| While the vast majority of children in the United States | | | | Basically, with the right motivation and encouragement, |
| attend a public school and receive a solid education, | | | | alumni can generate cash for the private school in a |
| there are thousands of private schools that offer an | | | | big way! |
| excellent alternative. I have worked as an elementary | | | | Now, a lot of work goes into developing alumni |
| principal of a private school, and I've had my own | | | | properly. It all starts when the person is actually a |
| children in the public system. Therefore, I've seen the | | | | student. The school needs to create such a positive |
| good and the bad of each situation. | | | | atmosphere that the impact will stay with the student |
| There are many positive aspects to a public institution, | | | | for his whole life. This applies to the academics, the |
| but in this article, I will discuss the advantages that | | | | quality of teachers, the quality of fellow classmates, |
| private schools enjoy when it specifically comes to the | | | | the school building itself, the extracurricular programs, |
| issue of fundraising. | | | | the school athletics, the rivalries with other schools, |
| Self-Reliance | | | | even the school mascot and "spirit-ware" (t-shirts, hats, |
| I once had lunch with the administrator from another | | | | etc.) |
| private elementary school. This man was new to his | | | | As soon as the student leaves the school, the school |
| job, but had over 20 years experience in the public | | | | needs to establish a post-institutional relationship with |
| school system. He knew all the ins and outs of | | | | him. Letters, newsletters, websites, reunions, and |
| standardized testing, of meeting state educational | | | | networking opportunities with the entire alumni |
| requirements, and he even knew quite a bit about staff | | | | organization will help the student make the transition to |
| management. | | | | fully engaged alumnus/alumna. |
| However, he asked me to lunch to pick my brain on | | | | Again, if a private school can successfully tap into this |
| the topic of fundraising. For this man's entire | | | | market, it will have a huge advantage over public |
| professional career, the vast majority of the funding | | | | schools in the fundraising arena. |
| need to run his school came from the state. He was | | | | Built in Community |
| never forced to hold an auction or a golf outing. Sure, | | | | The third area that I noticed private schools having a |
| the PTO had some bake sales, and kids sold cookie | | | | fundraising advantage over public schools was in the |
| dough from time to time, but for all the important stuff, | | | | concept of community. In my experience, I saw that |
| like payroll, building maintenance, and certain supplies, | | | | families at the private school felt more linked to one |
| the state just doled out the cash when necessary. | | | | another than do the families I've seen in the public |
| Now however, this man found himself in a situation | | | | schools. Perhaps this was due to the much small class |
| where parents had to pay tuition, there was no state | | | | sizes. |
| money, and they had to meet any budget shortfalls | | | | Since there were so fewer families, I was able to get |
| with increases in fundraising. He was pretty nervous | | | | to personally know all the families who had their |
| about such a tall order. | | | | children enrolled at our private school. I was aware of |
| Having spent my entire adult life working for non-profit | | | | the various challenges each family had at any one |
| agencies, I was quite used to this notion of paying for | | | | time and how those challenges played out in the lives |
| everything ourselves. So, I see this as a distinct | | | | of their children on a daily basis. I was able to make |
| advantage for private schools. At the end of the day, | | | | very strong connections with a great number of the |
| we don't have anyone to bail us out of financial | | | | families. |
| difficulty. If a donor steps up and helps us out, it was | | | | Not to take away from the genuine-ness of the |
| only because we developed a relationship over time, | | | | relationships, but it did help the school's fundraising |
| so he felt comfortable making such a gift. | | | | efforts when we all felt we were "in it together". If a |
| We at the private schools have had to build these | | | | parent knew we at the school really helped their child |
| networks of support, we've had to become experts at | | | | out during a tough time, they would be perhaps more |
| organizing silent auctions, at developing relationships | | | | likely to volunteer or to donate money. Again, I'm afraid |
| with businesses in town that will support us, and at | | | | that this sounds calculated and insincere, but it wasn't. |
| coming up with creative new spins of product sales. | | | | There was a natural bonding between the school and |
| In the end, I think that private schools are therefore | | | | its families, because we shared something so |
| more equipped to handle financial challenges, because | | | | important in common: their children. |
| we know how to survive on a day to day basis. | | | | That's why I feel it's so important for the leaders of the |
| Alumni Development | | | | school to make an effort to be involved in their lives of |
| Since private schools are usually smaller than their | | | | their families. Whatever you can do to help your |
| public counterparts, we often don't have the large | | | | students and their parents will be incredibly appreciated. |
| numbers of people to talk to when we try to raise | | | | They will benefit, and in the long run, the school will |
| money. Therefore, private schools often look to widen | | | | benefit from the friendship, as well. |
| their audience, a common tactic is to turn to our alumni | | | | Conclusion |
| ranks for financial support. | | | | I have been involved at both a public school and a |
| If alumni are properly developed over time, they can | | | | private school, although I will admit my experience is |
| prove to be a very valuable resource. Alumni can | | | | much deeper in the private school. While both have |
| attend auctions and golf outings, they can establish | | | | strong fundraising advantages, both struggle with built-in |
| scholarship funds, they can initiate building drives and | | | | disadvantages. The lesson I've learned is to make the |
| pay for the naming rights of certain rooms or halls, and | | | | most of whichever situation you find yourself in and do |
| they can help with recruitment of new students. | | | | your best to maximize your strengths! |