Keep the money rolling in

Finding new donors and supporters is hard work. Yet they can be the bedrock of funding for future projects. All the more reason, then, to find ways of keeping them interested in ongoing donations, writes Andrew Maiden

Once you have been able to secure a donation or grant for your school from a new source, it is imperative that you continue to work hard to maintain and develop this relationship. After all, attracting funds to your school is not easy. So when money is forthcoming, you now have a friendly prospect who may be willing to donate more in the future if you keep them informed.

Stand together
If you have been successful in receiving money, it stands to reason that the funding source supports what you are trying to achieve. This makes them a key source for future funding.

Strange as it might seem, many schools forget to say a "thank you" to their supporters. Not because they are ignorant, but because they are so preoccupied with their project, they forget the simple niceties.

Copy others
You may be a donor to a number of charities. For that, you will probably receive some sort of recognition and/or thank you from them every time you contribute. You need to do the same for your supporters, irrespective of whether they are donating a few pounds or a few thousand pounds.

The charities you currently support also probably send you regular information about their operations and future plans. You should do the same for your supporters. After all, people are keener to support something with which they are familiar.

Keep communicating
This should prompt your school to consider creating regular communications with your supporters. By keeping your aims at the forefront of their thoughts, you will reap rewards you hadn’t thought possible. Your approaches, though, shouldn’t be too broad-based.

You should be able to identify the various interests your donors or supporters have in your school. You should tailor your communication according to the person/organisation that has supported you. It is pointless to talk about a major project with a person who will only reasonably donate a few pounds.

Celebrate differences
To differentiate between your types of donors, you need to create a database. This way, you can record the type of donor, their areas of interest, their contact details, the amount of their donation and any other information. As part of this information, you should differentiate between:
• trust/foundation;
• local business;
• national business/large company;
• individual; and
• community organisation.

The next step
Once you have thanked your new donor – with a letter signed by the headteacher – you should reiterate any new ambitions you may have, explaining why you require this new money. You can then invite further donations.
As a rule of thumb, most charities thank their donors three times in their letters and ask for an additional donation at the end. This is the most successful way of encouraging your new supporters to make future donations.

If your donor is making a large contribution to your project, a simple letter will not be enough. It is important to make a personal thanks to them. Any headteacher worth their salt will consider this to be an important part of their role. After thanking their new best friend for their contribution, the head should let the donor know that there are other projects the school is planning and that they will personally keep the donor in touch with these new opportunities.

Keep up the pressure
It is also important to consider appropriate deadlines for communications: termly might be suitable for some donors, half-termly might be better for others. Most parents are happy to abide by whatever frequency the school is able to provide. External donors, however, have a different agenda and expect the school to work according to business principles.

The key advantage of regular communications is that you can give donors a range of opportunities for sponsorship and other support. This news, however, can be enhanced in value by your own independent PR activities. By maintaining a folder of press coverage of the school, you can demonstrate to prospective donors the value of being associated with your ventures. Once again, it is incumbent upon somebody within your organisation to maintain these files. Few schools properly appreciate how important this role is: most sponsors will require PR splashes about how they have helped your school. Few will want to quietly support a venture. This sort of marketing is part of their overall advertising plan. If you don’t understand why they are supporting your school, you will fail them and they will not support any future ventures.

Making the ask
At the end of an update, many charities invite donors to contribute at three different levels: say, £10, £25 or £100. Most people ignore the low and top ends of the spectrum and plump for the middle. Knowing this, you should consider carefully the middle rate that you offer.

For your major donors, you should consider different rates entirely. Apart from the additional monetary value, you might wish to consider regular visits by the governing body (to ensure the grant is being spent properly), sending out specific newsletters, copies of the press cuttings, particularly where they relate to projects supported by the donor, photographs of equipment or buildings that have been built with the money raised or provided by the donor and photographs of people using the facilities (whether pupils, staff or the local community).

Finding common goals
Some of your donors, particularly if they are trusts or foundations, will be very specific about the goals they wish to fulfil. This may include many of the offerings above, but it should always be remembered that you must be able to recognise their aims, otherwise you will never be supported by them again.

Make an event of it
One of the most effective ways of keeping in touch and impressing donors is to invite them to school events. They will feel affirmed by your invitation, but it also provides an opportunity to showcase your school’s talents. But don’t stop with donors, also invite local dignitaries, including your MP. After the event, you can brief your VIPs on the progress of fundraising appeals, explaining how much you need to raise and ask for additional sums.

The long road
Your existing donors have the potential to provide your school with ongoing support by increasing donations over several years. However, you have to keep asking them and show your appreciation. Many headteachers and school leaders feel uncomfortable asking for donations: your newsletters and events can help overcome this potential obstacle.

After all, if you don’t ask, you don’t get, do you?

Andrew Maiden is the editor of Funding for Independent Schools.