Can your donors reliably expect the mission and purpose to which they give today to be the same into the future?

Shared vision is the central point of effective fundraising and development. But what assurances does a donor have that the promises you're making today will be honored by the school's leadership long after you both are no longer involved and even no longer on this earth? This is especially important for major donors who are opting for naming opportunities for a campus, building, area, etc. Can you guarantee consistency of the mission 100 years from now?

Your donors will get tired if...

...the only time they hear from you is whenyou’re asking for money.

They need to know you’re genuinely interested in them. You’re engaging in conversation and cultivating mindshare.

How much does Donor Fatigue impact your school? Does this diagnosis have credibility or is this a symptom of a deeper issue?

What you place at the center of your relationship with donors is a big part of the answer. When you put yourself or money at the center, you position yourself as either a beggar or an egotist who is focused primarily on how donations benefit you. With Shared Vision at the core of your relationship with donors, however, you have the opportunity to build a consultative role that demonstrates mutual respect and collaborative success. They will see you an asset and expert who can help them accomplish their dreams and goals.

Effective communication is crucial at every level of the organization, especially within and from the board. It promotes better understanding, reduces unnecessary conflict, and helps build healthy relationships. High levels of emotional intelligence and self-awareness are common among good communicators.

A survey of school websites produced this wordle image. The size of each word is indicative of the frequency of its usage on each page. As you can see, "Excellence" is used consistently and persistently as a means of communicating the high standards and quality of the program. But how does the school leader support this statement? What evidence can the faculty offer to support the school's "Excellence" claim?

(Continued from yesterday's post)

The school board meeting is the primary forum for this vital group to perform its duties. This is their place to function and grow the school by providing the leadership required to do great things.

Motivated and effective boards are not the result of low expectations

Does your school board set high expectations? Or do you tend to have a soft sell: “Please come in and be on our board. We need you and it won’t be that hard--we just really need you on the board?”

Setting meaningful annual goals is one of the Habits of a Sustaining Board. Such goals might include signing the conflict of interest statement, giving to the annual fund, and/or attending a high percentage of board meetings. When it comes to setting school board goals, though, is there one goal that seems to exceed all others when it comes to shaping board behavior and results? Actually, there is one ultimate goal that captures the value of most other options.

(Continued from Yesterday's Post)

Peer Review Process

So what’s the process to assess board culture for continuous improvement? The frequent peer review is highly recommended because of value of the data and the ability to promote conversation about these important traits for effective leadership. We recommend conducting the peer survey every few weeks focusing on one of the seven traits that most contribute to a healthy culture.