uk 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,...

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...

Roedean School, Rockport School & Wrekin College

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By Ian McLean
In Development office, Recruiting, Relationships

A pleasure to have been involved over the past couple of months with Roedean and the appointment of their first Development of Alumnae Relations & Development. A successful appointment made last week and a good team in place to take the School forward and build on the remarkable achievements of the...

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...

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...

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...

Training & Professional Development

Ease Training has an excellent workshop for schools, on 25 November at Westonbirt School for those new to Development or those schools starting. Focusing on non-fee income, it covers alumni relations, fundraising and the important links with marketing. See Ease Training www.easetraining.co.uk or contact Ian McLean I was pleased to present...

Finding the School’s Unique Factor

Watching the 2015 Open Championship from St Andrews reminds me of the challenges I faced in 2001/2002 at Loretto School in Edinburgh. The small but historic boarding school needed to identify its strengths and use those in its consistent marketing messages. As Director of Development & Marketing, my establishment of the...

The Fundraising Feasibility Study

Currently in the middle of a resource study for a school in the UK, to determine whether or not it should confidently embark on a major fundraising campaign. The study hopes to determine whether there is sufficient interest in the priority project, whether there is likely to be sufficient financial...