PARTNERS
MAKING CONNECTIONS
WHY RELATIONSHIPS MATTER The foundation of any schools’ development programme is building relationships. Louise Bennett explores the importance of making connections across your community to achieve fundraising success.
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elationship fundraising is not new. In the early , f n rai in pioneer en rnett i entifie that donors might want or need a relationship with the cause or organisation they give to – and that such a focus on relationships, and a positive giving experience, raises more money! It may seem obvious, but it is so much harder to ask someone you don’t know for a donation. Therefore, spending time building relationships with potential donors, getting to know them and inviting them to get to know you, is essential for fundraising success. In schools, students, parents, alumni and staff, already have a connection to and, in many cases, a vested interest in your school. But taking time to better understand how different individuals are connected to the school, what their interests are, and what might motivate them to give, means you can provide engagement opportunities (and at a later date, fundraising asks) that are tailored to their interests and motivations. And, as such, these are far more likely to be successful. In fact, many schools are now starting to consider how they record their ROE (return-on-engagement), therein recognising the value of building such relationships beyond the pounds and pence of a donation. From our 2018 Schools’ Fundraising and Engagement enc ar in eport, we can ee t at in t e fir t t ree ear of e ta li in a evelop ent office, t e ret rn on-investment ranges from 0.4–1.2.
LOUISE BENNETT is CEO of IDPE.
However, with sustained investment and taking the time to develop relationships with your community, the return on investment rises to, on average, 4.3 during years 4–6. We can also see a direct correlation between engagement activity and income raised. For example, schools that reported the greatest success in fundraising, held more than the average number of events per year, with those schools that raised more than £1 million running 27 events on average. Equally, there was greater participation in events run by those schools who reported raising more than £500k annually. ●
IDPE 2022 Annual Conference making connections Our role as development professionals is to connect with our community, to build relationships and to inspire people to give, who can then, in turn, pass this inspiration on to their own connections. That’s why the theme of the IDPE 2022 Annual Conference is making connections: how we strengthen our relationships across the school community and maximise on the potential of these connections to enhance fundraising and engagement programmes. Combining the best of both worlds, you can join us in-person on Monday, 20th and Tuesday, 21st June 2022 at the De Vere East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, and virtually, on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th June 2022. We are once again offering group packages, enabling all members of a development team and school leaders to access the fantastic programme developed by our conference committee. Network with colleagues from across the IDPE community, discuss your challenges and share your ideas. Join us this June to make connections. For more information, visit www.idpe.org.uk
Summer 2022 | schoolmanagementplus.com | 41
