Three Tips to Consider Before Asking for Donations

December is fast approaching - ‘tis the season of annual appeals and Christmas donation requests. Those who work on the budget side of Catholic schools are usually all too familiar with “the gap.” In many of our Catholic schools, especially those serving low-income families, the tuition we charge does not cover the cost to educate. This revenue gap must often be bridged through the generous donations of benefactors because raising tuition would price out the families we serve. Given the urgency and challenges surrounding fundraising efforts, much attention and time is often devoted to disseminating best practices. As the Director of Development for Saint Ann School in Chicago I found workshops on crafting a compelling appeal letter, tips for engaging your alumni base, and strategies for perfecting “the ask” to be readily available.

Like many people, I sometimes have trouble sleeping on airplanes. The best solution to this is some reading. Usually, after a few pages or so of an innocuous novel or article my eyelids will get heavy and I’ll knock my head back, mouth agape, and be out for the flight.

That was the plan as I paged through Catholic School Renaissance: A Wise Giver’s Guide to Strengthening a National Asset on a flight to Denver a few days ago.

But much to my surprise, I didn’t doze. In fact, I was riveted. For the whole two-hour flight, I sat in my middle seat, forearms pulled in close like a T-Rex, flipped through the pages, underlined, and made marginalia.