Washington News
January, 2005 - Edition 19
Welcome to the January, 2005 edition of Washington News.
Read on for client consulting activity, development and marketing news items and a featured article on matched gifts.
In this edition:
Consulting and speaking engagements
Development and marketing news items
Featured article: Matched Gifts – a lost opportunity?
Further information
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Whilst international and Australian schools are enjoying their Christmas break, our attention often turns to philanthropy in sport. 2004/05 was no exception and this edition therefore focuses in part on our consulting activity in the sporting arena.
Roger Federer and Philanthropy
Switzerland’s Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick of the USA, 6-4, 7-5 in the final of the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne in January at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. The Kooyong Classic is the traditional lead in event to the Australian Open.
What then has this got to do with philanthropy?
Well, amongst the many engrossed spectators were guests of “The Kooyong Foundation” who were being entertained as past or potential financial supporters of that Foundation.
The Kooyong Foundation is pursuing two key projects – support for talented junior players as part of the Club’s Sports Development Program and the establishment of The Australian Tennis Museum at Kooyong. In its short life The Kooyong Foundation has already received donations from members and others in excess of A$50,000.
Washington Services continues to advise on the development of the concept of philanthropy in the club setting and donations have come as additions to members' subscriptions, as major gifts pledged over a number of years and by way of a notified substantial bequest.
Importantly the funding is helping underwrite coaching, travel and tournament costs for the growing number of exciting juniors now in the Kooyong development program.
Woodlands Golf Club, Melbourne
Woodlands is a well established and prominent golf club within Melbourne's famed sand belt precinct and Washington Services has assisted the club gain registration with the Australian Sports Foundation for three important projects:
- clubhouse improvements,
- the long term course master plan, and
- the “Woodlands Academy” for aspiring young golfers.
Members will be encouraged to support these projects philanthropically and access to tax deductible giving via the Australian Sports Foundation will be an essential part of the strategy.
The Australian Sports Foundation was established by the Australian Government almost twenty years ago as a means of encouraging the support of sport throughout Australia by allowing tax deductible giving to sporting projects registered with it.
Speaking Engagements:
St Mark’s Church Zagreb
CEESA (Central & Eastern European Schools’ Association)
The annual CEESA conference will be held in Zagreb, the political, economic and cultural capital of Croatia, March 18 & 19, 2005.
Included with a range of educational and administrative topics will be “Development and Alumni Relations in International Schools” to be presented by Frank Opray.
This session will:
- Discuss entry rationale and strategies for alumni relations and fundraising
- Discuss processes and techniques of alumni engagement
- Suggest yardsticks for programme evaluation
- Explore the vital roles for Board members and Heads
- Identify and describe critical success strategies which should be adopted
- Identify and illustrate “traps for new players” with international case studies.
ECIS (European Council of International Schools) Administrators’ Conference, Prague, 31 March – 3 April 2005
The annual ECIS Administrators’ conference will again offer a broad canvas of professional development opportunities for Board members, Heads and other senior staff from international schools worldwide.
Frank Opray will present two sessions on development issues. The first, in conjunction with Mike Miller, Director of External Affairs, American School in London, will review good development practice from schools around the world and the second will explore the all important issue of “how to ask” and will illustrate this via a “hypothetical” raising school policy and ethical issues.
Our Sporting Future 2005
The Our Sporting Future 2005 Forum is being hosted by the Australian Sports Commission, the peak sporting body in Australia.
The Forum aims to attract professionals with a vested interest in the continued development and success of Australian sport at all levels. It is anticipated some 500 delegates from across Australia and from overseas will participate in Our Sporting Future 2005.
The Forum will provide a unique opportunity to address contemporary issues in sport and help contribute to a sport system that is relevant and sustainable in the 21st century. Included in the range of topics will be "philanthropy and sport" and Frank Opray will be presenting this session.
Further information can be found at: www.ausport.gov.au/events/osf2005
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CASE Asian Conference for International Schools
The first ever CASE, (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education), conference in Asia on development and marketing in international schools is scheduled for Bangkok, 9 & 10 May 2005. To be hosted by the International School of Bangkok the conference will provide Board members, Heads and Development/Marketing staff with the opportunity to hear from senior practitioners from Asia, Australia and Europe on how to establish and sustain effective marketing, alumni relations and fundraising functions in international schools.
More information will be available on the CASE website, www.case.org, but put this date in your professional development diary now.
Marketing Audits – What Price Objectivity?
The concept of an external, independent and objective audit of a school’s marketing and enrolment function is often not something which Boards generally consider but it is, in our experience, becoming more common. If such an exercise takes on the aspect of being both an audit and an “opportunity scan”, it can provide worthwhile strategic direction for the long-term marketing of the school.
