Your school has a big vision—a new playground, updated technology, or enriching extracurriculars.
But, like many schools, you might find that reaching your fundraising goals is easier said than done. Even outreach to major donors doesn’t always bring in the necessary support. You’re not alone.
Independent schools everywhere face surprisingly similar fundraising challenges despite their best efforts. Low community engagement, inconsistent communication, and donor fatigue are just a few challenges that tend to crop up again and again.
The good news is that there are ways to address each hurdle. Let’s explore common barriers independent schools face with fundraising and strategies to overcome them, so you can raise the funds you need to enhance your student experience.
1. Limited Resources and Time Constraints
If you don’t have a dedicated advancement team, you probably rely on teachers, administrators, and volunteers to lead your fundraising efforts.
However, these individuals juggle multiple responsibilities, such as managing classrooms, supporting student activities, and handling day-to-day operations—not to mention their personal obligations outside of work.
As a result, finding time to organize, promote, and conduct fundraisers can be difficult. A lack of dedicated resources further limits independent schools, even when they urgently need funds.
How to Overcome This Challenge
Your school can implement practical strategies to maximize fundraising efforts without overburdening staff or volunteers. Here are effective ways to create a sustainable system to reach fundraising goals:
- Use digital tools. Leverage online platforms for fundraising coordination and donation collection to streamline the process. Most online fundraisers require minimal setup and management, freeing up staff and volunteer time to focus on promoting the fundraising event.
- Involve volunteers. Encourage families, students, and community members to play active roles in planning and executing fundraising events. Doing so allows your school to build a stronger support network and reduce the workload on any one person or group. After seeing your school’s needs firsthand, volunteers may also become dedicated donors in the future.
- Plan strategically. Develop an annual fundraising calendar that aligns with your school’s academic schedule and takes advantage of peak fundraising times, such as back-to-school and the holiday season when generosity is high. A well-thought-out calendar will reduce stress and give teams adequate time to prepare.
These strategies maximize your available resources while minimizing the strain on staff and volunteer leaders. Use this proactive approach to create a more manageable and sustainable fundraising system for your school.
2. Donor Fatigue
Fatigue occurs when you repeatedly ask the same pool of donors for contributions. This over-reliance, often on families, can lead to burnout and reduced contributions over time.
Your students’ families may feel overwhelmed or less enthusiastic about giving, particularly if they don’t see the tangible outcomes of their contributions. They may believe your school isn’t using their gifts effectively since you’re frequently soliciting more support from them.
How to Overcome This Challenge
To reduce the need for ongoing appeals, experiment with these strategies:
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- Diversify fundraising sources. Seek grants from local or national organizations, explore corporate sponsorships, and solicit from your entire community. For example, hosting a “dine-out night” at a local restaurant where proceeds go to your school can attract a broader audience. Diversifying funding streams lightens the load on families and reaches new donors.
- Share impact stories. Donors are more likely to stay engaged when they see how their contributions made a difference. Across your newsletters and social media pages, highlight success stories, such as new equipment or programs that their gifts made possible. Add photos or videos of students benefiting from these improvements to help illustrate the impact.
- Rotate fundraising activities. Fresh fundraising initiatives and events keep donors from getting tired of the same fundraisers over and over again. Try innovative school fundraising ideas like Read-A-Thons, popcorn sales, and carnivals to reignite excitement. To choose a solid idea, identify what you’re fundraising for, what resources you have to power your event (e.g., time, money, and volunteers), and the activities your community has been enthusiastic about in the past.
By addressing donor fatigue creatively, your school can maintain strong, lasting relationships with donors and ensure fundraising efforts remain fruitful.
3. Low Community Engagement
Many schools struggle to engage the broader community beyond family members and staff.
While families feel directly connected to your school’s success, it can be challenging to inspire support from local businesses, alumni, and other community members. However, you need support from your broader community to avoid other challenges like donor fatigue.
How to Overcome This Challenge
Focus on initiatives that appeal to a wide range of community members while reinforcing your school’s mission and values. One proven strategy is hosting Read-A-Thons—an inclusive activity that unites families, students, and the broader community around a shared purpose: promoting student literacy and learning.
Read-A-Thon’s guide on the subject explains that for this fundraising event, students set personal reading goals, read as much as they can, and log their time spent reading while friends and family members donate to support their efforts. These events involve the community in a way that feels more connected to learning rather than solely fundraising.
Read-A-Thons offer these key benefits for boosting community engagement:
- Stronger community connections: A Read-A-Thon focuses on education, making it easier to gain support from local businesses and community groups. These organizations are often willing to sponsor events that directly benefit students and promote education.
- Inclusivity: A Read-A-Thon is accessible to all students since it can be adapted to different reading levels. This inclusivity extends to the broader community. Families, alumni, and local businesses can participate as sponsors or mentors, making it a shared experience.
- Flexible participation: When you use an online Read-A-Thon platform, donors can give from anywhere in the world. Students can also participate at their convenience at home since the platform makes it easy to log progress.
For schools wanting to expand their donor bases, activities like Read-A-Thons create a natural way to involve families and community members in an educational initiative that feels meaningful and rewarding for everyone involved.
4. Disjointed Communication
When communication is unclear or inconsistent, families, teachers, and community members may not fully understand the event’s purpose, how gifts will be used, or even how to participate.
This lack of clarity can lead to lower engagement, missed opportunities for cultivation, and frustration within your school’s community.
How to Overcome This Challenge
By establishing a clear and consistent communication strategy, your school can ensure that everyone understands the goals, progress, and impact of their fundraising efforts.
Here’s how to improve your external communication:
- Define your key message. Good marketing ensures that each fundraiser has a specific, clear purpose. By outlining exactly what their gifts will support (e.g., “new playground equipment,” “library renovations,” or “technology upgrades”), your school can ensure donors understand the impact of contributions. Weave in what donors care about based on common trends, such as students’ safety or enhanced learning opportunities.
- Practice consistent communication. Establish a regular schedule for fundraising updates, including kickoff announcements, progress highlights, and final results. Consistency across channels helps maintain momentum, cultivate relationships, and encourage additional support.
- Use multiple channels. Different families and community members prefer different communication methods. Plus, it takes 18-20 points of contact to reach a new donor, so Getting Attention’s marketing ideas list recommends using a mix of email, texting, social media, printed materials, and your website to reach as many potential donors as possible.
Strong communication eliminates confusion, increases participation, and ultimately boosts the overall success of your fundraising efforts.
Wrapping Up: Start Refining Your Fundraising Plan
Event fundraising for schools comes with its fair share of challenges, from keeping families engaged to overcoming donor fatigue.
By addressing common fundraising hurdles head-on, you’ll not only set up your school for financial success—you’ll also strengthen relationships with families, teachers, students, and the broader community.
With persistence and a willingness to adapt, your school can cultivate a stronger support system year after year.
About the Author
Stephanie Davern is the VP of Sales and Marketing for Read-A-Thon, helping 5,000+ schools every year raise funds and foster a love of reading among students. With 20+ years of professional experience in education and fundraising, Stephanie is dedicated to bridging educational gaps and empowering communities through the power of literature.
Stephanie currently serves on the executive board of Books For Africa. With a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, she integrates analytical thinking with a creative vision in her endeavors. Beyond her professional pursuits, Stephanie is an avid reader, enjoys entertaining, and loves the outdoors.
