by Barbara Barron | Posted September 11th, 2024 | Subscribe to this newsletter
“When should we launch our an annual fund appeal when people are being asked every day to donate to the elections?”
Are you hearing and reading this question, too?
I have clients asking me about the right timing for their fall appeal. I’m reading articles about whether we ought to hold off. Makes sense. We are living through some pretty wild times. “Unprecedented” is the overused word but it is true. It can be dizzying.
But here’s my best advice on this.
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Don’t wait.
If you can reasonably get your campaign launched in September, do it. Don’t worry that it’s “too early” or that you haven’t given new families enough time to settle in.
Every year, parents report that they experience the highest levels of optimism and hope at the start of the year. I bet you feel that yourself. I sure do!
Before anything goes sideways, ask your parents to support the school they chose, the one they care deeply about.
Try not to get distracted.
Your community members, as much as they may be engaged with the presidential contest and all its attendant noise, are first and foremost concerned with their children, your students. They chose your school for all the good reasons you know and promote. Their child is there every day, and it is their health and welfare that matters most to their parents.
You can get and hold their attention if you frame your story right and are thoughtful about how to ask for their support.
In fact, as independent schools, we are fortunate in this regard. We are rather sheltered from some of what our central question is asking and predicting. Lots of other nonprofits will indeed suffer from the distraction and noise and drama of the competing energies of this contest.
But your families are not going to withhold support from their kid’s school because they give $50 or $500 to one of the presidential candidates or other down ballot races.
To take it a step further, whatever political stripe your donors wear, they all believe, by dint of their choice to enroll their child in an independent school, that education is paramount to them. Even in bad economies, which this is not, education remains the top one or two philanthropic areas Americans support. Overwhelmingly. And predictably.
So, lean into all the distinguishing qualities of your school’s program and mission. And ask boldly.
What to Hold Off
Once launched, it will be wise to hold off on massive email appeals or other during the final week or two of this election season. There’s a ton of money at play this time around — so the airwaves will be a constant barrage of ads for the top of the tickets. (But also every down race and local or state ballot measure.)
So, back off the asking and double down on the thanking.
And let’s also remember that some of our supporters have real fears and anxiety about this particular moment in history. Let’s be sensitive. Let’s use the stories of everyday magic that happens in our schools to remind everyone in our community of the good, of the noble work our teachers are doing. Let’s stay calm and confident of our schools’ missions. Let’s do our part as the professionals working to help advance those missions.
Wishing you a good, safe, and peaceful start.
And as always, but especially now, thank you for all you’re doing.
Barbara Barron
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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.
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