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 school. That’s the why.

But the tax advantages of making charitable gifts are also real. When we, as advancement pros, do a better job of knowledgeably asking for the non-cash gifts that have huge tax advantages for our donors, we are often able to secure larger gifts.

Here’s some recent learning I got from another terrific FreeWill.com webinar.

That session looked at Schedule M data from 15,000 nonprofits. It was taken from 2022 and 2023 because we know that 990s generally lag a year or more. But their point was this: information can help us project what are likely the trends for 2025. The focus here is on stock gifts.

Some helpful stats. First this stunner:

62% of American adults own stock – even those who don’t have any savings! And that ownership is expanding. 

And how about these?

Women tend to own more stock than men (62% vs. 59%)

41% of adults ages 18-29 own stock (Millennials + Gen Z)

67% of respondents aged 30 – 49 own stock (Elder Millennials + Gen X)

66% of respondents aged 50 – 64 (Gen X + younger Boomers)

Gifts of stock are typically much larger than cash gifts. Specifically, 10x-100x larger.

Nonprofits that accept stock gifts saw growth of 66% over five years. More stock gifts and more money raised. 

K-12 schools saw a big jump in gifts of stock in 2023 ($22M)

Whew!

Clearly, this is a vital source of potential support for your school.

If you are not already accepting these gifts, run, don’t walk, to set that up. Make sure instructions are prominently displayed on your giving page. Spend time developing a good relationship with the school’s broker, if you have one. Create smart and efficient systems with your business office so you are notified immediately when a gift of stock is made.

So, what are the advantages of giving appreciated stock? First, the donor avoids any federal capital gains taxes by giving the stock to a charity. Next, they will avoid the additional capital gains tax some states assess. They receive a charitable receipt from your school — so they can declare the federal tax deduction on their return.

And finally, they can give your school a larger gift than they might be able to with cash. Win-Win-Win.

 “Give us stock – keep your cash – save on taxes.” Essentially, that’s the message. (Although you’ll craft one that’s more elegant.)

Here’s another takeaway: the sector enjoying the biggest increase in stock gifts is higher ed. Why is that?

Well, we know that those programs tend to be well- resourced, and the development staff has experience and talent. They also tend to be rather competitive.  But, it turns out, what really makes the difference, and we can all take this note, is they ask for stock gifts more. The more you ask, the more you get.

You don’t need to be a tax expert, but you most definitely need to be fluent in the basics of this important mode of giving. You need to get comfortable bringing it up. And your marketing of it needs to be robust.

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Some more good practices

What are some good practices?

·   Make stock giving (along with other non-cash giving options) highly visible on your giving page. Think “ease in giving.”

·   Include it in your appeals on multiple channels and platforms.

·   Communicate about this 2 or 3 times a year, in particular during tax season.

Wait. What? Does this surprise you as it did me? The donor giving you a stock gift in March won’t be able to use that deduction until they file this year’s tax return next year.

It’s all about mindset. They are thinking about (and worrying about!) taxes now. That’s when we need to be talking about the ways a stock gift can benefit them and the school.

What else? Gather good tips and advice from a tax expert in your community to help you craft accurate and digestible messages. Make sure your data systems are tracking who gives you stock. Ask those donors to give stock again.

Other nonprofits are already doing this. Higher ed is crushing it. Why not your fine school? The good people at FreeWill.com have a cool AI tool called “Willy” that will quickly and easily help you create some messages to get you started.  

Thanks 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 the 2026 Mid-Term Elections May Impact Our Fundraising & What We Can Do About It June 7, 2026
• 
  Success Story #4May 26, 2026
• 
  What Can We Do About Our Changing Parent Donors?May 11, 2026
• 
  Success Story #3April 24, 2026
• 
  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

The post Tax Talk appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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 boosted their fundraising.

Today, so early in 2025, nearly 7 out of 10 fundraisers report they are leaning on AI.

And the prediction is that AI will “progress” in terms of functionality and accuracy (and likely, universal acceptance and use) more every three months in 2025 than it did in all of 2024.

Whew!

Are you using AI in your work? I wrote about some simple and helpful ways in my article. As I cited then, FreeWill’s free tool called “Willy” is simple to use and can save you huge swaths of time drafting appeals, thank you notes, and emails.

