fundraising 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...

Development in Schools: Expect the Unexpected

With the right approach, we often plan our school development programmes following the theory or blueprint of best practice and yet we don’t know quite how it will work out. We might have our own fundraising goals or even targets set by the hierarchy, realistic or not, but one thing...

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...

Relying on Volunteers to help make the fundraising ‘Ask’

We know people give to people they know and trust, who are promoting or involved with a worthwhile cause! But how often do we hear, ‘I am happy and willing to help out but I won’t ask for money’ or I’m not good at asking for money’. There is of...

The Value of Conducting a Fundraising Feasibility Study

Schools are often stepping into the unknown when mounting their fundraising campaigns and often setting unrealistic (but hoped for targets). Disastrous results have been known from past ill-prepared campaigns and in my time consulting to schools, there have been numerous examples of being called in to help change strategy to...

Development, Fundraising & Marketing integrated at its best – Rockport Golf Academy

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By Ian McLean
In Development office, Fundraising, Marketing

I am currently working with Rockport School, engaged to help guide the School’s development and fundraising strategy. It became evident that one of Rockport’s distinctive advantages was its location amongst some of the best golf courses in Northern Ireland. Quite significantly was its special relationship with Royal Belfast GC and...

School Development Management – the viable option!

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By Ian McLean
In Development office, Fundraising, Management

Not every independent school, international school or state school can afford the luxury of a fully staffed development office and a development director; a senior management salary for someone expected to raise the sums of money needed to make a major difference! Nor do they have a constituency ready and...

The Head’s Role in Development

I’ve been involved over the past year or so with an exceptional and traditional UK boarding school that has an impressive Foundation supporting a number of very talented pupils. But not all has been perfect and the potential has been limited until now! Over recent years, the School’s leadership did...

Managing Major Fundraising Campaigns

Once a school has determined it is well positioned to embark on a major fundraising campaign (either from a positive feasibility study or from previous fundraising experience), the way forward requires a strict and disciplined approach. Campaigns that have failed in the past, will generally have taken a less than...