August 11th, 2021 by Barbara Barron

Conflict between development and business offices doesn’t have to be a thing, but my experience in this profession has shown me that it often is.

Many school’s business and development offices live in an awkward space between conflict and cooperation. Sometimes the relationship is chilly but workable, other times unproductive, even adversarial.

From the outside, it looks like we ought to be squarely on the same team. Both offices, along with the admission department, are responsible for 100% of the revenue that comes into our schools. Oftentimes, solely responsible. Together, we make up the business side of the organization. We typically have, as requested by the Head, responsibilities to the Board through standing committees. We report at their meetings. We all have goals and numbers to hit. We are so in this together.

But why doesn’t it feel like that? Too often what I experienced as a director – and what I now witness as a consultant – is a much sadder scenario.  What does it look like at your school? Perhaps your business office colleagues are skeptical or even dismissive about the pledges you are so excited to count. They may act miserly about budgets, not fully understanding or appreciating the value of money spent on cultivation and stewardship. I’ve seen business office personnel act territorial about things like data updates. From their seats, it looks like their colleagues across the way in the development office are always “out to lunch.” Or “planning fancy parties.” They see “those development people” spending money while the business folks slave away, carefully tracking every precious penny spent. Not fun.

Meanwhile, we in the development office can be a bit dismissive about the importance of adhering to close and regular reconciliation – the thing that our business office colleagues need to do their jobs well. We can oftentimes be too casual about documentation, especially of those important pledges. We are sometimes not all that diligent about notifying the business office when restricted funds can be released. And then we may act rather put out when we’re asked to provide backup documentation, like during the audit.

So everyone feels overworked and a bit testy. I’ve seen requests between departments go unanswered or given only the most passive aggressive replies. If the development team feels unappreciated for the charitable dollars they bring in with minimal thanks against fundraising goals they had little to do with establishing, the business team feels unappreciated for balancing budgets on the head of a pin amid ever increasing costs.  No parties for them – even though the development team is forever tasked with anything remotely hospitality related!

Now, this is clearly a dismal, worst-case situation I’m painting for you. Hopefully your school has achieved détente or even a nice cooperative atmosphere. But from my seat, I see that most schools fall somewhere along the continuum from hostile enemies to productive partners.

Recently, I spoke with two experienced CFOs from very different schools. Both are former colleagues of mine with whom I enjoyed really good working relationships at schools in the past. Actually, I count them as trusted friends for many years now. We talked about the sources of that conflict, much of which I have captured here. More of our conversation centered on what I prefer to do: find and amplify the positive.

The question came down to this:

What are some practical and positive solutions we can implement to improve the working relationship between these two important offices?

After all, we are in this together. As leaders, this is our work to do. Our staff is watching us. And even if that doesn’t motivate you, I can assure you that your Head of School has little interest in being pulled into arbitration between you! So let’s make this better.

Like with so many conflicts, the solution is never found at the level of the problem. We need to get above the pettiness and find common ground. Start with the fundamentals. A shared vision. Mutual respect. Relationships we establish early, that are based on understanding and respect. So simple and yet not always so easy. 

Let’s begin with the basics. How often, if ever, do your two offices come together? Do you each know what the other does, beyond a cursory understanding? How about a gathering (with snacks, naturally) to talk about what you are each facing, your log-jam times, your high-pressure moments during the school year. Learn about each other’s worlds and how little things can make life easier or a nightmare for all of you.

Beyond that kind of meeting, how about occasional gatherings that simply and vitally build relationships? Between people. Between colleagues. A shared meal is so simple and yet powerful. Talk about what movies you’ve seen, what you’re reading and binging. It’s far harder to “other” someone you have come to know. One of my CFO buddies told me about working at a college that owned a bowling alley. She brought the two offices together for some fun and healthy competition in the lanes.

But beyond shared experiences and some all-important fun from time to time, there is an essential piece that may be missing but is easily found.

My other, wise CFO friend said it well when he talked about “the importance of sharing why we work where we work.”

He said that we should regularly ask ourselves: what it is about the school’s mission and values that resonate? There are plenty of places to work, many at which your paycheck would be greater. It follows that there must be reasons that brought each of you to this place, this work. What about being at a school, your school, that draws you in? And keeps you there? He said that he’s found that when he has that kind of conversation, a common thread is revealed. Often it is a desire to do what we can, in our roles, to serve the students. To support and enhance the student-teacher relationship. He speaks of being “custodians of the parents’ trust”. I like that. 

And as a plug for my development peeps out there, never forget that it is your department, your work, that makes any and all diversity possible for your school. Healthy diversity that improves life and learning for everyone. Without the charitable dollars and those specifically raised for financial aid, our schools would not be the rich and vibrant places they are. Maybe the business folks have just never thought about it that way. Is this a conversation that you, as the director (or Head of School), can help facilitate?

As always, thank you for what you’re doing.

Stay well,

Barbara Barron

barbara@barbarabarron.com // @BBAdvancement

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The post Moving Beyond Conflict Between the Development & Business Offices appeared first on Barbara Barron.

Revised May 8th 2024 | Originally posted May 19th ’21 by Barbara Barron

It’s the season! “Turn over time.” From Heads of School to teachers and administrative positions, it’s the time of year when we see the postings, the openings, the announcements. People come; people go. It’s a moment in the year that can be as exciting as it is frightening, depending on where you fit in the puzzle.

If your school is undergoing the search for a new Head of School, I’m here for you. This process is far longer and more arduous than pretty much any other, which, frankly, it needs to be! It’s such a critical selection, with wide and deep ramifications. Further, as there are fewer long serving Heads (meaning more than 10 years), a Head search is going to be part of life as we know it now for more schools.