Here’s another idea by them offered in a recent webinar I attended. Not original to me. But since I love it, I wanted to share. Don’t we all do that?!

This is for those of you who produce an annual report. If you are like schools I know, you toil over this report. It’s a giant commitment of time and an equally huge collaboration between the advancement, business office, and mar-com.

Hopefully, it’s beautiful and chock full of heartwarming stories and testimonials and an alpha list (not by giving amount, please!) of the generous and loyal people who make your school a philanthropic priority. Their support, in great part, allows your school to deliver on its inspiring mission. Awesome.

And then, out this lovely piece goes into the world and, sadly, is rarely read. We lamented this 20 years ago so moved to electronic publishing. Sure, we saved paper and postage. And some of us could see if the email containing it was opened but that was about it.

Then we went back to printing and mailing it (at least to some) because people clamored that they wanted something to hold in their hands.

Regardless, it is still too often unread!

Moreover, what about those major donors for whom this is a giant opportunity to offer customized stewardship? Personally, I’ve spent hours handwriting little personal notes I attached to the report before mailing to that small group of top donors I wanted to give a little extra love to. But the good people at FreeWill offered a way of using AI to make that a much faster and more customized note.

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Input the major donor names

Here’s how: upload your report into ChatCPT and then ask it to write a quick thank you for each major donor. You tell it the names of the people and the amount of the gift, and which programs they supported. (You do know this piece, right? Because you asked them what they care about and kept track of that important fact. Hope so.) AI will generate a note that thanks them for their gift and then tells them where in the report (the very page number!) they can read more about that program.

Your donors get the nice note, which is an additional thank you, attached to the report. But moreover, they are directed to the places within the report where they can read about the impact of their generosity!

Imagine their reaction. Imagine them sharing that with a friend or family member. That will last.

And it takes only seconds to do. Sure, we need to always, always, review/edit/refine/correct these AI-generated or augmented creations. But think of the impact!

We know that donors are far more likely to give again, and often give more, when we thank them for their gifts (immediately and accurately) but then we tell them what we did with their contribution before we ask them to give again. So simple. But not always what happens.

So here you go! And remember the time you save can be invested in donor relations. Coffee dates or phone calls or other time spent doing what AI will never do as well as you: building deep and trusting relationships. That’s our work.

Thanks 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 the 2026 Mid-Term Elections May Impact Our Fundraising & What We Can Do About It June 7, 2026
• 
  Success Story #4May 26, 2026
• 
  What Can We Do About Our Changing Parent Donors?May 11, 2026
• 
  Success Story #3April 24, 2026
• 
  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

The post Need a Quick and Cool Idea for Using AI to Improve Your Stewardship? appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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. The process of choosing the charity was a bit muddy. In fact, the whole endeavor felt off – even back then – as it was painfully easy to tell which students didn’t participate, because those $2 were outside of the family budget.

The solution came from our Head of School. He had the innovative idea to establish a student foundation, a club that I advised. It was tasked with overseeing the numerous requests for student-led fundraisers and a way to resolve the $2 jean days conundrum.

The Student Foundation evolved to organize the annual Thanksgiving food drive (which continues 23 years later, I’m delighted to report), as well as other school-wide projects including raising $5000 for Heifer International. I’m proud to have been a part of that moment and to have the opportunity to work with outstanding students who chose to join. A bowl of Hershey kisses on my desk was undoubtedly a draw but so, I believe, was the value of the work.

I read inquiries every few months from other schools’ development leaders on this topic: how does your school handle all the requests for fundraisers that are outside of the school run Annual Fund and auctions or galas or golf tournaments?

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Pecked to death by ducks

My answer may feel like a killjoy, but I believe that fundraisers ought to be limited. And carefully timed.

Why?

So they do not conflict with the three central purposes of the development office:

• To build a culture of giving to the school that is meaningful and joyful.
• To raise the funds needed to advance the mission of the school.
• To build long-lasting relationships with families that endure beyond the time their children are enrolled.

Dozens of bake sales or car washes do not help those goals. Why? They hit up the same people (the parents!) who we are asking to make the school program a philanthropic priority. When parents feel they are being “pecked to death by ducks” with myriad requests for $5, $10, $25, the cumulative effect is they feel annoyed and, justifiably, that they are already supporting the school.

