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How to get people on board with fundraising

Funding

Income generation

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Getting buy-in and support for your income generation activities from leaders, staff, stakeholders and community is vital for success. What can you do to spread the word?

Drawn from Justin Smith’s advice in Optimism and opportunity: creating an income generation culture, use these 10 tips to help ensure you’re on the right track.

Start from your school or trust’s mission and objectives. How does your fundraising or income generation activity fit with them? If your fundraising activity is tied into your core values and priorities, you’ve got a better chance of getting buy-in from leaders, governors or trustees.
Get input on your plans. Got two or three options for projects to pursue? Ask your school community which they want to focus on – and you’ve got engagement already building.
Understand the different reasons people might want to contribute. Is it their connection with the school? A corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy? Altruism? A cause that’s close to their hearts?
Social impact and making a difference is important to many young people. How can you get pupils involved in the project? How will it benefit them? Why might it matter to them? Can they act as ambassadors, get involved in assemblies and so on to share the message?
Ask for what you need. Have the mindset that people want to contribute, and are just waiting for the opportunity!
Offer different ways to contribute. It doesn’t always have to be about cash, and be mindful that not everyone is in a position to give money. Contributing skills, expertise, equipment, time, volunteering – these can all help your efforts.
Talk to people about what you’re doing. Do your suppliers know what you’re engaged in? The PTA? Local community groups? Alumni? Are there ways they can help?
Keep messages simple. What can you say that people can easily pass along? Keep your income generation plans straightforward; a 10 page document (or shorter) is much more likely to be read than 40 pages! (Use and adapt this planning template from Chameleon Consultancy & Training.)
Say thank you. What do contributors want in return for their involvement? What kind of acknowledgement are they looking for? A name on the website? An invite to the launch event? Or do they just want to give anonymously?
Stay in touch and continue conversations. What further opportunities or ideas have been created through your efforts? How can you maintain and build on relationships that have been forged? What’s the next step for your project, or what’s the next goal?

Questions for reflection and action

What are the biggest barriers to income generation activities in your setting? For example, is it time, capacity, motivation? Can you see ways to overcome those barriers?
Is there an income generation strategy or plan in place? Who has responsibility for it? Is it used and acted on?
The biggest income generator for any school is having a full role. How are marketing efforts in your setting influencing that?

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