To add current context to this piece, originally posted two years ago, I talked with Sara Shulman who handles development and finance searches at Carney Sandoe. She’s seen Head transitions from the inside and out and brings deep advancement experience to that perspective.

One of the smart points she makes is that having an interim Head of School, especially after a long-standing Head moves on, can be great. It provides a bit of a “bumper”. The Interim can clean up messes, calm nerves, and serve with a sense of neutrality. Further this calming interlude often results in fewer comparisons between the “old” and “new” Heads.

Regardless of the quality of the search process, Sara reminds us that a frequent reason newly appointed Heads (brand new or veteran) don’t stay past the first year is a lack of trust and support from the Board. Ouch!

Further, if a new Head can make it past year 3, they are far more likely to stay until year 7 or 10. If you’ve just gone through a Head transition, you probably aren’t eager to endure another one any time soon! So, let’s be helpful.  How? Read on.

I’ve been in this position more than once. I’ve advised several clients about how to make the best use of this key milestone. For our purposes today, let’s focus on how you, the advancement professional, can have a meaningful impact on the transition process and its success. This is because as you help your new Head acclimate and step fully into her or his role as the organization’s chief fundraiser (and make no mistake, she is!), you are also strengthening relationships with your supporters and protecting your program. 

With change comes uncertainty. Even if the change that brought the new Head was professionally managed and thoroughly communicated, it’s natural that some in the community might harbor some doubts. Maybe families are worried that the program or the culture will change in ways they don’t want. Conversely: others worry that the program or culture will not change, as they feel it should. Alumni cling to their memories and are fearful that the traditions they cherish might be ignored or forgotten. Teachers are understandably curious (or even apprehensive) about their new boss. (Aren’t you and your team?) Even students, who may be either too young or too self-involved to appear to notice, feel the excitement and anxiety of the adults around them.

And this is all happening when the transition is a healthy one. If not… Well, that’s a whole different article.

So, assuming the good here, how can we as advancement professionals make the most of this opportunity? How can we seize the moment (and it is fleeting) to ensure, as best we can, that everyone steps into their roles successfully?

First things first: it’s essential that you think of yourself as someone who is invaluable to your new Head. Honestly. Who else knows the families the way you do?  No one. If we’ve done our jobs well – and we have! – we have the insight, the data, the relationships we can leverage in this moment. Including, and we realize, critically, members of the Board. What you do at the very start of this key partnership will make a huge difference in the years to come. What does that mean? Well, a big piece of that is being crystal clear about priorities from the get-go. This is where you ask for what you need and advocate for your place at the table. Remember, good habits require consistency to take root.

Decide for yourself what are the top five things you need to be successful in your role to ensure your new Head has an excellent first year. Here are some I’ve found helpful:

1. Set a weekly standing meeting with the new Head of School – and keep it. I like one that is early enough in the week to help keep my priorities straight and my energy high. Tuesday morning is my favorite. What’s yours?

This can also be a time that Sara calls a safe space, where your Head can speak freely, with confidence, and you can offer insights she won’t have already gleaned. You’re the one who knows the people well. You know when someone is acting out of character and needs attention. As Sara points out, “The squeaky wheel will always squeak. But when someone normally calm and reasonable is deeply upset, that’s a red flag. We can help our new Heads discern between the two.”

2. Calendar regular planning meetings with other key leaders in advancement and ask that the Head attend. It needn’t be weekly — but certainly every 3 to 4 weeks. The Head needs to learn the value of what you’re doing and then weigh in on important strategic decisions regarding cultivation, stewardship, and messaging.

3. Ask for time reserved on the Head’s calendar to meet with the school’s top donors. You’ll need to customize this for your organization. And you’ll need to balance it with other community-wide opportunities for people to get to know the new Head. But this is likely several hours in each of the early months. Make sure the new Head is prepared for these donor meetings. (Your job is to lean in here!) Create a cheat sheet on each donor family. Once I made a “look book” with photos, and it absolutely helped. No one expects the new Head to know everything. But she or he needs to know some basics about each family and its history with the school. Offer a few good open-ended questions for the Head to ask, like “what drew you to our school?” This meeting provides the Head with the singular opportunity to say thank you while taking zero credit for the family’s past giving.

4. Make sure your new Head gets to meet an array of people, including true cheerleaders and those who embody the school’s culture. Balance the good with the difficult. So much of the job can be usurped by cranky and demanding parents. It’s part of your work to make sure that your Head gets a balanced view of what’s happening with this all-important demographic. Think of this as needing to happen at least once a month.

5. Keep your eyes out for natural fatigue. In addition to everything you want her to learn, there are many others asking her to do the same. If she has an executive assistant, work closely with this key person to build in time for breaks and exercise. The first few months of every school year are jammed-packed with events. Remember, the new Head is taking it all in while trying to remember names, being watched by everyone, and maybe (sadly) not feeling a whole lot of support and trust from her — count them — 20-25 bosses (the Board!)

Perhaps the best piece of advice I got when trying to manage this transition was: never forget that your current Head is still Head until 12:01 am on July 1. Remember who your boss is. That’s the person you need to help shine. 

If you could use some help planning for this critical moment in the life of your school, and your career, give me a shout. Shoot me an email. You know I’m always happy to help.

And if you want more advice about building a true partnership with your Head, this article from a few years back touches on those points. I have another article here that discusses ways to support our Head during difficult times.

As always, thanks for all you’re doing.

