A Few Tested Fundraising Routes

Focus: Financial Support

I have been involved in fundraising in K-12 public schools for more than 40 years. In all these years, I have not encountered a time when the need for outside funding was as urgent as it is today.

Seven of the most successful fundraising strategies I’ve seen used in schools and school districts nationwide to address financial challenges are these:

Establish a 501(c)(3) district foundation.

Most education leaders are learning the value of having a 501(c)(3) district foundation. They know the foundation offers tax write-offs for people who give to the schools and facilitate the acquisition of grants and gifts from corporations and foundations. They understand this is the way state universities are organized and recognize the fundraising success that these institutions enjoy. The Michigan Association of School Boards has created a useful resource on establishing a foundation (www.masb.org/school-foundations.aspx).

Set up a development office.

Several school districts and some charter schools are discovering that development offices, employing experienced, competent fundraising professionals, can raise millions. The Portland, Ore., district raised more than $4 million in the last fiscal year. A development office, properly staffed, needs about two years to become a profit center. (An article I wrote on the subject appears at www.grantsandgiftsforschools.com/ProgramThatPays.pdf.)

Provide teachers and schools with fundraising strategies.

K-12 classroom teachers spend a lot of their own money. School leaders can help them get started in the quest for external funding for some basic necessities at two websites: DonorsChoose.org (www.donorschoose.org/teachers) and Grants Alert (www.GrantsAlert.com).

Pursue corporate and foundation grants with gusto.

In my experience, securing corporate and foundation support was less demanding than obtaining funding from government sources. I also discovered that obtaining large grants from these sources takes more nurturing and personal contact. Invite program officers of corporations and foundations into your schools and get to know them. Visit them on their turf, too. Their funds are waiting to be tapped (www.grantssandgiftsforschools.com/Campus-Technology.pdf).

Cultivate and connect with major donors.

Many prospective major donors are graduates of the public schools, live or work in our communities, own businesses or corporations in our districts, have children or grandchildren attending our schools, have taught or been administrators in our schools or already serve as volunteers in the schools. Some are ready and able to make a major gift. Guidance for how to ask for money from prospective major donors is available in these resources: The Essential Fundraising Guide for K-12 Schools by Stan Levenson (http://stanlevenson.com); Asking by Jerold Panas (http://emersonandchurch.com); and Mega Gifts by Jerold Panas.

Explore naming rights.

Named gifts have been around for a long time on private school campuses and at universities. Some public school districts have pursued this fundraising opportunity. They’ve shown that schools are a wonderful place for a family to leave a lasting legacy by naming a school building, a cafeteria, a ballfield or a seat in a theater. Commercial vendors and corporations can be approached about naming rights, especially as they relate to gymnasiums, auditoriums, stadiums, ballfields, signage and track and field facilities.

Pursue online giving.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that online giving is growing far faster than all other types of donations. Donors want to give from their desktops, smartphones and tablets. If your school district, foundation or parent organization is not involved in raising money online, consult this resource: https://philanthropy.com/article/The-Big-Boom-in-Online--Giving/150689.