Annual Fund Creation/Enhancement

We have heard schools define "annual fund" many different ways, but our definition is fairly simple: An annual fund campaign is the primary method of inviting stakeholders to make an annual gift or pledge to the school to advance its mission.

The annual fund supports the operating budget and is meant to create a "habit of giving" to the school.

The annual fund should be one of the fundamental building blocks of a school's development operation. In fact, we believe a school should design its development plan and calendar around the annual fund.

Like all good advancement initiatives, the annual fund should build stronger connections with constituents; it should share specific stories of success, tell investors clearly where their money will go, motivate additional giving and help to create a "culture of philanthropy" at the school.

We build our annual fund work with schools around this fundamental philosophy.