This is especially perilous if all those “special” events occur before the school has launched its thoughtful, personalized annual giving program. And if uniforms or trips or other reasons for the fundraisers are essential, why aren’t they covered by tuition, parents may ask? Good question.

The difference in message and meaning

Ok, Barbara. Harsh, but makes sense.

But what about the argument that when students organize and run fundraisers, they gain important life skills. Maybe.

But when the proceeds of those sales or drives benefit the very students running them, that starts to feel self-serving. There’s a substantial difference in message and meaning between raising money so your team can buy cool new uniforms vs. identifying a local organization doing work that you respect and want to support. The process and the skills honed may be similar, yes, but the greater impact and deeper learning are entirely different.

While this may be outside the lane you occupy as a school leader, trustee, or advancement officer, it all spills into the same pool from which our cultures exist and grow. If we want our schools to thrive so they can deliver more fully on our mission, serve the students we seek to serve today and into the next generation, we must set and keep clear priorities.

That’s for the adults to do.

Good policy can alleviate disappointments

Now, I know it’s hard to say “no” to eager students who have a great idea and a desire to do good. Policy helps here. Schools with them usually have fewer of those disappointments.

If your school doesn’t have one or hasn’t reviewed it in a while, I suggest you take a page from my first experience when my Head urged us to “put the students at the center” to create a solution.

A solution that quickly surpassed the original “problem” and engaged those student members, and the whole school by extension, in something better.

It all contributes or distracts. 

Thank you 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 the 2026 Mid-Term Elections May Impact Our Fundraising & What We Can Do About It June 7, 2026
• 
  Success Story #4May 26, 2026
• 
  What Can We Do About Our Changing Parent Donors?May 11, 2026
• 
  Success Story #3April 24, 2026
• 
  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

The post How to Thoughtfully Say “No” to Fundraising Efforts (Outside of the Annual Fund) appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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 new Head of a great school in San Francisco, to them. I believed the leadership growth opportunities they offer would be a great fit for her.

T.H.N., or The Heads Network, “brings schools together to elevate women leaders”. Many of their members are aspiring Heads, and new Heads, but also other school leaders seeking to advance their skills.

What Jen and I talked about recently is the need we both see for women who are aspiring to greater leadership to gain the essential skills of donor cultivation and solicitation. While T.H.N. offers some important grounding in this work through their programs, we agree that there’s a need for more. This issue can be amplified when the woman leader follows a man in the role.

How can she find her voice?

Her style?

Her comfort and confidence in the work?

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We’re naturals

What’s ironic is that—and I am generalizing here—women often, but not always, naturally possess the skills needed to be really good at cultivating and asking for support from donors. At the heart of any good relationship is trust and the knowledge that we are seen and heard, right? Listening deeply, we learn what a person or a family cares about, what about our school’s mission resonates with them, and what they hope to achieve through their philanthropy.

This is all central to effective donor relations.

It is in those moments when we are really hearing someone share what matters to them that we have the opportunity to establish a real connection. It is from that place that we can begin to build a partnership in the work. And I see women doing that every day. But from my experience training people in the “art of the ask”, I know that we tend to skip over this part, thinking we need to know and memorize a “script”. Not so.

I was training a group of school trustees recently in helping solicit gifts for their capital campaign. I assured them that no one is an expert in this work right away. I asked them to remember the first time they served a tennis ball, or made an omelet, or executed a three-point turn. They were likely rather awkward, and if not, most certainly unsure. We know that to master a skill, we need to do it repeatedly.

Remember the 10,000 hours notion? Well, maybe we don’t need 10,000 hours here, but we do need plenty of opportunities to practice this set of important skills.

We’ve heard the adage that “practice makes perfect”. Maybe for a tennis serve but I’d like to rewrite that for our donor work: practice make proficient. And out of competency rises confidence. That order matters.

More useful phrases

Now, there are some useful phrases we can learn that help us navigate the conversion. But it is never going to be a script. Why not? Because we’re having a live, authentic conversation with real human beings.

I’ve written on the value we can gain from improv. A great concept from that world is “yes, and”. So, too, is the notion that maximum practice allows for ultimate flexibility. The more fluent and comfortable we get talking about our giving programs and how gifts bring our schools closer to delivering on the promise in our inspiring missions, the easier it will become.