Good luck and stay well,

Barbara Barron

barbara@barbarabarron.com

Related posts:

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  What Can We Do About Our Changing Parent Donors?May 11, 2026
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  Success Story #3April 24, 2026
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  Metrics That Matter vs. Metrics That Don’tMarch 16, 2026
• 
  What is Your Brand?March 2, 2026

The post How to Make Yourself Invaluable to a New Head of School appeared first on Barbara Barron.

March 24th, 2021 by Barbara Barron

First impressions matter.

I’ve spoken at length about this because I believe it so fervently. I know I’m not the only one who believes that the first impression sets the tone for the rest of a relationship, moving forward. How do I know? Because one of my most popular articles is about how we write welcome letters to new parents. We’re all trying to do better at this all-important juncture.

The reason I’m returning to this idea, again, is because I’d like to focus – this time – on a feeling. Particularly, what we want the new parents at our school to feel when they are first introduced to our community.

For many schools, this all-important first impression belongs solely to the admission office. The fact that they do this important work is worthy of our gratitude and respect. Not a single thing can happen at our schools if we do not have students enrolled, right? And not just any students, of course. Students who are a good fit for our school. Students who have the best chance to add vitality to our program. Students whose parents are aligned with the mission we are striving to deliver.

So, yes, first things first – let’s give huge props to admission teams everywhere who, as I write, are deep in the “season” of finalizing acceptance offers. Brava.

But what happens next? How do we very intentionally create early experiences that help parents feel like full members of our community? Where is the hand-off? And is that even the right way to think about it?

The outdated, siloed structure of the admission and development departments with a solid wall between them is, at best, anachronistic and, at worst, giving our new parents the feeling that the development departments are secondary. And only interested in money. New parents are oftentimes “introduced” to the development staff well into the fall, and through a generic appeal letter, asking them to donate to the… Annual Fund. Oh boy.

Where is the cultivation?

Today, in most schools, but certainly not all, that division, that wall, is coming down. Sure, there is still some lingering territorialism but for schools adopting an advancement model, those fiefdoms, that serve no one, least of all our new families, are ending. But what should be put in place instead? How do we start in the future tense, seeing what we really want for our new parents?

So we return to the opening question. We gather our advancement team and ask, “What do we want our new parents to feel? What, when asked to describe their early days in our community, would they say they experienced that made them so glad they enrolled their child in our school? What would drive them to tell everyone they know? And how can we begin to design for that experience?”

It is through an advancement lens – seeing the big picture, the full arc of experiences our families will or can have at our schools from start to finish years from now — that we can gain this perspective. Since we, in advancement, are not solely interested in the current crop of students, we can help facilitate this thinking. We see this new kindergartener or 9^th grader not only as a new student but as the alum she will become. And then, ideally, they become the parent of an enrolling new student a generation from now. Because we hold this long view, we can be integral teammates. We know what’s at stake, exactly, when creating these beautiful moments of “hello.” And “welcome.” And “join us!”

This is also a smart moment to invite input from key volunteers like the Development Committee and the Parents’ Association. Let’s get tight.

Change is hard and the process may seem daunting, so here are some prompts to get you started:

 1.   What are the touch points we already have for inquiring and applying parents? How can we infuse them with more warmth? How can we create more opportunities to get to know what those families are seeking? How can we ask better questions of them? 

2.   How do prospective parents meet members of the development staff during their exploration, as a natural part of the welcoming crew we are?  I can assure you that development people make excellent campus tour guides.

3.   What are the stories we are telling about our program that serve prospective families? These are very likely to be the same stories we want to tell our donors about their gifts in use. Let’s coordinate. Codify your list of compelling stories – adapted slightly for our different audiences – that have a through-line that underscores what’s special about the mission of the school.

4.   How can we gather important information about these families’ hopes and dreams (and worries) for their child? Knowing this enables us later to demonstrate the school’s ability to deliver — and resolve — those. It also lets us show how carefully we are listening. It shows how deeply we care about their experience.

5.   How can we earn, through our care and intentionality, the opportunity to talk with families about the school’s vision and goals, and how they can be a part of making that vision a reality? How do we talk about the school’s generous culture and the legacy of families who built the school they now enjoy? What are all the ways they can get involved and give back? How do we explain why we seek their support and how we will put it to excellent use? What is the right language for that and when is the best time to share it?

As I said before, first impressions matter. Hopefully the questions outlined above will get you and your team thinking about the way your parents feel at the onset of their experience at your school. We all know, deep down, that we can’t risk having their experience be left up to happenstance. But it will take work and thoughtfulness (and yes, probably a white board) to ensure that this entry is intentional and thoughtful… every single time.

Happily, it’s not terribly hard. It just takes a commitment from all parties to begin the work. If you have questions, my inbox is always open. Just email me at the address below.

As always, stay well,

Barbara Barron

barbara@barbarabarron.com // @BBAdvancement

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The post What Do We Want New Parents at Our School to Feel? appeared first on Barbara Barron.

March 10th, 2021 by Barbara Barron

Please note that this article is intended for the eyes and ears of the Heads of School and Executive Directors out there. Read on, dear development pro. But then forward this on to your leader, with my best wishes.

There she is, toiling away in her tiny office. Can you see her, in your mind’s eye? She’s deftly handling all aspects of the organization’s fundraising activities. She’s launching appeals, entering data, recording gifts, pumping out acknowledgment letters, planning events, and fielding requests from a volunteer. Someday soon, we hope, she’ll be driving her own car to Target to pick up cases of sparkling water and boxes of brownie bites for the next parent gathering. And my favorite: making name tags. So glamorous.

Who is this one-woman-band of a person? Why, she’s the solo development department – of course! And while she definitely deserves our gratitude and applause, what she really needs is our respect… and some help.

