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Stewardship Opportunities to Engage and Celebrate Your Donors
Partners in Mission

Stewardship is more than just saying “thank you”—it’s about showing how their support continues to impact students’ lives and fosters a lasting connection to the school’s mission. Here are a few impactful ways to keep your donors engaged:

  1. Share Stories of Impact: Highlight alumni and student stories through newsletters, social media, and website features. Showcase how donations are directly impacting today’s students, whether it’s through scholarships, facility improvements, or educational resources. Personalizing the impact helps donors see how they’re part of the mission, strengthening their sense of connection.
  2. Invite Donors to Volunteer or Mentor: Many donors appreciate opportunities to give back beyond financial contributions. Create structured programs for donors to volunteer, share their professional expertise, or mentor current students. This approach fosters a community beyond the classroom, allowing donors to see firsthand the fruits of their generosity.
  3. Host Donor Appreciation Events: Host a Mass of Thanksgiving, donor brunch, or school tour event specifically for donors. Provide them with updates and highlights of how their gifts are being used, and give them a chance to meet students whose lives are touched by their support. Personal touches, such as handwritten notes from students, add warmth and authenticity.
  4. Offer Naming Opportunities: Consider offering naming opportunities for specific school areas, scholarships, or programs as a way to honor donors. Recognizing their contributions with a lasting mark helps build their legacy within the school community and encourages others to contribute.
  5. Engage with Donors Digitally: Use digital platforms to communicate consistently with donors. Emails, personalized videos from students, and private donor social media groups can keep donors engaged and updated. Highlighting annual reports or impact metrics can provide transparency and foster continued trust.

Donors have made an enduring investment in your mission. With these stewardship initiatives, we can build lifelong partnerships and show donors that their support is a vital part of every student’s success. Let’s continue to inspire generosity by showing how every gift—large or small—makes a difference in our schools.

  • Advancement Tips
  • Alumni
  • Donor Relations
  • Events
  • Stewardship
Strategic Planning to Ensure Long-term Success and Sustainability
Katie Thiemann, Senior Partner

A vision without resources is an illusion. Strategic planning is essential for Catholic schools to ensure long-term success and sustainability, particularly in a rapidly changing educational landscape. By taking a structured, intentional approach, schools can set clear, measurable goals that align with their mission and values, rather than relying on ad-hoc decisions. This planning process allows schools to thoughtfully allocate resources—financial, human, and operational—ensuring that every initiative is purposefully driving toward long-term goals.

Partners in Mission highlights that strategic planning also provides a valuable opportunity to engage the broader school community. By involving faculty, parents, alumni, and other stakeholders, schools can tap into a wealth of ideas and insights, building a plan that reflects the community's needs and aspirations. This collaboration fosters a shared commitment to the school’s future and strengthens community buy-in.  Stakeholders support what they create.  This inclusive process may not be the most efficient, but it is surely the most effective.

Furthermore, strategic planning involves a rigorous evaluation of current practices and structures. Are your programs still relevant? Are your facilities and technology keeping pace with the demands of modern education? A thorough analysis helps identify areas for growth and improvement, setting a course for innovation.

Begin by conducting a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to assess the current state of your school. Gather input from key stakeholders, including teachers, parents, students, and board members, to get a well-rounded view of what is working and where improvement is needed. Focus on identifying internal strengths to build upon, as well as weaknesses that may be hindering progress. Also, explore external opportunities for growth and threats that may impact your school’s future. This analysis provides a strong foundation for prioritizing areas that require improvement and ensures that your strategic plan is data-driven and focused on real needs.

In short, a well-executed strategic plan is not just about managing the present, but about shaping a thriving future—strengthening the school’s ability to fulfill its mission and impact the Catholic community for years to come.

  • Strategic Planning
Disaster Preparedness and Recovery
Lincoln Snyder, Senior partner

Helene and Milton wrought their destructive path across the Southeast, leaving many of us in recovery mode - and after nearly two decades of notable natural disasters and a pandemic, Catholic schools can no longer view such events as exceptional. In the path of the Camp Fire that devastated the northern Sacramento diocese in 2019, I penned an article for Momentum magazine offering some thoughts on how we can better prepare for, and respond to, such disasters, and the rate only seems to be increasing. As both the risk and the rate of disaster seem to increase, it is a good time for school leaders to take stock of their plans. This blog post and other resources Partners in Mission will offer in the coming weeks are intended to help you better prepare for the unexpected. 

Schools need to plan for the worst, even if they don’t know what that is. In one of my favorite books about risk, The Black Swan, author Nassim Nicholas Taleb posits that unexpected events of significant magnitude which are only predictable in retrospect, which he calls Black Swans, play an outside role in human history. Taleb argues that rather than try to predict Black Swans that by definition can’t be predicted, we should instead focus on building systems that are robust. One can’t plan for every contingency that may disrupt school for a single site, a district, or an entire county, but one can think about what one can do to manage when and if that happens.

