Cultivating a Culture of Philanthropy
Kathleen Hanson
Senior Consultant and Principal
Leader – Schools Practice Group
Editor, The NAIS Handbook on Marketing Independent Schools
NESA Leadership Conference – October 2011
Copyright Marts & Lundy
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 Staff
In 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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