Copyright Marts & Lundy

Cultivating a Culture of Philanthropy

Kathleen Hanson

Senior Consultant and PrincipalLeader – Schools Practice Group

Editor, The NAIS Handbook on Marketing Independent SchoolsNESA Leadership Conference – October 2011

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Our focus

Philanthropy is first and foremost about Relationships

Fund Raising in Schools is about education

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A Culture of Philanthropy means…

A “culture of philanthropy” is an attitude that embraces relationship building.

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Everyone has a role to play

Instilling a culture where everyone is focused on the mission, vision and core values of your school AND working towards fostering essential relationships with constituents is very hard work.

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What can help?

Assess where you are on the “culture

of philanthropy” scale

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Indicators that your school may not have embraced a culture of philanthropy

• Fund raising is crisis driven, or reactive, or worse, apologetic

• Development activities are viewed as costs, not investments

• The responsibility for fund raising rests with a very few people

• Large gifts are often a surprise

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More indicators

• Donors don’t feel as though they are

“insiders”• Very little intentional donor stewardship• Events take center stage rather than a

comprehensive program• There are various fund raising activities

going on across campus, with little management

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You can change your culture

People give to education because they believe that their gift will make a difference.

You must show them that it does.

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School’s Leadership Team is essential

• Your colleagues, including the Head of School, must embrace relationship building which leads to philanthropy.

• Most independent schools are built on philanthropy – we should take pride in that.

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Steps we can take

Everyone in your school is an ambassador for philanthropy.

That means being a champion of the mission and recognizing that a school’s short and long-term health relies upon success in fund raising.

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Illustrate that we are worthy of support

We must be delivering on the “brand promise” we make to families

We must be good stewards of our dollars, illustrate outcomes of our programs, and we must communicate our goals for the future

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There is a role for everyone The Board of Trustees must embrace philanthropy and assist the school with the relationship building necessary for success.

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The Board Must

• Understand and promote the culture• Serve as ambassadors for the school within

the community• Insure that the school is on the top rung of

their ladder of giving• Cultivate relationships with potential

donors• Some must solicit potential donors• Engage in stewardship activities

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Role of the Head of School

Lead the way in clearly articulating the school’s mission, vision and core values. Recognize that fund raising is a part of the Head of School’s role

Insure that the development staff are recognized as professionals and are treated as professionals

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Role of the Head of School

Set appropriate expectations for fund raising

Monitor progress

Insure that the development staff has proper staffing and budget, based on expectations

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Role of Faculty

• Understand the promote philanthropy– Know the funding priorities of the school

and why they rank as priorities• Give to the annual fund as an expression of

your faith in the school

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Role of the Development StaffIn creating a Culture of Philanthropy

• Develop a yearly plan which aligns with the goals of the strategic plan

• Communicate that plan widely• Illustrate the impact of a donor’s gift• Recognize that intentional stewardship is

vitally important• Cultivate relationships and assist others in

building relationships

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Schools with a strong culture…

• Some key attributes:– Chief development officer reports to the

Head of School– Philanthropy is a criteria for trustee

selection (give or get)– Board is willing to share responsibility for

goals

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Key Attributes

• Philanthropy is conspicuous in the school’s strategic plan

• Development is viewed as a revenue center

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Remember….

A culture of philanthropy is an Attitude

An Understanding

The way people behave……….

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What is going on when a school has embraced a culture of philanthropy

• Everyone understands that the school is

worthy of support and must raise dollars • Most recognize the need to identify new

supporters and acknowledge and thank current supporters

• Donors are valued and communication with them is deep and personal

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A strong culture of Philanthropy

• Most can answer basic questions about the school’s goals; budget; opportunities and challenges

• The Board of Trustees takes leadership of the annual fund, major gifts or campaigns

• The Head of School understands his or her role in the development effort and uses every opportunity to informal constituencies about the importance of philanthropy

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A strong culture of philanthropy The development staff is proactive in explaining the school’s fundraising priorities to all constituencies.

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Why is it important?

A strong culture of philanthropy leads to a high level of fundraising

performance.

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Q & A