Winkler Group Senior Consultant Sarah Evans Sprinkle was part of a panel at the Florida Council of Independent Schools annual convention with Jay Goulart, the Gulliver Schools’ Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and Eric Zaytzeff, Trinity Preparatory School’s Director of Advancement.
With top school leaders from across the state, the panel led a lively discussion about the financial lifeblood of every independent school. Building a culture of philanthropy in schools was a clear priority for heads of schools, directors of advancements, and CFOs of Florida’s premier schools. Topics they wanted to learn more about included:

- Why is the annual fund critical for your school?
- How might one being to design the annual fund donor journey?
- If our school embarks on a capital campaign, how will this impact our annual fund?
- How do we know the right amount to ask for?
- Demonstrating gratitude – retaining annual fund donors.
- Encouraging student giving: how does this translate to alumni giving and a culture of philanthropy?
- Creating an annual fund leadership circle for your major gifts pipeline.
As a firm, the Winkler Group recognizes how critical the annual fund is to any organization. We carefully craft our capital campaign strategies to ensure that the annual fund remains strong throughout the campaign period. To learn more about how the Winkler Group can strengthen your school’s culture of philanthropy, please email Jessica Browning, EVP at jbrowning@winklergroup.com or call our offices at 843-849-6256.