That’s what friends are for

Many independent schools ask their alumni to provide additional funding to refurbish or build facilities, and to fund bursaries. Mark Jefferies cautions patience and explains how to cultivate this long-term giving.

In successful schools, there is invariably a fund of goodwill among parents; the school builds relationships with them and creates the goodwill by doing its job well.

Contrasting fortunes
That is far from the case with alumni. Unless there have been regular communications since their time at the school, a great deal of time and effort – and money – needs to be devoted to re-establishing and developing the relationship. This process is usually complicated by the suspicion that the principal reason for getting in touch is a financial one.

Alumni are potentially yours for life. Many schools limit membership of the alumni association to those prepared to pay a subscription. This automatically excludes those alumni who are lukewarm about their old school, actively dislike it or are too busy or too disorganised to get around to joining. Yet if all alumni are automatically made members of the association, you have the opportunity to convert the disaffected, galvanise the apathetic and consolidate the relationship with those who have happy memories.

Friends for life
Do not ask alumni to give money shortly after they leave the school. Many American schools do this successfully, but our cultures are different. Better by far is to give the leavers a token to remember their old school by, such as a free yearbook or a print of the school. This is more likely to be well received than a request to support the annual fund.

You can only build goodwill by being attentive to individuals and developing relationships with them without asking for anything in return.

Softly, softly
Cultivation is not an activity you can do on a casual basis, especially when a considerable period of time has elapsed between a pupil’s time at the school and your making contact. If you make contact unexpectedly, then their natural reaction is that you only want their money.

Ensure that the school is willing to commit to the process of cultivation for at least three or, preferably, five years. By fundraising from alumni sooner, you will raise suspicions that the relationship-building was only ever about their money.

One of the advantages of the slow approach is that alumni are more forthright when providing information about themselves and other alumni. It should be possible to gather a great deal of information on a range of factors (disposition to school, interests, employment, career progress, affluence and so on) that could prove invaluable.

Friends working together
Effective voluntary leadership is key when it comes to maximising fundraising returns from alumni. There is empirical evidence to show that peer-to-peer approaches from volunteers who have already donated can be more successful, both in response levels and sums (when supported by a professional), than when undertaken solely by a professional fundraiser.

The most effective long-term strategy is an ongoing programme of cultivation, punctuated by periodic fundraising campaigns, selective legacy campaigns, and specifically targeted individual major gift programmes. When alumni are disposed to give financial support, there is a high probability that they will increase their support for each campaign, culminating with a legacy. Schools that are tempted to promote legacies too early will find that the alumni who go for the option are much less likely to donate sums during their lifetime. It is possible to persuade alumni to do both, willingly.

The process of cultivation itself is straightforward, consisting of regular communications (written, telephone and face-to-face) and a range of events ranging from reunions to pre-concert drinks. It needs a proper budget and resources, but these should be modest. Termly newsletters ensure a regular flow of current news.

The test of effective cultivation is when alumni either ask you when you are going to ask them for money, or tell you that they wish to make a gift.

Mark Jefferies is managing director of Craigmyle and Co, a fundraising, marketing and strategic consultancy. Mark can be contacted on 01582 762441 or mark@craigmyle.org.uk

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