When we can be clear about where we are in the conversation, we won’t get lost, distracted, or confused about the purpose of the meeting. We’ll be able to navigate the conversation and ask for the support we are seeking gracefully and with respect. Our effectiveness will rise, and we’ll raise those vital dollars we need for our worthwhile people and programs.

But perfect is not the goal: authentic is. So, too, is passion for your school and your program. And the good news is that both of those qualities are readily available to you.

Make it your own

You may need some help honing your own style, finding your unique voice. It’s natural that you might compare yourself to those who came before you. But do not attempt to emulate them. Your families want to know you. They want to hear your perspective and your vision. You are the leader. 

Finding your voice and style and gaining fluency and confidence does take practice. You’ll be well served to have a partner in this work, either in your DoD or someone on your Board. Or an outside consultant who can coach you, like me.  And once you do find your voice and your style, you’ll still want to run through the plan before an important meeting. There’s a reason that athletes practice drills between games or matches, musicians spend hours playing scales, and actors run lines. If the meeting is important — so, too, is the preparation for it.

I recently heard a good re-definition of the word “responsible”. It means that we can respond (not react) from a frame of mind and heart to fully, deeply, and calmly handle what’s ours to do. It is about doing what we need in order to put ourselves into that place. As we do, I believe our impact is enhanced. Let’s work and speak and listen from that frame.

Wishing you well. And thank you for all you are 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 the 2026 Mid-Term Elections May Impact Our Fundraising & What We Can Do About It June 7, 2026
• 
  Success Story #4May 26, 2026
• 
  What Can We Do About Our Changing Parent Donors?May 11, 2026
• 
  Success Story #3April 24, 2026
• 
  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

The post Women Heads of School: Finding Your Voice appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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 in capital campaigns. That’s all they do. For all kinds of nonprofits. I know and respect these women and their team of advisors. Not everything they recommend applies perfectly to independent schools, especially small ones, but – if you follow this link – there are some great takeaways that confirms and supports what we know works.

And moreover, encourages us to keep at it!

The report is based on data collected from over 500 nonprofits in the US and Canada. The organizations included range from those thinking about conducting a capital campaign to those in the middle of one, to those who have completed one. The amounts they were raising ranged from $1M to $10M with an average of around $7M.

Here are some key takeaways.

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1. Head of School Involvement Matters

The degree to which the Head of School (or Executive Director) is actively involved in the campaign (or any fundraising) really matters.  They report that 86% of organizations who said their leaders gave a “moderate“ or “considerable” amount of time saw big results: they literally raised millions more compared with those who had little or no involvement from the top person. 

This tracks for me. And while I do not believe that the Head must be the only fundraiser (campaign or no), they need to accept that they are the chief one. And that makes sense. They are the person who is leading the school every day. It is into their hands that families wish to place their gift as a testament of their faith in the school and its leadership. The DoD may have been the one cultivating the gift and bringing it in but in many cases, the donor wants the Head of part of that process. Making sure the Head allots time for this important work is part of our job. And it is also the job of the Board Chair who supports and guides the Head by overseeing their goals and objectives. It really pays off. 

2. Boards Don’t Matter As Much As You Think

Boards play a key role in the success of a campaign (or, again, all fundraising) but not as much as we used to believe and promote. This was news to me. While 100% early, stretch giving participation is ideal and we ought to strive for it, the CCP data reports that only 63% of those organizations in the study said they achieved the 100%. AND dollars raised by the Board was only about 15% of the campaign goal. 

Wow. I hesitate to even cite those stats here because I continue to believe strongly, and therefore teach my client schools that as the key volunteer leaders of the school, the Board simply MUST support all strategic fundraising efforts, particularly high-stakes big public moments like capital campaigns. True, our schools’ Boards continue to evolve to be more diverse and inclusive, and that’s right. But when someone agrees to serve as a trustee, they need to understand the expectation that they will give a gift that is meaningful and right for their family. But give, they must.  Our other savvy donors will ask: is the Board all in? If not, why? What does that imply about the project or about their commitment to the school?  I don’t relish THAT conversation with a donor, do you?