It’s never a bad time to update your plans. We all made it through COVID so it goes without saying that your school has a disaster plan, either implicit or explicit. Where does that plan live – in a massive binder updated and reviewed annually that sits on everyone’s desk? Or in the hearts and minds of those who made it through 2020? For most of us, the answer lies somewhere between those two extremes.

In support of your reviewing your plans, Partners in Mission is pleased to offer you this checklist. What happens before the storm will help you stay ahead of what happens after it. We will offer a webinar on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 4:00 pm EST to talk about this checklist and all the best practice that goes into preparation and execution, so please join us to learn more. In anticipation of that broader discussion, I would like to offer you three thoughts:

  1. When devising or updating a plan, it’s important to consult with people who have been there before you. Every school and diocese which has recovered from a disaster can help others better prepare. 
  2. It’s critical to create expectations of behavior in the face of disaster; you don’t have to predict what your exact response will be to know the spirit of your response. If your school shuts down on Wednesday, does everyone know what they should be doing the following Monday? 
  3. Be prepared to do what’s right despite potential downside. The lesson of so many disasters is that when we put community needs first in organizing our response, others see what we are doing and are prepared to help. 

Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and disasters are the ultimate test of that commitment. Catholic schools in the United States were born of adversity. Our schools are at their best when we are prepared for the unexpected, and committed to doing what is right.  

 

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  • Disaster Preparedness
  • Recovery
Make Sure you do Post-event Follow-up
Shana Rossi, Partner

As many of our schools host events for current and prospective families, it’s essential to prioritize post-event follow-up to foster lasting relationships and gather valuable insights. A well-executed follow-up demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and personalized engagement. Consider sending a post-event survey to attendees to gather constructive feedback and deepen their connection with our school community.

Here are some suggested questions to include in your survey:

  1. What aspects of the event exceeded your expectations?
    • Identifying our strengths helps us understand what resonates most with families.
  2. Was there any information or experience you were hoping to gain but did not?
    • If so, reach out to schedule a follow-up phone call, Zoom session, or in-person meeting to address any remaining questions or concerns. This offers a personal touch and ensures no stone is left unturned.
  3. If you had to make the decision today, would you enroll your child in our school? What factors most influence your decision, whether positive or negative? 
    • Understanding these motivations helps us better cater to the needs and priorities of prospective families.
  4. Would you recommend our school to friends or family? If yes, what specific aspects would you highlight in your recommendation? If not, what would prevent you from recommending us? 
    • These responses can provide authentic testimonials for future events and identify areas for improvement.

Remember, the interaction shouldn’t end when the event concludes. Keep the conversation going—whether through follow-up communications or personalized outreach. Building these relationships is key to nurturing trust and demonstrating our commitment to going above and beyond (Matthew 5:41).

Pro Tip: Use the responses from question #4 to generate authentic testimonials and promotional materials for next year’s events. This not only boosts credibility but also reinforces a family-centered, values-driven approach.

  • Enrollment Management Tips
  • Recruitment
Major Gifts is a Contact Sport
Greg Markiton, Senior Partner

I didn't ask my wife to marry me on the first date. I took time to get to know her. I spent time with her. I discovered her likes, her dislikes, and the things she was passionate about. We developed the relationship and it took time before I finally made the ask. (Fortunately for me, she said YES almost 29 years ago!)

The most successful Advancement teams go beyond just asking for money—it's about building and nurturing relationships with donors. Our Donor Relations model offers a roadmap for transitioning from transactional to relational fundraising. Let’s explore how these six steps foster meaningful connections that drive sustained support for your mission.

  1. Identification: Effective fundraising starts with identifying potential donors who share your values and commitment to Catholic education. Rather than focusing on immediate gifts, this stage emphasizes finding individuals who have the capacity and inclination to develop long-term partnerships.
  2. Qualification: Once identified, it’s essential to qualify prospects based on their capacity to give. This is not simply about wealth; it’s about understanding their potential interest in your cause. Wealth screening helps narrow down the list to those who can truly make an impact, but it’s only the beginning of a relational journey.
  3. Assignment: To build strong relationships, assign donors to the right member of your team who can best connect with them. It could be the President, Principal, Advancement Director, or another member of your team. Your team member should be committed to investing in the relationship, not just the gift.
  4. Cultivation: This is where the relational model truly shines. Cultivation is about creating meaningful interactions—inviting donors to events, sending personal updates, and involving them in the school’s story. It’s a steady and consistent process of building trust.
  5. Solicitation: When it’s time to ask for a gift, the relationship should already be solid. The ask is no longer a one-time transaction but a continuation of an ongoing partnership in support of a shared mission.
  6. Stewardship: After receiving a gift, follow up with gratitude, impact reports, and further engagement. Stewardship is key to ensuring donors feel valued and appreciated, encouraging them to remain involved long after their initial contribution. Stewardship is not the last step. It is the next step in continuing the relationship.

By focusing on relationships over transactions, Advancement teams can transform their fundraising efforts into a sustainable and meaningful partnership that benefits our Catholic schools for years to come.

  • Advancement Tips
  • Cultivation
  • Donor Relations
  • Major Gifts
  • Solicitation
  • Stewardship