Profession Archivi - Ian McLean

Encouraging Ambition

Working with schools in the UK including Northern Ireland, Switzerland and the Netherlands – some that have never embarked on development activities, some that have an established programme – are daring to be ambitious and responding to the challenge. Expanding into secondary education, raising the community expectations and aspirations for fundraising,...

New Fundraising Regulations

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By Ian McLean
In Development office, Fundraising, Profession

In the back of the minds of all Development Directors at the present time are the Fundraising Regulator’s new and strict regulations that apply to charitable fundraising including schools of course, as well as the laws on data protection. It puts into question the way schools research, recruit trustees, manage...

My Inner Circle

Delighted to have a group of influential, successful and experienced colleagues as part of my Inner Circle – my advisory council! Peter Habel, Elke Ho, David Sloggett, Janine Jackson, Nate Poerio, Nicole Muir, Delwin Groves, Sue Doyle and Simon Marriott.

Listening and acting on good advice – it can be rare!

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By Ian McLean
In Development office, Fundraising, Meetings, Profession, Relationships

More than two years ago, I conducted a series of sessions on school development at an international schools’ conference without realizing the particular impact that might have had. I recently met the senior executives of a school that attended that conference and they informed me that they had implemented almost every...

Development Self-Audit for International Schools

Looking forward to continuing my consulting work in the international school world and have just published in conjunction with British International Schools magazine, a checklist/self-audit for international schools that are looking to establish development and fundraising as a permanent fixture. It identifies what schools should be doing to prepare and...

Bring on 2016 . . .

A busy and satisfying 2015: working with a variety of schools in the UK & Europe on different projects & having a direct impact on bringing about change to assist development growth. In the Netherlands, since being engaged, the marketing strategy has helped pupil numbers grow well in excess of expectations from 1350 to nearly 1600....

Roundtable Meeting

Good feedback from my Roundtable meeting in London last week! It was a good day bringing together a mix of experience and those newish! As planned, the discussion was open but discreet. Beneficial to Development Directors as much as those facing learning issues and awkward situations but good outcomes in...

Never Too Old to Learn!

Yesterday was a good day. I wanted to get some advice on a matter of importance to do with my consulting work with schools; so there was no other alternative but to call my great mentor who I have known and worked with for over 20 years. And yes, his...

Conducting a Fundraising Feasibility Study – why should we?

What should be our fundraising target? Who will be our major donors? Will there be general support for our fundraising campaign? Who should lead the campaign? Who will do the asking? These are the unknown questions when planning begins for a major fundraising campaign and going into it without the...

Identify and Nurture the Big Givers!

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By Ian McLean
In Development office, Fundraising, Profession

I am presently working with a school that has no Development Office and little history or culture of asking and giving. They have now, for good reasons, decided that it is time to change and to get serious with Development! The Head is getting excited because there are one or...