Independent schools all over this country rely on the work of solo practitioners – development offices of one. With tight budgets and eagle eyes scanning for unnecessary expenses, we understand why it happens.

But if we take a deeper look, we might come to a different conclusion. We may even move towards a completely different model. One that supports these fine professionals by giving them the resources and support they need to continue to survive. And by survive, I – of course – mean thrive.

After all, for schools and many other non-profits, gifts are the only source of non-tuition (or non-service) generated revenue we have. It is what we count on every year to make the magic happen in our program. For those fortunate organizations that have amassed a significant endowment, or have sizable physical plants that garner big ancillary income (say, summer camp programs or special event rentals), the pressure on gifts is less intense. Somewhat. I’ve never seen or heard of a school so well endowed (if you will) that they don’t also go full-court press on raising annual dollars.

For the one-woman shop, that work is all hers. Most of us who get into this line of work do it for the opportunity to have an impact. We want to help. To serve. There are notable exceptions, sure, but most of us are not out for fame or to always be the center of attention. So, while many of us are ok sacrificing fancy office digs for the good of the program and the support of our teacher colleagues, there comes a point of no return that I see too often.

Great advancement professionals are burning out. They are tasked with too much, without adequate compensation, recognition, or support. They are lonely and underappreciated. It’s a bad look. And our schools are hurting because of it.

How this is operationalized and the ways we can fix it are two sides of the same coin.

The fix regards communication. In other words: who has what information about the current roster of families at our school. There is a natural and healthy tension about who needs to know things. Discipline issues, for example. An illness in a family. A student struggling academically or emotionally. Every situation is, of course, unique. But in too many schools, there is a virtual wall that prevents the advancement professionals from being in the know about these sensitive situations.

What’s the harm? Well, let’s say that our beleaguered one-woman development professional happens to call on the family in distress on that very day. Maybe she’s calling to ask for a donation for the annual auction. Or to remind them, as they requested, of their next pledge payment. Bam. Blindsided. And in addition to our pro feeling absolutely terrible for the insensitivity, this makes the school look heartless, disorganized, and out of touch. I’ve been in that situation and it is awful. So much for building and caring for relationships.

This is totally avoidable, my friends. Sharing confidential information is imperative. It needs a thoughtful procedure, for sure. But it’s not like development folks don’t handle and keep all kinds of highly confidential information every day. It’s what we know how to do. Instead of being left out, we need to be trusted by our colleagues. And we need our Heads to create and insist on a process that loops us in.

Similarly, it’s vital to share information about newly admitted families early on in the process. This gives the one-woman development team a chance to learn more about them and to prepare for the eventual hand-off of these families to the ongoing relationship manager. Oftentimes our admission colleagues – again adhering to confidentiality and healthy boundaries – are reluctant to share intelligence, making it much more arduous for development to do the necessary and standard work of research.

As forward-looking organizations, we need to break down those silos and start seeing this work as the collaboration it should be: welcoming new members of the community and cultivating what we hope will be our next generation of donor change-makers.

Naturally, much of this important refashioning of systems requires our Heads (and Boards) to see the issue and the consequences of continuing to isolate and minimize development. Especially when it is a one-person operation.

To make that process clearer and easier, here are some additional, specific ways to start to make vital changes. Changes that will help us keep good people longer. Changes that will build a more effective advancement model that benefits everyone:

1. Give your one-woman development team access to family information in real-time, from all key players. Make sure your development pro is in the room and at the table — for all the reasons stated above.

2. Create communication systems that respect privacy but also ensure there are no gaps in your one-woman team’s knowledge so you minimize the risk of painful gaffs. This is a clarification and expansion of item number one. It’s not enough to dump a spreadsheet on her. Your information-sharing system needs to be both thoughtful and consistent.

3. Train new Board members to follow the one-woman development team’s lead in matters of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Insist that trustees and other volunteers report back on all donor interactions in a timely manner so that our one-woman development team can do her job. Keeping track of and serving as air traffic control is a major part of the job description. This will make it doable without the elevated risk of burnout.

4. Offer ongoing professional development opportunities to your one-woman development team. Send her to conferences. Provide professional coaching. Encourage her to engage with peers at other organizations to share best practices and learn new techniques. If she is going to be at the center of your fundraising world, arm her with the most relevant and up-to-date information we have.

5. Find the resources to pay your one-woman development team what she’s worth. Maybe find a way to add another team member (!) so she can occasionally get out front behind a screen and meet and make connections with families, or call on alumni, or sit with donors to learn more about their interests and passions. Give her the breathing room to help the school deliver on its inspiring mission.

And finally:

6. Give your one-woman development team her own office, and put that office in a highly-visible area. This is a far more central issue than simply where someone sits to do their work. Too often, development offices are squirreled away, literally in a basement or another off the beaten path part of campus. It is highly counterproductive to hide our development office. Why? Because what it says to our community (parents, teachers, other administration, students – also known as future alumni) is that the office and the work being done in it is unimportant – at best – and distasteful or shameful – at worst. That is the opposite message we should be broadcasting. Instead, we should be loud and proud about the evidence of philanthropy at work in and for our organizations. We should celebrate generosity. And we should demonstrate that we are grateful for the hard and noble work of the professionals that make it happen.

These are the kinds of simple but substantive changes that will grow our programs, whether they be one person shops or ten-person offices.

This global crisis has shaken up our schools in so many ways. These solutions are doable and can change your whole world in a matter of weeks. There’s never a better time than now to invest in your advancement program and grow the vital resources we need to deliver on the mission.

As always, stay well,

Barbara Barron

barbara@barbarabarron.com // @BBAdvancement

Related posts:

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  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
• 
  What is Your Brand?March 2, 2026

The post Let’s Hear it for the One-Woman Development Office appeared first on Barbara Barron.

