by Barbara Barron | Posted April 16th, 2025 | Subscribe to this newsletter Since starting my consulting business over eight years ago, some of my favorite client experiences have been coaching advancement professionals. There are the folks who are newbies to the profession. Heads wisely hire me to support and “train” them at the start of their journey. These are …
What About “Flocking” During Chaotic Times?
by Barbara Barron | Posted April 2nd, 2025 | Subscribe to this newsletter If you’re anything like me, you’re struggling to stay positive and sturdy during these tumultuous times. It feels like the “fight, flight, or freeze” response is everywhere. Sometimes within me, all during the same 20 minutes! Recently, I joined a webinar featuring Deb Dowling, the Executive Director …
How We Can Make Sure Our Giving Pages Aren’t Dissuading Giving
by Barbara Barron | Posted March 19th, 2025 | Subscribe to this newsletter When I am retained to conduct an advancement appraisal, I look at all aspects of a school’s giving program. I look at things like: When done well, all are vital to expanding a school’s capacity to raise more money and create a joyful culture of giving. However, …
Why Fundraising is Not Philanthropy
by Barbara Barron | Posted March 5th, 2025 | Subscribe to this newsletter Twice this month, I’ve had the honor of presenting at conferences for schools. The first was Prizmah 2025 (for Jewish Day Schools – 1,200 attendees from 200 schools in the US, Canada, and Israel) and The Small Schools Conference, a terrific remote offering by Aubrey Bursch at …
Tax Talk
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 …