by Barbara Barron | Posted September 30th, 2020 In the world of advancement, there are plenty of truisms and myths. Some are accurate — “People give because they are asked.” Or, said in the converse, “If you don’t ask, you won’t receive a gift.” Some are wrong — “People give because they are looking for a tax deduction.” Nope. Not …
How One School Reimagined its Gala and Raised Over a Million Dollars
by Barbara Barron | Posted June 1st, 2020 The other day, I spoke with a favorite client of mine about their recent virtual gala. This is a person I deeply respect who runs a top-notch advancement program at a very well-resourced school. She wanted to share with me the ways that they “pivoted” (our new favorite word) to create an …
What Are We Actually Raising Money for During This Crisis?
by Barbara Barron • Posted May 12th, 2020 For a few weeks now – sheesh, is it really only weeks? – I’ve been recommending (see: prodding) those of us in advancement to “screw our courage to the sticking place” – a favorite expression of my mom’s – and reach out to our wonderful donors. As you well know, this is …
Can We Collect Unpaid Pledges Right Now?
by Barbara Barron | Posted April 23rd, 2020 This article is the first cousin to one I wrote a few weeks ago: “How Can We Think of Money in a Time Like This?” I hope I made the case that not only can you raise money during the Covid-19 crisis, you really ought to. I’ll start by telling you what …
How Can We Think About Raising Money in a Time Like This?
by Barbara Barron | Posted April 6th, 2020 If ever there was a topic that seems nearly too hot to handle, it’s the notion of raising money right now. Is it unseemly? Inappropriate? Insensitive? Too soon? Certainly the prevailing feeling (last week, anyway!) is that it is too early for schools to do anything other than batten down the hatches, …
How Can We Practice Stewardship During the Coronavirus Shutdown?
by Barbara Barron | Posted March 18th, 2020 We’re only in the first few days of this shutdown and our “new normal”. Whether we are all back in school after April 7 is still a question. All my client schools have postponed or canceled their spring fundraising events and have suspended any annual giving activity. The few still engaged in …
Is There a Role for Advancement During a Crisis?
by Barbara Barron | Posted March 4th, 2020 This week, due to the Coronavirus outbreak, my inbox is full of conversation threads about whether schools are thinking about canceling their spring galas. Or if travel to conferences and other major events ought to be rescheduled. Even when and if School Heads will decide to close the school and arrange to …