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 no one is continuing to feel the brunt of this more than our hardworking Heads of School.

Being a good Head of School is a mash-up of demanding and sometimes disparate requirements: they must be gifted, passionate educators first and foremost. They should be good communicators, who can speak and write to various constituencies. (We like it when they can command an audience.) They need to work well with other educators, collaborating, running interference, and delivering tough news.

Add, work well with anxious parents, well-meaning volunteers, and their Boards (often some of each). Don’t forget, they need to understand how the school’s finances work, and don’t. And be eager, willing, and able to ask supporters for money.

Oh! And be ever ready to represent the school in the community including on a Sunday, in the local grocery store. And serve as the school’s public relations whiz, in a crisis. Sometimes all in the same week.

Then, remember spring 2020?

Suddenly, they needed to be instant experts in public health. And PPE. And distant learning. And creating pods. And, oh my heavens, handwashing protocols!

If it felt like too much, it was. At a conference, the president of CASE actually said these words: “Heads of School were destroyed.” No hyperbole. I personally know of more than one Head who called it quits. Others suffered mightily under the strain and unrelenting pressure. The stakes were nosebleed high for them to get things right. Being Head of School during a pandemic: zero precedent.

My heart went out to them, as I’m sure yours did, too. One of my favorite questions to ask a Head is “What can I do for you?” It is always met with a rush of gratitude. Even if the answer is, “Thanks, but nothing right now.” Try asking it!

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So, since my compassion for these fine leaders is in full force today, I offer some tips I originally published in a different article a thousand years ago, back in 2018, refreshed again here.

If you’re like me, you strive to be a trusted advisor to your Head, your donors, and your colleagues. Here you go!

Seven Ways to Foster a Rewarding and Successful Partnership with Your Head of School

1. Make your Head of School look good. Always. Be prepared. Do your homework and make sure your Head has all the available info prior to any donor meeting, every ask. If the prospects say no, at least it won’t be because you botched the prep.

2. No surprises! I learned this from my first Head of School. If you get wind of something, make sure they hear about it from you.

3. Good news first; bad news immediately. This may be a corollary to #2. When you get a nice donation or a sweet note from a donor, share it first with your Head. It might be just the thing they need to recover from a challenging meeting. Share the good. But even more importantly, give them the bad news right away. Don’t sit on it, hoping it’ll fade. Get out of your chair and go knock on the door.

4. Develop an early warning system. Make sure you know who is coming to the event. Give your Head a cheat sheet. But then stick close by. Remember the scene in “The Devil Wears Prada” when Miranda Priestly blanks on the name of a VIP and Andy (her beleaguered 2^nd assistant) pulls it out in the nick of time? Be her. Be Andy.

5. Do the heavy lifting. Maybe it’s drafting a first pass at an important thank-you letter when your Head is pressed for time. Or apologizing early for a mistake made in your department so it never escalates. Or redirecting an ask that’s going off the rails.

Once a former Head of mine got so caught up thanking the donors that he said — and I kid you not — “You’ve been so great, I couldn’t possibly ask for more.” To which, I quipped, “Well, he can’t but I sure will!”. Big laugh. And a second gift. Save.

6. Be the cheerleader. Especially in the 4^th quarter, or for us, the spring. When everyone is tired, your Head may be feeling discouraged, and you’ve already asked nearly everyone you have. Stay positive. Keep at it. I’ve had some fantastic success in May and June. How about you?

7. Take care of yourself. Dip into the pools of support you have among your team, your colleagues, your friends, and families. Have a laugh. Or take a walk. Replenish your own source, however it is you do that.

To the Heads who are reading this, thank you for all you’re doing to keep our schools healthy, inclusive, and striving towards their fine and inspirational missions. Take good care of yourselves.

Be well.

Barbara Barron

barbara@barbarabarron.com

About the Author

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.

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The post Taking Care of Our Heads — of School, That Is appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted April 10th, 2019

I’m a big believer in training. And practice.

I’ve written before about the importance of practicing how to ask for support. How we need to strike the right balance between being sharp and focused in our approach, but also relaxed and confident. And how that balance is best achieved by doing it, a lot.

For those of us with dozens or hundreds of asks under our belts, this is obvious. We have the experience. Experience, it turns out, leads to chops.

But what about our volunteers? They come to us with a deep love of the school and a generous intention to help us raise money. That’s beautiful! But typically, they come from other professional arenas. And therefore are rarely practiced in the art of soliciting for charitable gifts.

After all – asking for money is its own special little niche. And it generally terrifies even the boldest volunteers.

So how can we help them help us? How can we give them enough information and practice so they are at the very least, capable of this important and high stakes task?

And at best, are skillful, successful, and maybe – just maybe – might even enjoy doing it?

Here are some tips from the field:

Tip #1 – Educate, educate, educate.

About the project. About our case for support. About the possible obstacles we may face. But above all, about the massive benefits of the project. What does this project mean to the school? How will it enhance the program? How will it solve something? Or make delivering on the mission more attainable?

I’m not talking about the “features”: 15,000 square feet, 4 classrooms, blah, blah, blah. Fluency on those things is a requirement but most people need no training to get those committed to memory. What I’m saying is educate your volunteers on the impact of your project. Give them the vernacular so they can prosthelytize candidly. And not just to potential donors, but any John or Jane on the street.

And, no – it’s not enough to give them a print-out or an email. Really educating a volunteer means doing a bit of roleplay. You’ll both feel silly for fifteen minutes. But isn’t the project worth it?

#2 Give them skin in the game.

