by Barbara Barron | Posted February 19th, 2025 | Subscribe to this newsletter We all know that tax benefits are not the sole – or even primary – reason people give to our organizations. They give because they believe in the mission, or they are watching their own child thrive. Perhaps they had a transformative experience themselves while attending our …
Need a Quick and Cool Idea for Using AI to Improve Your Stewardship?
by Barbara Barron | Posted February 5th, 2025 | Subscribe to this newsletter The stats are clear: the use of AI in advancement is growing just like it is in other professions and fields. In a recent poll conducted by Twilio and shared by the terrific firm FreeWill (FreeWill.com): In 2024, 30% of nonprofits believed that the use of AI …
How to Thoughtfully Say “No” to Fundraising Efforts (Outside of the Annual Fund)
by Barbara Barron | Posted January 8th, 2025 | Subscribe to this newsletter When I was the DoD at my first school gig, I was asked to help move the school away from a pay-to-play system where students paid $2 to get to wear jeans (those were still dress code days there). The money raised went to a selected charity. …
Women Heads of School: Finding Your Voice
by Barbara Barron | Posted December 4th, 2024 | Subscribe to this newsletter I recently have begun to get to know the Executive Director of The Heads’ Network, Jen Evers. I learned about this cool organization through my association with the School Leaders Connect. Jen was a recent guest speaker. Afterward, I referred a former colleague of mine, a fairly …
Research That Affirms Our Approach
by Barbara Barron | Posted November 13th, 2024 | Subscribe to this newsletter It’s always nice when empirical data confirms the best practices we’ve been using, and teaching others to use, for years. Just this month, I read the second annual report on the state of capital campaigns completed by Capital Campaign Pro. CCP is a women-owned firm that specializes …
How to Set a Fundraising Goal
by Barbara Barron | Posted October 23rd, 2024 | Subscribe to this newsletter How are your fundraising goals set? Seems like a simple and fundamental question, right? But in my experience, the answer can range from “no clue” to “they are set by the finance committee of the Board” to “I took last year’s total and added 10%”. None of …
How to Launch Your Annual Fund Appeal During Election Season
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 …
How Do We Write a Really Good Annual Fund Letter?
by Barbara Barron | Posted September 27th, 2017 | Revised September 25th, 2024 This is a version of the very first article I ever published on this site. I am quietly celebrating the start of my eighth year in this work of providing advancement consulting to independent schools. Feels like returning to the basics makes sense. Before I do, a …