Bridging the banks of the Delaware River proved beneficial for the Diocese of Camden as 10 Catholic school administrators took advantage of an invitation from the Diocese of Wilmington to join a workshop that would benefit all Catholic schools – an advancement seminar aimed at growing local fundraising.
The New Jersey school advancement, development directors and administrators joined several dozen of their colleagues in Delaware for “Inspiring growth, building a future,” hosted by the Diocese of Wilmington June 18 at Saint Mark’s High School in Wilmington.
The event was hosted by Sheila O’Hagan McGirl, development director for the Diocese of Wilmington, and Lou De Angelo, Catholic schools superintendent. It included presentations focused on legacy giving, using social media to grow enrollment, annual fund solutions, building donor engagement and sustainability and trends and tools for advancement.
“Celebrate who you are,” said Tina Sullivan, senior account executive at OSV, a workshop sponsor along with CCS Fundraising.
“We are a Catholic school. We have values and faith-based education. Talk about who you are,” Sullivan said. “People pay attention. They act differently at your school than they do other places. Your teachers need to remind them how important it is what they do. Highlight examples.”
Sullivan said resource-strapped Catholic schools have more assets than they know and should have a consistent effort to raise money both in and outside the school community, especially an annual fund.
“Don’t be afraid of it,” she said. “Dip your toe in the water to get comfortable. Use experts if you have them. They could be parents, other teachers.
“People don’t know how they can help you because they’re not in your school every day and they don’t know what you need. An annual fund supports all the other giving that you have because it lets you explain your mission.”
McGirl said strong resources for an annual fund are already present in schools.
“Ask yourself ‘How can we grow this?’” she said. The Diocese of Wilmington for years has had “Share in the Spirit,” a fundraiser aimed at helping schools. In recent years, they’ve worked on expanding it, McGirl said.
“We handed it over to our kids,” she said. “Use their posters. Kids at Saint Mark’s did video. Kids in the journalism realm. They can help craft the message. Handwritten thank-you notes that go to donors.
“Hand it over to the kids and you can’t go wrong. Any time you can engage young people, go for it.”
It was the fourth year for the workshop among Wilmington administrators, but the first that included their colleagues from across the river in southern New Jersey.
“I’ll use a lot,” said Kimberly Shea, director of admissions for Our Lady Star of the Sea in Atlantic City. “I saw this was available and my thought process was somebody in a position similar to me has to have another idea to incorporate. I found there are people that want to help. You just need to meet them. It’s about everybody working together.”
School leaders in both dioceses, like so many other places, recognize they have budget challenges they must meet head-on.
“You’re not going to be able to fund your school with tuition and fundraisers, it’s just not sustainable,” said Sister John Elizabeth Callaghan, OSFS, principal of Mt. Aviat Academy in Childs, Maryland. “The need for additional funds outpaces what would be a reasonable tuition increase. It also then fosters a greater connection with grandparents, parents, friends, community members. It’s not just a financial relationship. It’s a supportive relationship that builds.”
Included among the shared initiatives are enrollment strategies for Catholic schools.
“It all goes hand-in-hand because if you can give that confidence of not only are we here — there are exciting things going on — there’s a future that engages families,” said Sister John Elizabeth, whose school is hoping to open two new classrooms for pre-K expansion in the coming year.
Sullivan knows schools have needs in every corner and must be able to react to as many as possible.
“Unrestricted money that goes to the operational needs of your school” is what’s necessary, she said. “Then, benefits of an annual fund multiply dramatically. People want to give. The help increases the sense of involvement. You have people who give feel connected. They are a stakeholder.
“It provides schools with an annual renewing fund. And it’s the easiest gift to renew as long as you stay connected with your donors.
Annual funds should build community support, Sullivan said. It helps keep tuition affordable because funds can be used for other things you need.
“Make a big deal when you have successes,” she said. “Celebrate. People want to be part of something successful. Your annual fund supports everything else you do.”
Sullivan reminded the group that both dioceses provide resources at the development offices. She also encouraged recruiting volunteer ambassadors.
“Explain to your faculty and staff what you’re doing and how you’re doing it,” she said. “Don’t do everything yourself. If you’re a principal, you have too much to do already. Delegate.”