3. Strategic Planning Is Important — NOT an Anniversary

The best, most compelling reasons for a campaign come out of good strategic planning work. The data shows that 74% of campaigns rose out of priorities identified in a strategic plan and all the inclusive work that goes into that. Only 3% were mounted because of an anniversary. This is an important myth-busting fact since we often hear from well-meaning volunteers that we “need” to raise money around an anniversary. And while it’s lovely that your school is turning 50 or 200, and there are many ways to leverage the occasion, to celebrate the milestone, and to recognize former and current faculty –the works–this is not a solid case for a campaign.

Campaigns Can Increase Annual Fundraising

I’ll end with some reassuring news. The most common fear I hear from schools and Boards about campaigns is that it will cannibalize the Annual Fund.  And if not done correctly, they can. But this study revealed the upbeat findings that during the campaign, only 22% of organizations saw a decrease in the Annual Fund, 35% saw an increase, and 43% stayed the same. That ought to calm nerves.

But the even better news is that two or more years out from the end of the campaign, a whopping 74% said their annual fundraising increased! Why? Because campaigns help you build deeper, closer relationships with your supporters. They inspire donors to raise their sights. And if successful, the results of the campaign – the reasons for which you were raising money – have transformed the organization in important ways that help you deliver more fully on the promise of your mission. And that is worthy of increased support.

 Feeling motivated? I am! 

So, lets:

·   Get crystal clear about why you are raising money and don’t be convinced to muddy the waters by including campaign objectives that are, let’s face it, “good for you” moments but not reasons donors will feel inspired to dig deeply. 

·   Engage the Board and Head in this good work by giving them the support and training they need to be successful.

 ·   Set and hold high standards and be proud of that.

 ·   Be sure the messaging about giving to both the campaign and the Annual Fund is clear so donors’ priorities are likewise. 

·   And if you aren’t sure you have the resources to be successful, seek outside help. There is plenty of great counsel out there. 

And as always, thanks 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 the 2026 Mid-Term Elections May Impact Our Fundraising & What We Can Do About It June 7, 2026
• 
  Success Story #4May 26, 2026
• 
  What Can We Do About Our Changing Parent Donors?May 11, 2026
• 
  Success Story #3April 24, 2026
• 
  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

The post Research That Affirms Our Approach appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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 these answers are strategic. None are designed for success. And all leave the person charged with meeting the goal demoralized. 

I struggled with this when I served schools from the chief development seat. Since becoming a consultant eight years ago, I’ve conducted a dozen or more advancement appraisals at schools large and small, from CA to NY. I coach advancement pros and Heads of School who are new to their roles or to their schools. I train Boards in their roles in advancement.

So — this issue comes up. Frequently. When I ask the question, and then dig into their data, I see the problem. Feels like a set up for failure.

Essentially, the setting of goals for an advancement program should go well beyond setting a budget number. We need to ask how and where those dollars will come from. What’s the pathway to reach those goals? And what difference will it make when we do or don’t?

In contrast, when schools consider mounting a capital campaign they spend considerable time, energy, and resources determining a smart and realistic goal. We do feasibility studies to test “working goals” and build gift charts to map our way there. This makes sense since there’s a lot at stake.

But when it comes to our annual programs, we ought to apply that same logic and process. We need to dig deeper and ask essential questions. We need a more comprehensive plan.

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Some Prompts I’ve Used

Putting names and faces to work helps. Here are some prompts I’ve used:

·   Who are the top prospects among newly enrolled families?

·   How many families might we ask to increase?

·   What can we expect from renewals (returning, giving families)?

·   What realistic progress might we make with other constituencies (like alumni and grandparents)?

·   What is the expectation of the Head and members of the Board to assist us in this work? And how will that work?

Because the bottom line is: we can only ever solicit the people in our communities. While there may be the occasional exception, the vast majority of our support (particularly for annual giving) comes from our own people: parents, former parents, some alumni, and some grandparents. That’s the fact.

Unless we have new donors, new families, identified (and qualified!) alums or others, it makes no sense to try to justify a leap up in fundraising numbers. Further, if it’s the same tiny office of one or two people – doing everything with minimal reliable help from great volunteers – we need to accept that their capacity isn’t going to increase either. More donors and/or more gift officers out there meeting and talking with prospective donors can make a difference.

Not overnight. But it will move the needle. 

It stands to reason, right? With the same population of families, how can we expect a big jump in giving?