I’m not generally a sports analogy kind of person, and this one is especially masculine, but there is something palpable about this image.

Here’s what I mean. Our devoted, trained volunteers need to make their own commitment first — before they ask anyone else. And they need to take this a step further — they need to make their commitment a “stretch gift.”

Why? Because the very act of saying “I’m in” in such a big way suddenly makes th project personal. The volunteer is now invested.  And since they’ve stretched in making a commitment that is significant, meaningful – maybe even sacrificial – they can stand in a place of pure integrity when they say to a peer: “Join me. My family is making this a top priority and I’m asking you to do so, too.”

You’ll be amazed at how quickly this changes the way your volunteers engage with potential donors. It’s truly night and day.

#3 Write a script and take them through it.

Like I said above, it isn’t enough to send along an e-mail with these pointers, or simply forward this article. (As thankful as I’d be.)

In order to really prepare your volunteers, you have to practice with a script.

You will get all kinds of resistance to this. People will balk. They won’t be able to find the time! They’ll want to rush through it! It is on you, my friend, to push past their excuses, sit them down, and work on your message.

The act of rehearsing is uncomfortable – particularly for adults. And yet, that discomfort is where the power lies. It’s somewhere in the fumbling and stumbling that we learn. And keep getting better.

Here’s a way to lessen the blow. Set the example by role-playing with the Head of School or another practiced person first and let the volunteers watch. It’s important that afterward you don’t back down. You must make them do it themselves. They are only scared of looking foolish. But a tiny bit of ego-death is a small price to pay for your project truly soaring.

Acknowledge the awkwardness. The self-conscientious-ness. The weirdness of it all. But for goodness sake, keep going. The more they practice, the better you’ll all get. And the greater confidence they will develop.

Tip #4 – Require pre-game and post-game debrief sessions.

Okay, wow — not sure what’s happening to me with these sports metaphors, so I’m just going to breeze past them for now.

Just like the training sessions with the script, our wonderful volunteers will resist this idea, too. They’ll say it’s unnecessary. Or, again, be “too busy.” Just as a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, so, too, can a shallow depth of experience. This is crucial. Get them to agree to speak to you before and after each solicitation meeting. This way you can refresh the script, hand over key information about the prospect, and confirm who is playing which role in the conversation so that nobody steps on anyone’s toes. We’re going for coordinated, professional effort here.

The post-game debrief is also essential, and twice as likely to be blown off. But here’s why you should insist. This meeting may be the only time that you, as the Advancement Professional trying to coordinate this circus, can get the details on a pledge or payment plan or the needed follow up. The absolutely crucial “Action Plan.”

In my experience, rarely does a volunteer-led solicitation result in a firm pledge and clear plan forward. There are invariably loose ends and undocumented minutiae. So, since you’ll be handling those important pieces anyway, why not create – and insist upon – a system of “downloading the meeting” so that your helpful volunteer gets that info to you straight away.

Tip #5 – Steward everyone.

Last but not least, emphasize with your (now) highly-trained volunteer-solicitors the importance of steady, practiced, and extremely personalized stewardship. We simply cannot thank a potential donor enough, even if they don’t ultimately end up giving. Or giving as much as we hoped.

Make it easy for them. Hand over a stack of stamped note cards and ask your volunteers to write a “highly personalized” thank you note immediately after the solicitation. That very day, please. Be sure to let those volunteers know when the pledge they helped secure is finalized or paid so they can thank the donor again.

This is on you. Report progress. Give them credit. Thank them repeatedly. Never forget that your volunteers are also your donors. Stay positive and cheerful and patient, even when they are late or unresponsive. They will annoy and frustrate you. (This is unavoidable.) Never let them see those feelings. If you need to vent, e-mail me.

And there we have it. Five starter items to work with when training your volunteers. Is that everything you can do? Of course not. But it’s a start.

In the end, you might be able to raise all the money you need by yourself. Amazing. Or maybe you can do it with your professional team — headed by your Head of School. Also amazing.

But I will argue that there is a power in mobilizing volunteers. A benefit that feeds directly into a strong Culture of Philanthropy – which is something we should all be aiming towards.

So I do recommend it, if you are able to put in the time to do it right.

Take the time. Get the commitment for support from your Head of School. Sometimes it makes sense to bring in an outside consultant like myself to deliver some of this new information and conduct the initial training because we can say things you may not be at liberty to say. And, as an added perk, it frees you up to focus on your relationship with the volunteers as you steer the ship towards a successful conclusion of the project.

Then – let’s not forget – celebrate with them. Enjoy the moment. Everyone will be looking to you to set the tone. Do it.

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 over 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 San Diego French American School, Presidio Knolls, Woodside Priory, Sage Ridge and others. (Maybe we’ve met!)

Nothing makes me happier than seeing a struggling school start to thrive. I believe 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 Can We Train Volunteers To Be Superstars For Our Campaigns? appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted April 11th, 2018

Got a little war story for you.

Years ago, my Head of School and I were at a solicitation breakfast with a very involved couple from our school. We’ll call them Alison and Greg.

The couple’s two children attended our school. This prominent family made leadership Annual Fund gifts each year and a generous six-figure gift early in our capital campaign. They hosted a wonderful cultivation event for us, and Alison was clearly interested in a volunteer leadership opportunity.

In other words, the boxes were ticked with this couple.

We invited them to meet to thank them for their generosity but also to discuss their ongoing support for the school. So, no surprises, no hidden agendas. (Hate those. Don’t do those.)

Oatmeal and coffee on the table, my Head of School began with the important thank you for their previous and ongoing support. As we’d agreed ahead of time, he handed off to me to ask them to consider a second gift to the campaign.

