As we come to the end of July, most schools are seeing the end of their fiscal year. Budgets are closed, goals have (hopefully!) been met or even exceeded, and for many of us, this means we turn over new leaves as we start fresh with the calendar, and our fundraising and engagement clocks are reset. It also means turnover in our offices as colleagues leave for other institutions or industries and new hires make their way into our schools. With significant change comes significant opportunity, but it's up to us to keep a growth mindset as we prepare for a new school year.  

Here are our top four tips for starting the fiscal year off strong:   

1. Plan, plan, plan.  

The best thing you can do between now and the start of school is to plan with your team. Work backwards from your goals (financial and otherwise) and think through the strategies and tactics that help you achieve them. This sounds basic, but many schools often hit “replay” on the previous year without doing due diligence on their ROI for various initiatives. If the golf tournament doesn’t raise a ton of money, but does raise your blood pressure, could there be another way to reach that fundraising goal? What about your hybrid alumni weekend; does that model work or is it putting strain on your team? 

Don’t be afraid to ask the question, “What should we stop doing?” while also thinking through what you should be doing. Sometimes less is in fact more, but you’ll never know until you look hard at the data and think through other strategies and tactics that can achieve the same (and definitely at least your budgeted) outcome.  

2. Recruit amazing volunteers and use their time well. 

Volunteers are the key to building and maintaining a culture of philanthropy. A good volunteer plays a vital role in your work, extending your reach and often opening doors you couldn’t open on your own. Whether you’re hoping to Front-Load Your Annual Fund or achieve greater parent participation, using volunteers will help you move further than you could alone.  

That said, you have to use volunteer time wisely. Engaging volunteers to host dinners, invite their friends to events, and providing entrée into key parent and alumni circles is often how we get from $0 to goal in a given year. Don’t forget that volunteers need to be used in a way that’s most fulfilling to them. That doesn’t mean they need to run you (or your strategy) over, wildly inventing ideas that take more of your time and energy away from the work you need to do. It does mean that you need to listen first about their passions and enthusiasm in order to pair the right volunteer to the right strategic use. Do you have a volunteer strategy written out? If not, start there. It’s the best way to ensure you’re using volunteers to support your existing goals, not take you down new roads the school isn’t ready to travel.  

3. Train your new hires.  

The Great Resignation has hit every industry, including schools. Many of you likely have new hires in your offices (or even new Heads of School). In order to set them up for success, ensure they’re getting the best training out there. We, of course, recommend CASE’s School Advancement Institute (formerly Summer Institute for Independent Schools). This program has been moved from the summer to the school year in an intentional effort to provide ongoing mentoring and support for your new advancement team members. With hybrid offerings from October to March and a two-day, in-person, intensive program that works in conjunction with the CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference, the program offers continual training for your new employees that is specific to schools and taught by some of the best faculty mentors out there.  

4. Onboard your Head of School.  

Did you know that Heads of School are turning over at historic rates? Did you also know that, according to NAIS, new Heads of School often feel least prepared in the areas of finance and fundraising? Do yourself as an advancement professional a favor and help train your Head of School in fundraising. They’ll end up an effective partner for your team. Deepening their advancement knowledge will help the entire school thrive. If your new Head has taken the traditional route from teacher to division director to Head of School, they are likely aware of the major headlines in advancement, but don’t have foundational knowledge of how the philanthropic process works.  



Since they are key to your school’s success, ensure they have a solid knowledge of advancement and the role they’ll need to play within your team. Try CASE’s Fundraising for Heads of School seminar series to get them there. Even if you have a seasoned Head of School, this program will deepen their knowledge of advancement and help them support the school’s philanthropic goals.  

We are looking forward to hearing about the great work our schools are doing in the coming year. Don’t forget that in each step of the process, CASE has over 15,000 resources to help you achieve big things. Happy FY 2023!