Setting up a foundation
Getting buy-in from your stakeholders

Too often we have witnessed discord between the development function and the main body of the school. We believe that one of the measures of success is the integration and prioritisation of a foundation in the school ecosystem. It should be embraced as a positive, brand enhancing facility. Therefore, for successful adoption of your foundation, internal buy-in (from all stakeholders) is pivotal. The following list of questions are core internal communication concerns that you may wish to consider.

Is buy-in from the school leadership team and governors essential?
Yes. Within a hierarchical organisation structure like a school, all culture starts with the Headmaster and flows from the top down.

What part does the school leadership play in a successful launch?

Smooth processes: With a clear vision, and full buy-in at the outset, there will be no blocks in the process as you develop the name, brand and communications. Without representation in this process, you may find strong opinions from leadership that can delay or even derail a launch.

Consistent message: Senior stakeholders can amplify a launch through their own networks and communications, and you will want to ensure that there is a single, clear message being distributed.

Supported distribution: Senior leadership provide authority behind the message when reaching external parties like Alumni, Alumni organisations, parents, past parents and friends of the schools.

Do you have buy-in from HNW funders and stakeholders of influence?
Early consultation with these key audiences is the best way to get strong engagement. You will need to allocate extra time in your process for gathering opinions and altering work, and while this may seem unnecessary, consider it highly valuable for your foundation’s success. Prepare your communication materials in a compelling, clear and consistent manner beforehand.

How do you develop the culture of giving into the school?
The idea of building an open and proactive culture of giving can be alien to your school. And, in our experience, it’s not always met with open arms. Here are some things to consider:

Long-term thinking: Avoid any hint of a one-time ‘can-rattling’ ask. Move towards a long-term change in focus on the preservation, continuance and success of the school.

Shared values: When communicating, talk to the shared responsibility and values of the school and your target audience. The process of a foundation launch is far easier when everyone believes in what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Discuss giving frequently: A culture of giving needs to be embedded into the vernacular of the school. It can't be seen as taboo or embarrassing. It can't be marginalised. It must have buy-in from everyone. And if this is dealt with correctly, it should consistently become a priority in communications.

The head must support it: It can’t be emphasised enough. For a successful change in culture, you will require a positive and compelling narrative delivered from the head and strongly supported by all senior stakeholders.

Ground it in real benefits: To ground the rationale for this and make it more relevant, be open and clear about what this will mean for the current cohort but also for future generations. Focus on short, medium and long-term benefits.

How can the marketing function help the development team?
As custodians of the school brand and all school related communications, the marketing team can be a valuable partner in enabling the launch of a foundation office. The voice and brand of the foundation needs to be aligned with that of the school. Simply put, it’s one school and one brand. And nobody knows this better than the marketing team.

Besides unification, there is also the very practical question of shared resources. Marketing teams and their creative partners can help development teams produce communications assets.

How should the foundation be presented within the school ecosystem?
A foundation is something to be celebrated. It must be positioned as a way to strengthen the school and its future. Therefore, it should be integrated into the mainstream communication channels of the school. Avoid it having too many separate channels, or it being hard to find (e.g. on the website).