The success of independent school fundraising hinges critically on the involvement of the head of school. For advancement directors, the HOS is not just your ally but a vital partner, wielding a unique influence that can turn a good fundraising campaign into a great one. 

There may be no better group of supporters than alumni. Alumni know their alma mater and have benefited the most from your institutional offerings—education and social connections. They’ve formed relationships with each other and your faculty and staff. They have a life-long affinity for your school, making them a prime group for successful fundraising. 

There’s no doubt that communicating with your alumni (especially recent grads) on social media is effective. Alumni are already familiar with their alma mater, but they may lose their immediate connection once they have graduated. Keeping you alumni community engaged on your institution’s social media channels helps connect them to your institution, while keeping them in touch with fellow alumni. Connect with alumni on social media and you will engage with them on platforms where they already spend time.

When you work in institutional advancement, whether in higher education or at an independent school, your success is measured in meeting or exceeding goals. Whatever those goals may be— increasing contributions to the school’s annual fund or obtaining a certain number of major gifts—integrating your advancement team can get you there faster. 

Have you been struggling for new ideas on how to generate more funding for your independent school? Maybe the special events and donation appeals that worked in the past are not working as well anymore. Perhaps you are grappling with ways to appeal to a wider base of donors or to increase your average donation size.

Whether your alumni program is thriving or fledgling, whether it’s 300 alumni of record or 3,000, there’s something here for you to learn.

By and large, advancement professionals stop at AI tools that are definitive and descriptive in nature. That leaves plenty of improving space before we bump our collective heads on the technology ceiling.

With campuses closed, staff and students are finding unique ways online to toast the Class of 2020

We recently participated in the Asia+Pacific International Advancement Study Tour. It was intended to be a blend of social, cultural, and professional experiences for those of us who are looking to enhance our international advancement programs. We checked all of these boxes as we shared ideas, ate some terrific food, and visited some interesting sites!

Working in community college advancement comes with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. As we gear up for the Conference on Community College Advancement this October, we sat down with Kristen Bennett, vice president of institutional advancement at Trinity Valley Community College and executive director of the TVCC Foundation, who will be chairing CCCA, to hear her advice for newcomers to community college advancement and what she’s most looking forward to at the conference.