The phrase “old school tie” is often used pejoratively to describe the informal network of influence that independent schools maintain to promote their interests. But there is another side to this sector’s ability to cultivate extended communities of old boys and girls that is increasingly playing an active role in school development: fundraising.
You would think that families who are willing to pay in the region of £35,000 a year to send their children to school would breathe a huge sigh of relief when the final cheque has been written. But many former parents and students are happy to continue their association with their old schools, and that relationship grows over time, often (but not always) consisting of donating money to support a number of different initiatives.
Why do they do it? This response from one parent is typical: “I feel strongly about sharing the opportunities that the school offers, which is why I chose to make a monthly gift to the bursary fund. I feel strongly that other children and their parents, who can’t cover the fees, should have the same opportunities and experiences that I and my children had. I would hate to think that my children’s choice of friends might be limited through the lack of financial diversity.”
His views chime with those of many other parents who continue to donate money to schools that they either attended as children or sent their children to. And it’s becoming big business. According to the Institute of Development Professionals in Education (IDPE), the organisation that represents those in charge of raising money in schools, over the past 10 years, the schools’ development industry has trebled, with approximately 400 independent schools now running development offices. The sum of £100 million was raised by these teams in 2011, £150 million in 2014 and £190 million in 2015. A total of 20 schools raised £1 million+ in 2012, 28 schools reached that target in 2014, and 43 schools hit that figure in 2015. Compare this with the state sector, where only 50 schools have offices dedicated to raising funds, with many of these, predictably, in affluent parts of the country.
The figures above seem huge when compared against shrinking school budgets, but UK independent schools are trailing behind their counterparts in the US. There, for example, Phillips Andover Academy raised $37.4 million (£30 million) in 2015-16, and this is not unusual for the sector across the pond, where there is a long-established culture of former alumni giving back to their old schools. By contrast, this aspect of school development became established in the UK less than 20 years ago, and most development offices are only five to 10 years old. But they have learned quickly, and they have done so by talking to each other and by listening to their donors.
Can state schools do the same? Perhaps, at a time when budgets in some schools are being cut by up to 12 per cent in real terms, they have little choice other than to start fundraising. So, what can be done? How can state schools make greater use of one of their best and most underused resources: their former pupils?
It begins with leadership. The senior management team and governors must have an honest discussion about what they want to gain from creating a network of old boys and girls, and what resources the school is prepared to put into fundraising to ensure it is a success. A shared strategy, which would include realisable targets, is crucial. So, too, are the activities that the school can realistically engage with using available resources: reunions, interest groups, business networks, online communities - such activities require planning and information before they can get off the ground.
Elisabeth Anderson, director of development at Bryanston School, in Dorset, says that schools should “outline a fundraising programme that includes the entire community - major gifts and bequests will bring in the largest amounts but it is critical to include donors of all amounts, as smaller monthly gifts over many years from a large group are essential to building a strong foundation”. She emphasises that “it takes time”, and schools should expect to wait three to five years before they see real returns on investment.
Once these areas have initially been explored, the school should seek advice. School leaders should contact two or three local independent schools. If they have development offices, it is likely that they will be happy to share their thoughts on how to establish the culture of giving, but they will also be reassured to see that some planning has already taken place.
Next, the school should contact the IDPE because it is already offering a range of services tailored for the maintained sector, including specialist state school forums, workshops on fundraising in the state sector and conference sessions focused on state schools’ needs. “We can enable schools to fundraise effectively so that they can develop a culture of giving from within their communities of parents, alumni, staff and governors,” says chief executive Jo Beckett.
Schools are innately social organisations, and it seems odd that, after spending so much time, energy and care on young people over a period of up to eight years, they disappear into the world, never to return to the place that shaped them so profoundly.
How much more mutually fulfilling it would be if ties that reached into the future were formed. Because, ultimately, development is not about the past, it is about the present and linking different generations together so that they can learn from each other. For Anderson, development teams are “building communities for the long term, not just for the next campaign or appeal”. And although, in this expanding area, money talks, the real value is something less tangible and infinitely more human.
David James is deputy head (academic) at Bryanston School in Dorset
