Setting up a foundation

Are you considering—or in the process of—setting up a development office or foundation in your school? Inevitably, you will face a set of brand and communications issues that you will need good answers for. We’re a brand and communications agency with experience in building development brands, and have compiled these areas of focus for you. We hope our article helps you prepare and start the right conversations.

Resolving your rationale for existence.
One of the most essential areas to resolve is the rationale for your existence. Who are you? What are you? Why do you exist? Answers to these core questions will feed much of your external communications. Below are some suggestions for answering these.

Why does your foundation exist?
At its most essential, a foundation can be seen as a public-facing commitment. It suggests long-term intent and thereby promises security. It demonstrates a belief in the school’s strategic priorities (e.g. Increased bursaries), and can work like a flag to rally behind.

It can also be presented as a dedicated, focused team. A foundation office offers a deeper level of specialism and expertise in areas of fundraising, campaigning, events, communications and Alumni relations.

Why was there no foundation before?
The answer to this question will be different in every situation, but you do need to be prepared to answer it. The answer could be:

The time is right.“At this point in our journey, we need a dedicated team for development. Our ambition for the school and our pupils mean we are focussing on the school’s growth.”

The world is changing.“External pressures mean we believe this is pivotal to secure the on-going success and reputation of the school.”

This is a strategic priority.“Our new headmaster, the senior leadership team and the board of governors all agree that X (bursary, capital projects, etc.) are a strategic priority”

In Part 2, we'll discuss the next step—getting buy-in from your stakeholders.