A good major gift program is well designed. It has a short list of needed projects that, generally, have the winning appeal of being tangible, immediate, and high impact. This is the magical trifecta in fundraising!
How Do We Become Schools That Truly Value Teachers?
by Barbara Barron | Posted March 13th, 2019 With huge gratitude to the brilliant mind of Gordon MacKenzie and re-reading his astonishingly smart and creative book “Orbiting the Giant Hairball”, I’ve been moved to write about our typical organizational charts and how we might think about them in a very different, and perhaps better, way. Most schools operate within a …
How Do I Get Rid of My School’s Phonathon and Raise More Money?
by Barbara Barron | Posted November 7th, 2018 I’m not sure what’s in the water, but twice in the past month, I’ve found myself in conversations with clients about a fundraising practice I thought had ended decades ago: phonathons. Phonathons? Really?! For those who missed this classic 1980’s practice, a phonathon is a fundraising event in which a handful of volunteers …
How Do We Write a Welcome Letter to the New Parents at Our School?
by Barbara Barron | Posted August 8th, 2018 | Subscribe to this newsletter True story: someone dear to me recently enrolled her child in a beautiful, well-respected private school. She’s no slouch. She researched her options carefully. She visited the campus several times. She put her family through a rigorous admission process. And when it became time for her to …
How Do We Create a “Culture of Philanthropy” At Our Schools?
by Barbara Barron | Posted June 13th, 2018 Quick note from Barbara: So excited to share this work, which is a collection of advice from many trusted friends and collaborators. For those of you who came here by word of mouth, the fastest way to get the “Culture of Philanthropy” PDFs are by signing up for my mailing list. By …
What Are Some Low-Cost High-Impact Gifts We Can Give Our Donors?
by Barbara Barron | Posted on November 8th, 2017 Let’s talk about healthy relationships. What are some of the qualities of a really healthy relationship? Think about the ones who enjoy with great friends, family members (well, some family members!), and maybe your colleagues or neighbors. What distinguishes them? It’s likely they feel safe and mutual. There is a commonality, respect, …
How Do We Write a Really Good Annual Fund Letter?
by Barbara Barron | Posted September 27th, 2017 Sure, it’s summer but before we know it, it’ll be that time of year! In development offices all over the country, your peers will be doing just what you’ll be doing: toiling over the Annual Fund Letter. The choices you have to make feel endless: what format will we use? Who is …