Sad but true, once in awhile a parochial school runs desperately short on funds. It may even find its self with too little to pay the teachers.
What should it do?
The obvious answer is to reach out to the donors. Turning around a financial problem is a team sport. It usually takes a big team of donors.
The temptation is to tell the donors that times are tough, money is gone, and donations are critical to survival. Will it work? The short answer is maybe. The first time it happens it usually works but it is like asking people to buy a boat with a hole in it. The second time it works but it is less effective than the first. After that, donors begin to think about the boy who cried wolf or that the boat has a whole in it and needs to sink. In short, more and more donors are lost and many of them are going to be hard or impossible to reengage.
If donors are lost in the process, it becomes harder to achieve sustainability. It is rare that this type of appeal will attract new donors. However, the problem often occurs because there are too few donors for sustainability. Even if it works, without adding new donors the problem is likely to reoccur in the near future.
What is a better solution?
Make the appeal based upon the needs of the students and the community rather than what the school needs. Make the appeal emotional. Make the appeal small conceptually so that the donor feels they will make a difference. A single $100,000 donor is rare. However, it is possible to find 1,000 donors who will give $100. They must believe their small gift will change a student’s life.
Donations come from the heart. The most effective appeals are ones that engage people’s emotions.
The donors typically live in the community, care about the community, and have an emotional attachment to the community. They became donors because they care about the needs of children.
Since the appeal is about solving community and student needs, it has the potential to draw in new donors. Increasing the donor base is an important step toward sustainability.
Next Step:
What important community needs does the school meet?
What student needs are being met that are important to non-parents?
Scale the needs down to something the average donor can afford.
Make the appeal in a short, specific, and emotionally compelling way.
Keep it small, immediate, and emotional and you will find the money you need to continue. Do it now before the hole deepens.
As always, contact us if you want help.
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