



Move Your Mindset From Fundraising to Development to Advancement

The Need For SchoolAdvancement
At this time in history, fatih-based schools have closed or merged due to rising costs and changing demographics. Schools simply cannot rely on traditional fiscal approaches to fund their ministries.
Conversely, some areas of the country have experienced growing populations, producing a desire for additional faith-based schools. Some of those populations do not have the financial means to pay for large construction projects, and growing communities are put in the same financial conundrum as those that are shrinking.
While school leaders grapple with the changes they're facing, a paradigm has begun to take shape. Isolated successes have been experienced in some areas of the country, while other dioceses, deaneries, parishes and their respective schools, as well as Christian and other faith-based schools, strategize to plan for the future.
Rather than continuing to “reinvent the wheel,” this site's goal is to provide guidance gleaned from schools which have experienced successes, accepting responsibility for achieving not just excellence, but sustainability. In a spirit of community, SchoolAdvancement shares "next" practices, proven strategies, failed experiments and suggestions regarding what to avoid along the path, and, interestingly, how some small "shifts" can have a significant positive impact on the future of a school. Though the curriculum of various faith-based schools may be different, the five elements of Advancement - Asset Management, Retention, Marketing, Enrollment and Development (The ARMED Framework) represent the “business" side of the mission and are essential for every school’s success.
While some school leaders and boards are beholden to the belief that “It’s all about the money,” others have said “It’s all about enrollment.” Actually, “It’s all about all of it!" Your school's customers will evaluate "the experience" of your school based on their expectations of excellence.
Publications

Download your FREE copy of "Understanding Advancement: A Systems Thinking Framework for Today's Faith-Based School!"
Membership in SchoolAdvancement is on the Horizon!
Recent Articles
Catholic Schools: “Foundational” to the Parish – Part 2
In last week’s Tetrahedronics article, “Catholic Schools: ‘Foundational’ to the Parish,” I made the bold suggestion that if a parish-based […]
“Learning Curves” Sessions for Parents of Prospective Students
This idea came from a principal at a Catholic school in upstate New York. While giving her “State of the […]
Adjust for Audience Accommodation and Alignment
Since March 2020, we’ve all felt like we’ve been living in a state of constant change. One business leader called […]
It’s Less Expensive To Reinforce a Brand Than To Create a New One – Especially Since You Don’t Create Your Brand Anymore
This week’s article rounds out another group of five of the ARMED elements (Asset Management, Retention, Marketing, Enrollment and Development) […]
Catholic Schools: “Foundational” to the Parish – Part 1
Almost every year, one hears of a few faith-based schools that are closing or merging in their community. Most of […]
Double Your School’s Enrollment
Before you say, “That’s impossible,” remember that with God, nothing is impossible. It can be done…in just one year. And […]
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Move Your Mindset From Fundraising to Development to Advancement
Linear Thinking is Process-Oriented; Systems Thinking is Systems-Oriented. Your school may have excellent results, but all its systems must be working toward excellence to be sustainable.
Podcasts
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