Now, the clear caveat to that is, of course, maybe we didn’t ask for enough last year. Maybe we had no intelligence about their capacity (problem #1), or we didn’t ask personally and meaningfully (problem #2) and so we just got a peremptory token gift. This happens when we promote the “gap.” Families simply default to the gap amount even when they have the capacity to give more generously. (See my article on the problems with the Gap.)

And more one problem with this lack of careful and realistic planning: the magical thinking that abounds when we merely raise the goal — believing it will result in more dollars in — has another dangerous outcome. It contributes to the ongoing trend in our profession of good development people leaving for greener pastures. I’ve written on that problem and solutions to it as well.

Back to solutions!

Problem #1: We didn’t get good capacity intel on new families

We need to resolve this by establishing better, earlier collaboration between the admission and development leaders. Development officers need to know who is coming into the community, and they need that information in the spring once matriculation is confirmed.

Why? So, they can use the summer to research families, learn more about their giving elsewhere, and their capacity. And they need more than just names and addresses. Admission offices need to collect work information, including job titles and where the parents went to college. Don’t be squeamish about this! Applying parents are never as willing to share as when they are hoping your school will accept their child. Or are grateful you just did. Ask. 

Armed with this intel, the development office can segment new families, and endeavor to ask for meaningful gifts, in person, and early in the family’s time at the school. We know that the first gift can set an important baseline, and sometimes even an intractable ceiling for future gifts. Let’s get the first one right!

Problem #2: We didn’t ask for a personally meaningful gift.

Solving problem #1 makes it possible to solve problem #2. It allows us to lean in to ask more personally and meaningfully because we are basing our asks on real info. But it requires that we do not use generic appeals – electronic or printed. We do not simply focus on efforts to reach 100% (certainly not in the fall!). We seek to have real, personal conversations about the school’s mission and the giving program that supports and enlivens it. We use our time intentionally, prioritizing the few families who have the capacity to help the school realize its dreams. We ask them to join others who made the school a top philanthropic priority during their time. We share stories of gifts at work every day and the joyful impact they have. We work our way out to include everyone.

More?

·   We ask for specific gift amounts, or a range if need be.

·   We make sure families know they can pledge now and pay at a time that’s best for them so they can stretch to make a gift that’s as meaningful as possible.

·   We let them know we accept non-cash gifts like grants from their Donor Advised Fund or transfers of appreciated securities.  

·   We find out how and when we can follow up to provide the kind of donor-centered care they deserve.

·   We find ways to thank them in warm and meaningful ways that touch their hearts and builds out a stewardship program that distinguishes our school from all the other worthwhile places they can give

And even when we do all these good things, we still need to be at the table when the discussion and/or the decision about fundraising goals are being made. Educating those on the finance committee about how and what we do will help them make more realistic and sound decisions. Walk with them through the exercises suggested above so they see how we are getting our projections. Partner with our Heads of School and development committees to create true allies for this important work. We need them to understand the work and trust our calculations towards better, more realistic goals.

Not easy. But worth it.

Thank you 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 the 2026 Mid-Term Elections May Impact Our Fundraising & What We Can Do About It June 7, 2026
• 
  Success Story #4May 26, 2026
• 
  What Can We Do About Our Changing Parent Donors?May 11, 2026
• 
  Success Story #3April 24, 2026
• 
  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

The post How to Set a Fundraising Goal appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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.

Have you subscribed to this newsletter yet? It only takes a minute.

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
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 the 2026 Mid-Term Elections May Impact Our Fundraising & What We Can Do About It June 7, 2026
• 
  Success Story #4May 26, 2026
• 
  What Can We Do About Our Changing Parent Donors?May 11, 2026
• 
  Success Story #3April 24, 2026
• 
  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

The post How to Launch Your Annual Fund Appeal During Election Season appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted August 14th, 2019

True success story: a client reported back to me on a pretty far out-there strategy we had developed last summer for their Annual Fund approach to returning parents.

Would you believe me if I told you that she is seeing almost 100% return?

That nearly every family is increasing its giving substantially, stretching (in some cases) to reach the new, elevated giving level?

That she is receiving thank you notes from families for the extraordinary letter she sent them asking for a gift?!

All true. Promise. So, what did we do?

First, the issue.

