How to Host Engaging Private School Fundraisers: 5 Ideas
Fundraising professionals at independent schools understand that funding their schools requires more than the occasional bake sale. These organizations need engaging fundraisers that strengthen donor relationships and lead to long-term support.
Whether you’re launching a new fundraising initiative or refreshing long-standing campaigns, this guide will offer practical ideas for how private schools can host fundraisers that spark engagement and inspire valuable donations.
1. Create community-driven campaigns.
While the majority of private school revenue comes from tuition, donations from your community are vital for filling any funding gaps. Building a positive relationship with your greater community is the key to sustainable fundraising.
Throughout the year, aim to host a range of fundraisers that resonate with different parts of your community. Graham-Pelton’s guide to independent school fundraising explains how there are three types of fundraisers these institutions can run:
- Fundraising campaigns. There are two main types of fundraising campaigns: major initiatives like capital campaigns and routine annual fundraisers. The expert fundraising consultants at Graham-Pelton report that independent schools host capital campaigns roughly once a decade, and these fundraisers require strong relationships with a community of major donors.
- Year-round opportunities. Special events and small-scale fundraisers help you generate support and stay connected to your community between major campaigns. Examples of these events include: festivals, book fairs, and community picnics.
- Ongoing advancement strategies. Several types of donations require long-term cultivation efforts and cannot simply be added to a calendar. For example, major donor and planned giving programs are built and confirmed on an individual basis.
While year-round opportunities may be less profitable than major gifts or a capital campaign, these events are essential for engaging with your greater community and laying the groundwork for large-scale fundraisers. For example, you might invite major giving prospects to a fall festival and use the event to make face-to-face connections.
Continue to build these relationships to retain donors year-round. Always thank donors for their participation in your fundraisers and provide them updates on the campaigns they support to ensure they know how their gifts are making a difference.
2. Add fundraising opportunities to events.
Independent schools engage their communities by hosting a range of events throughout the year. Capitalize on existing events by expanding them with fundraising opportunities.
For example, Double the Donation’s school fundraising ideas guide lists a number of unique revenue-generation opportunities that can supplement other fundraisers:
- Matching gifts. Matching gifts are donations that corporations make to the causes their employees give to. This allows donors to give more without increasing their spending. During other fundraisers, educate supporters about matching gifts to empower them to increase their giving potential.
- Text-to-give. Mobile donation forms and text-to-give tools make it easy for supporters to donate, no matter where they are. Schools can leverage mobile giving by making announcements at events that encourage attendees to take out their phones and donate. Seeing others pull out their phones to give encourages other community members to follow suit.
- Peer-to-peer fundraising. By bringing your peer-to-peer fundraisers and your community together, these supporters have a face-to-face opportunity to solicit donations on your school’s behalf. Often, schools will host events to cap off peer-to-peer campaigns, ending in a final fundraising push and celebrating fundraisers’ efforts at the same time.
Be cautious about adding new fundraising opportunities without overwhelming supporters. For example, if you sell tickets to an event, make various activities, refreshments, and entertainment free. This ensures that the ticket itself feels valuable, rather than an invitation to spend more money.
3. Highlight impact through storytelling.
Independent schools rely on major donors, and supporters who invest significantly in your school want to know their contributions make a meaningful difference. Foster these connections by demonstrating your impact through stories.
While statistics and data are useful, stories help donors visualize how their gifts are being used, solidifying an emotional connection to your school. Collect stories from students, teachers, and parents that help make your case for support. For example, a student might list their favorite books they were able to check out from your school library, while a teacher can recount how students developing a love of reading has transformed their classroom.
A few valuable types of storytelling formats for schools include:
- Video testimonials
- Written profiles
- Student spotlights in newsletters
Increase your stories’ power by gathering visuals to pair with them. Get permission from parents to take photos and videos of their children. Then, record and photograph visually interesting activities at your school, such as sports games, art classes, field trips, and science projects.
4. Connect with businesses.
Expand your school’s fundraising budget by partnering with local businesses. Business sponsorships and donations provide your school with the resources it needs to host large-scale, engaging events.
Identify businesses that may be open to working with your school by:
- Reviewing corporate values. Some businesses will openly state their corporate and philanthropic values using resources like their websites. These values can help you find organizations likely to support schools and also help you frame your sponsorship pitch. For example, if a business is committed to promoting literacy, you might focus on your school’s library and reading programs.
- Researching giving history. If a business supported a school like yours in the past, they are more likely to also support your independent school.
- Assessing past connections. Local businesses are far more likely to work with your school if you already have a connection with them. Determine if anyone at your school has a pre-existing relationship with a local business, and leverage that relationship to set up an introductory meeting.
When approaching businesses, be open to a range of support options. Some may provide monetary sponsorships, whereas others may prefer to help with marketing to ensure their organization’s name is connected to your school. Providing multiple ways for sponsors to support your school increases the likelihood that businesses will see an option that appeals to them.
5. Explore fundraising tools.
Fundraising software solutions provide your independent school with the tools it needs to streamline giving, host unique fundraising opportunities, and gather data.
Expand your school’s technology stack by assessing fundraising software on these criteria:
- Features. Determine what your school needs software for, and whether various platforms provide tools that align with those needs. For example, if your school needs better predictive analytics, you might look into platforms with extensive reporting capabilities, rather than all-in-one platforms that have more limited data management features.
- Price. Most fundraising software operates on a subscription model, so ensure the platform you choose fits into your monthly or annual budget. Additionally, consider other upfront expenses, like developer and training costs.
- Scalability. Your software should keep up with your school’s growth rate. For example, many marketing software solutions have an annual or monthly cap on how many messages you can send. When selecting a marketing platform, you might look for a solution that has an unlimited message plan.
If your school is not sure what tools it needs or whether a specific platform is worth the investment, consider working with a nonprofit technology consultant. These experts can provide professional advice and even help you customize your software to fit your school’s needs.
Fundraisers are key opportunities for independent schools to connect with their communities, and engaging, professional campaigns can earn lifelong support. Refresh your school fundraisers by experimenting with new community-driven event ideas, expanding your fundraising activities, and investing in the right resources to host compelling campaigns.