“We’re hoping you can consider a gift in the $500,000 range,” I said.

Picture this: Greg is sitting next to Alison. The Head of School and I are sitting across the table. As soon as I said that gift amount, Greg nods, then reaches over and zips his wife’s Prada purse closed.

All the air left my Head of School’s body. I literally felt him slump in his chair next to me.

The meaning of that gesture was not lost on any of us. Even if it was a joke, the message it sent wasn’t. Felt like we’d asked enough, but the donor was closed for business.

(And, of course, it was lost on absolutely no one that it was a $20,000 purse he had ceremoniously zipped shut, thank you very much.)

I felt such terrible feeling in my gut. As an advancement pro, I’m used to being rejected in every way imaginable. That’s the job. But there’s something about being rejected with the Head of School present that feels entirely different than a “no thanks” or a “not now”.

With the Head of School there, the stakes feel so, so, so much higher.

Betcha you have some wars stories, too.

When everything is pulled off perfectly, and you and your Head of School step into those special moments feeling prepared and calm as cucumbers — when you walk away with more than you were hoping for, you’ve never felt closer. Your bond has been forged in the heat of the moment!

And conversely, when you march your Head of School into an unmitigated disaster that is a waste of your Head’s precious time, there’s really no worse feeling in the world. Not only do you feel like you’ve left your Head of School down, you feel like you’ve let your school down. Maybe you feel like this isn’t the right job for you, after all. Like anyone could do this job better… Spiral!

Occasionally, there’s little we can do as advancement pros to change the underlying dynamics of this work. There’s a roller coaster of success and failure is built into the profession, and the sooner we acknowledge that reality, the better off we are.

That said, we CAN practice stewardship with our Head of School, very much in the same way that we practice stewardship with our donors, our faculty, and our staff. In other words, we can manage up.

I’ve put together a few tips that I believe will help foster that feeling of mutual trust and admiration between you and your Head of School.

Seven Ways to Foster an Amazing Professional Partnership with Your Head of School

1. Make your Head of School look good.
Always. Be prepared. Do your homework and make sure your Head has all the available info prior to any ask. If the propsects say no, at least it won’t be because you botched the prep.

2. No surprises!
I learned this from my first Head of School. If you get wind of something, make sure they hear about it from you.

3. Good news first; bad news immediately.
This may be a corollary to #2. When you get a nice donation or a sweet note from a donor, share it first with your Head. It might be just the thing they need to rebound from a challenging meeting.  Share the good. But even more importantly, give them bad news right away. Don’t sit on it, hoping it’ll fade. Get out of your chair and go knock on the door. Best is face to face.

4. Develop an early warning system.
Make sure you know who is coming to the event. Give your Head a cheat sheet. But then stick close by. Remember the scene in “The Devil Wears Prada” (ha! another Prada reference!) when Miranda Priestly blanks on the name of a VIP and Andy (her beleaguered 2^nd assistant) pulls it out in the nick of time? Be Andy.

5. Do the heavy lifting.
Maybe it’s drafting a first pass at an important thank you letter when your Head is especially pressed for time. Or apologizing early for a mistake made in your department so it never escalates. Or redirecting an ask that’s going off the rails. (Once my Head got so caught up thanking the donors that he said (and I kid you not), “You’ve been so great — I couldn’t possibly ask for more.” To which, I quipped, “Well, he can’t but I will!”. Big laugh. And a second gift. Save.

6. Be the cheerleader
Especially in the 4^th quarter. For many of us, that means the spring. When everyone is tired, your Head may be feeling discouraged, and you’ve already asked nearly everyone you have. Stay positive. Stay at it. I’ve had some fantastic success in May and June. How about you?

7. Take care of yourself.
Dip into the pools of support you have among your team, your colleagues, your friends, and families. Have a laugh. Or take a walk. Replenish your own source, however you do that.

Want to print those out? I’ve got you covered. You can download it here.

Remember: in the end, this is the long game. Overused but true: its a marathon, not a sprint.

Our Heads may not acknowledge this as often as they should (hear that, dear Heads reading this?) but our professional partnership with them is actually essential to their success. Without us working with them, it’s much harder to keep a school advancing its mission. We don’t just keep the laser focused, we also provide a good share of the resources to keep it powered on.

So I’m sure you’re wondering at this point…

“Barbara, what happened with the zipped Prada purse? The story didn’t just end with him zipping it up, did it?”

It didn’t.

Here’s what happened. After Greg made his move, my Head of School and I each took a deep breath. I asked again.

Why? Because they hadn’t said no. I explained where we were in the campaign. We talked about ways they could leverage their gift to motivate other families who saw them as leaders. They could help us finish strong. We explored a role Alison could play in our upcoming gala. We found a way forward.

And, in the end, their gift was the centerpiece of our record-breaking event. Alison went on to serve on the Board for years to come.

It easily could have gone another way, friends. But it didn’t because, in part, I had practiced the daily ritual of stewardship with my Head of School, and when the moment came to be tested, we had the trust in one other to persevere.

It’s beautiful work that we do, friends. Thank you for what you’re doing every day.

And just because it’s fun to occasionally take a break, blow off steam, and swap crazy stories, I invite you to do so here. Yours may be just the thing someone else needs to hear today.

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.

The post How Can We Cultivate a Strong Relationship With Our Head of School? appeared first on Barbara Barron.

by Barbara Barron | Posted December 13th, 2017

Anyone who has ever held a management position knows how hard it is to keep people happy, productive, and engaged.

It’s a tall order. We need to be inspiring leaders. We need to be clear and decisive managers. We also need to ensure our people are striving to reach their absolute best — all while meeting (or exceeding) the goals set for us by our Heads and Boards.

