Expert offers tips on school foundations |
On Board Online • November 5, 2012
By Jeffrey S. Handelman
Staff Writer
Is your community tired of supporting galas and golf tournaments, bake sales and chicken dinners as fundraising vehicles for your district? While there is nothing wrong with these types of activities, presenter Nancy Dye provided dozens of ideas to reinvigorate school district fundraising at NYSSBA’s 93rd Annual Convention. She solicited additional ideas from attendees throughout her program.
The executive director of the American Schools Foundation Alliance (ASFA), Dye helps school districts set up and manage their foundations. From her national perspective, she comes across successful ideas all over the country, including:
- A district in New Jersey that raised $96,000 when 20 host families charged guests to attend a dinner at their homes at which a different member of the school community was honored. Such feel-good donations are an effective way to bring in money for schools.
- A district that raised $6,000 by partnering with a local community college to have professors lead book discussions in homes throughout the community, some including local authors.
- A phonation that raised $100,000 by having high school students call all the alumni in the district’s database.
- A district that raised $300,000 through a campaign to encourage community members to commit to a dollar a day donation to its foundation. Yard signs were distributed to everyone who made a pledge, the signs providing a visible symbol of community support which helped the effort snowball.
- A district that raised $5,000 by distributing 20 ceramic, hand-painted piggy banks to local businesses, collecting donations from patrons of those businesses.
Collaboration between various fundraising endeavors in your districts is imperative, said Nye; otherwise you risk competing for the same donors. If your foundation and PTO are both running fundraisers, try to work together rather than separately. Since local businesses are often inundated with requests for donations, a community fundraising calendar can help them plan their donations accordingly. Another way to help make your event stand apart from others is to schedule fundraising activities during slow times of the year, rather than when everyone else is holding theirs.
Nye emphasized the importance of being willing to ask for donations, even from district employees. Payroll deductions are an easy way for district staff to participate in fundraising, and staff are often overlooked as potential contributors. Providing incentives for employees to donate, such as raffling additional days off, may help make this a popular option with faculty and staff.
Nationally, the biggest increasing donor base for district fundraising is alumni. Do you have a celebrity who graduated from your district? If so, consider inviting him or her to a benefit to increase your attendance and fundraising potential.
Although corporate giving to schools comprises only 5 percent of fundraising dollars, this represents $14 billion available to schools through grants. Grant applications are a very competitive process, but Nye recommends applying regularly rather than giving up after one application attempt. ASFA regularly sends grant opportunities to member districts through its grant alert service. Grants are an important additional revenue source that should be explored.
Nye also emphasized the benefits of school foundations joining their state and national network, which is helpful for sharing fundraising ideas and best practices. For more information on ASFA, go to www.asfalliance.org.