by Barbara Barron | Posted December 9th, 2020 | Subscribe to this newsletter These are crazy days at our independent schools. It seems like every day there’s a confusing change that forces us to rethink education. There’s more to juggle in our daily work than ever. More headaches! Zoom meetings balanced by in-person gatherings. Argh! And I would argue that …
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: An Interview with Tesha McCord Poe
by Barbara Barron | Posted November 11th, 2020 Independent schools around the country are finally embracing the important work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. And they’re doing it in all aspects of school life: from governance, to hiring, to disciplinary procedures, to curriculum choices. Those of us in Advancement are also called to consider how our development programs can reflect …
How to Quickly Create a Legacy Program at Your Independent School
by Barbara Barron | Posted October 28th, 2020 What if I could show you how to quickly create a legacy program? Or, if you already have an existing legacy society, how to sharply increase the number of members? What if I could demonstrate that – in growing your planned giving group using this technique – you will also secure additional …
How Do the Recent Tax Changes Impact Giving?
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 Do We Thank Trustees?
by Barbara Barron | Posted August 19th, 2020 A client asked me that question the other day. And it’s a good one. It’s a question that is far more complex and potentially far-reaching than it might appear at first glance. The question is actually this: How do we thank the people who help steer our organizations? Who give so generously …
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 …