We are expected to build a rapport with our staff based on trust and respect. We are expected to utilize a deft, light touch, so they feel neither micromanaged, nor left adrift. Whew.

Sometimes it seems impossible, doesn’t it? Like there’s no way to “do it right.”

There are roughly one million books on leadership and team management out there. Some of them are actually worth reading. And almost all of them, I suspect, will be able to offer more advice than I could in a single blog post.

So what I want to do, instead, is focus in on something very specific:

The things you can do today to make your team feel appreciated.

After all, there’s a lot of power in feeling appreciated, isn’t there?

Let’s take for granted that your dedicated advancement staff works their butts off. And let’s also take for granted that they work with limited resources, and typically some pretty long hours, too.

It’s my personal opinion that that particular trifecta (hard work + long hours + limited resources) can lead to stress, dissatisfaction, and poor morale. But not if you can show them how valuable they are to you and to your school.

It’s actually pretty easy to avoid. 

I’ve been doing this for over 20 years now. And during that time, I’ve made it my mission to make sure that I practice a daily ritual of gratitude and appreciation.

It’s just like anything else. You work out regularly? You pay your credit card bill on time? You can do this, too. It just takes a commitment to do it. So let’s start with that.

Commit to daily appreciation. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Now, with that in mind, write down whichever of the following ideas you gravitate to the most and post them to your computer monitor. Gratitude begins today!

Tip #1: Learn How Your Team Feels Rewarded

This might strike some as a surprise, but – guess what? – not everyone feels rewarded by the same things.

For some folks, the reward of the job is the money that comes with it. They feel accomplished simply by seeing those zeroes on their paycheck.

For others, it’s a title and responsibility. They feel a rush every time their title gets bumped up and more duties are assigned to them.

And let’s not forget the folks who want to be in the room where the decisions are made. Or the folks who thrive when they receive specific, verbal praise and acknowledgment.

Coming to terms with the fact that each of the people on your team has a different need is the first step. And the most effective, and frankly, respectful way to learn what that is  — is to ask.

That’s right: ask. “What makes you feel appreciated and respected?” You’ll be surprised by what you hear.

Tip #2: Schedule Check-in Conversations

“Oh, this I’ve got down. I have an annual evaluation on the calendar already!”

No. Sorry.

Again, we’re talking about regular practices, right? Your team needs you to check in frequently. Find a few minutes to speak to each person individually. It can be informal if that fits the culture of your school or office. Or whenever your instincts tell you someone needs your attention.

Start with a question like “What’s the most pressing thing on your mind?” See what they’re prioritizing. Or struggling with. It’s okay if the answer isn’t the job. All information about their lives is useful and allows you to be a more compassionate leader.

Demonstrate how much you value this process and your staff. Dare to have candid conversations about how things are really going.

Tip #3:  Share the Credit

Keep track of the moments when your team surpasses expectations. Maybe it was the brilliant solution to a nagging problem. Or a spontaneous act of stewardship to a donor. Or the skillful way someone defused a stressful moment.  Track and share it with your Head. And your Board.

Consider a quick e-mail of gratitude to the team, and copy your Head of School. Or send one directly to your Head, bragging on a staff member. The tone of it should be informal and sweet: “I was blown away by this, and I knew you would be, too!”

Each of these will go a long way, and I guarantee your team won’t get tired of it as long as it’s specific and genuine.  As Director (or Head) you get the majority of praise when things go well. Performing this daily activity ensures that your team feels seen.

Tip #4:  Share the Spotlight

Look at your calendar. Do you have presentations on the horizon?

Of course you do. Think of opportunities to allow each and every one of your team members to speak up during these presentations — to take ownership of some aspect of it.

I’m well aware that not every one of your team members is going to be excited at the prospect of public speaking. In fact, it might be terrifying to them. But let’s be real: public speaking is a career advancing skill, and part of your job is to help your people develop professionally.

If it truly terrifies them, stand up there with them. You’re in this together, right?

This might feel like added complexity when you already have low bandwidth, but I assure you that it will pay off in time. Everyone in the organization will see the strengths each member of your staff brings to the work. They will know them. And your team will appreciate you for having faith in their abilities and for letting them present their own good ideas.

Tip #5: Advocate Like Heck for Your People

Advocating is a daily ritual.

Let’s start with this: insist that they are fairly paid. That’s the low bar. Benchmark peer schools to know what those ranges are. (You don’t want to get caught in a situation where your staff knows how uncompetitive their wages are, but you don’t.)

Now let’s bump it up a notch. Develop the habit of encouraging each staff member to seek out professional development opportunities that excite him/her and that add value to the program. Treat them like the professionals you want and need them to be.

This isn’t about finding defects and correcting them. It’s about seeing what they’re already good at and polishing it.

I could go on for ten more posts about great advocacy. I’ve barely scratched the surface here with these five tips.

At the end of the day, these aren’t optional. You aren’t going for extra credit. Practicing daily gratitude is the right thing to do for your people, your program, and your donors.

And lest I close out without practicing what I preach: I must thank the wonderful women you see in the picture that opens this post. That’s me on the far left, three outstanding volunteers, and a super-star former staff member, Lauren Davis.

These women, along with so many other pros I’ve worked with at different schools, are far more than simply former colleagues and volunteers; they’re now friends. They made everything we accomplished sweeter. And they had my back because they knew I had theirs.

And so, in closing, what else can I say? I thank you!

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 nearly 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 The Carey School, Marin Primary & Middle School, Woodside Priory, Crystal Springs, Presidio Knolls 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 Can We Show Our Team That We Appreciate Them Every Day? appeared first on Barbara Barron.