy hour.

Our teachers might be far happier, don’tcha think!?

At the end of the day, the choice is yours: our school can be a tomb, or it can be a tree. And what do you lose in the process of turning things upside down? Nothing. At most, you’ll have only a moment of momentary confusion. And then you’ll start to see the benefits, almost immediately.

Teachers will thank you for providing a way for their “bosses” to see their value. And frankly, I’d love to tell that story to our supporters.

After all, who in good conscience could argue with an organizational chart that prioritizes teachers and students at the top?

I’d like to see them try.

My name is Barbara Barron, and I’m writing this blog to share advice on a profession that I adore.

I’ve been working in the field of Independent School Advancement for over 20 years. In that time, I’ve had the pleasure of creating and implementing successful Strategic Fundraising Plans for so many incredible schools. I’ve had the privilege of seeing real growth at The Carey School, Marin Primary & Middle School, Woodside Priory, Crystal Springs, Sage Ridge and others. (Maybe we’ve met!)

Nothing makes me happier than seeing a struggling school start to thrive. My hope is that you’re here to make a positive change as well. I hope my advice can be a part of that change.

Shoot me an e-mail if you want to swap tips, or share your voice here.

Let’s do this, together.

The post How Do We Become Schools That Truly Value Teachers? appeared first on Barbara Barron.