Here’s where we started:

The Chief Development Officer at this fine school – let’s call her Anna – called me to help her develop a strategy for making better use of her staff and creating more valuable team meetings.

Over time, our conversations focused on issues and opportunities with the Board, and how to tackle untapped potential she saw in a portion of their parent body.

Anna reported to me about a group of returning families that she sensed could and would give a lot more if she could find the right approach. They’d entered the school and made nice first gifts. “How do we thank them and inspire them to give more?”

Simultaneously, Anna had that nagging knowing that they needed to increase their giving levels to raise sights on what leadership really meant there. She was right.

This is a very well resourced, respected school, with many, many families of means. But the lesson is good one no matter how wealthy – or not – your school community.

We landed on the idea of leading with gratitude.

What is “leading with gratitude”?

It’s pretty simple, actually.

Anna would thank families for their first gift and express how grateful the school was for their early leadership. It’s an act of faith to start supporting a new school, right from the jump, before you see the real impact the program and the teachers will have on your child.

That’s worth calling out. And thanking.

The next part was the more far-out piece. And when we first discussed it, I could see the ambiguity in her eyes. She was going to have to really go for it. So, she did. She went deep. (That’s how she rolls.)

Here’s what she did:

She wrote a completely original section for each and every letter.

Re-read that sentence. No template. No form letter with a little “note” jotted on the bottom that simply screams to the reader that this is a form letter we didn’t have the heart to send without a little personalized scribble. Ick.

She invested an enormous number of hours to offer something real and fresh. She got out of her office and found every one of the students whose parents were in that group. She watched each student in action. She found them on the athletic fields. She watched them perform experiments in the physics lab. She listened in on their advisory groups.

She went there. And she observed.

In the end, she was able to report with complete authenticity what she had witnessed: her donor’s children engaged in life and learning at this school.

The beauty of this idea is that parents, particularly those of high school students, are appropriately less involved in the daily lives of their kids. It’s natural. But that doesn’t mean parents  — all parents — aren’t still eager, even hungry, to know more about what goes on in their child’s day.

So she provided a window to moments these parents would otherwise never have been privy to. It was intimate and real.

And the parents absolutely loved it.

The payoff.

Did this project take a huge commitment of Anna’s time? Yep.

Did she curse the project (and maybe me) midway through, when she still had another 20 letters to write and it was a Tuesday night or a Sunday afternoon? Probably. 

Did she take a leap of faith that all this time and love and energy (and investigation) would be worth it? She did.

And that’s why she’s my heroine.

Then the gifts started coming in. And the cards. And the emails. All thanking Anna for the “beautiful” letter she’d written. She was thrilled. What affirmation!

Turns out, the right thing, the careful, loving, intentional, often time-consuming, and the harder thing is also… the smart thing.

After all, parents send their children to our schools precisely because we promise to really see them, to know them. What better evidence is there of that promise kept than by actually doing it?

And now, my client has a more legitimate, authentic relationship with these families than she did before. It’s up to her now to make sure those gifts are properly thanked and stewarded, and to work to keep that trust alive and well.

I have no doubt that she will.

And now, it’s up to you.

Let’s be realists: doing this work will require that you reorganize your day. Or several days. Or months.

It’s often said that we in independent schools are excellent at addition, and terrible at subtraction. We love innovation and the next great idea. But we tend to forget that we will need to remove something from our plates to make space (intellectually and emotionally as well as practically) to take on something new.

So here’s the first step.

Find that thing that can wait, or be eliminated, and instead pour yourself into something more worthwhile. Maybe the way to move the needle at your school is simply to do more of what you do so well: connect genuinely with your parents. Maybe what it takes is to be the change you wish to see.

Will it be difficult? Absolutely.

Will the payoff be extraordinary? You better believe it.

I mean, can you imagine the moment you tell your head of school you actually got 100% return on your annual fund letter? Can you even comprehend what that conversation would look like?

You better start.

As always, I’d love to hear what you’re choosing to do differently at your school. Shoot me an email.

Let’s keep learning and improving together!

barbara@barbarabarron.com

860-604-9081

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 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 Drew School, Crystal Springs, Marin Primary & Middle School, Julia Morgan School for Girls 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 Get a 100% Return On Our Annual Fund Appeal Letters? appeared first on Barbara Barron.