A well conducted marketing audit should not only examine current strategies and enrolment procedures but it should also be a device for uncovering specific marketing niche opportunities which all school possess, but to which they are often blind.
Two examples that have recently come across our bows of schools benefiting from a review of their strategic marketing positioning are as follows:
- Loretto School in Edinburgh realised that was sitting on a unique opportunity to graft a golf academy onto its boarding operation, with considerable assistance from its enthusiastic golfing alumni. The outcome: enrolment enquiries have jumped dramatically, the previously part empty boarding house is now full, the school has achieved much enhanced visibility for the niche market is has pioneered and alumni are lending support by way of golfing scholarships.
- Wesley College in Melbourne, under the leadership of a new Principal, has realised that its size and status as the largest school in Australia has afforded it the opportunity to establish the “Wesley College Institute”. The Institute will focus on the advancement of the teaching profession through research, and on teacher education.
In each case the strings and weaknesses of the school was assessed through fresh eyes and the particular niche was identified.
Washington Services has educational marketing specialists based both in Europe and in Asia who are skilled in helping schools uncover the particular marketing niche that can make a strategic difference.
Board Member Recognition
Too few schools sufficiently recognise nor promote members of their Board and its various committees to the school community generally. The impact of this is two-fold: Board members are insufficiently known within the school community and they are insufficiently recognised for the excellent volunteer work they do.
Here therefore are five simple but effective ways to enhance their recognition:
- Provide all board members with school business cards inclusive of a school based email address.
- Ensure all board members are identified on the school web site with a photo, a mini biography and identification of their portfolio responsibility on board.
- Hang a named photograph of the whole board in the foyer(s) of the school.
- Create a link from the school’s web site to the corporate web sites of board members.
- On appointment send a press release on the new board member to the local press, to the PR department of the board member’s company and to the alumni office of his or her university.
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Matched Gifts – A Lost Opportunity?
As we visit schools and universities around the world one of the least understood development tools is that of “matched gifts”.
Matched gifts are a vitally important source of funds for educational institutions and non-profit charitable organisations in the US. They are also an increasingly important way for companies to allow their employees to direct a portion of the corporate monies earmarked for charitable contribution.
The original idea was the brainchild of Philip Reed, chair of the General Electric Board of Directors, who wanted to encourage GE employees to contribute to their alma maters. Reed believed the incentive to contribute was greater if the company matched the employee’s gift. This GE matching gift program was launched in 1954 and other companies soon followed suit. Since 1954, employers and their employees have contributed more than US$2 billion to education in the US thanks to corporate matching gift programs.
In the US, CASE, (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education), provides a register and clearing house for those companies which support this form of giving and this is a useful starting point for international schools an universities as well. Go to www.case.org and follow the “Matching Gifts” prompt.
Companies match an employee’s gift on a one for one or even more generous basis, normally with a ceiling on the total amount that can be matched for any one institution.
Companies establish matching gift programs for a variety of reasons, the main ones being:
- A Virtuous Cycle
By giving to the institutions that educate their employees or their employee’s children, companies "give where they get." Matching gifts are a way for companies to show their appreciation for quality institutions and to ensure that a supply of educated personnel will continue to be available.
- Corporate Citizenship
Companies often want to support educational institutions and non-profit organizations where their offices and plants are located. They may enjoy the institutions' contributions to the economic or cultural well being of the community, or the education of family members of their employees.
- Employee Relations
A matching gift program can be an employee benefit as well as a gesture of appreciation by directors. By respecting and reinforcing the preferences of those who work for it, a company can promote and improve relations among management, employees, and directors.
- Broad-Based Philanthropy and Public Relations
Gift matching gives companies broad coverage in their contributions and the ability to promote their corporate image. Recipient educational institutions may be small and large, public and private, school and tertiary, and represent a wide geographical distribution.
- Flexible Giving
Matching gift programs are flexible. Companies can design them to meet a variety of objectives - to encourage first gifts, larger gifts, continued gifts and so forth - and to fit within almost any budget.
Schools and universities need to be aware of those companies who are now beginning to offer matched giving programmes and to encourage their alumni or parents who are employed by those companies to seek matched giving benefits.
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For further information and all other enquiries regarding Washington Services' consultancy services, please contact Frank Opray at: frank@opray.net
Washington News is published each second month and is designed to alert clients and others to developments in international school and university administration. Washington Services works with schools and universities internationally assisting them with alumni relations, fundraising, marketing, feasibility studies, placements and governance opportunities.
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