Insights on fundraising, planned giving, and endowment growth to help sustain Christian education.
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Every Event Is a Cultivation Opportunity
By Lara Gopp Marketing Manager | Fortify Foundation Use Your School Calendar to Deepen Relationships As a new school year begins, administrators, advancement teams, and…
#1 Financial Challenge: Most Schools Are Grossly Under-Endowed
By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation What comes to mind when you read this title? It does draw out 2 immediate assumptions: There’s…
Christian Schools and Generational Thinking – Setting in Motion a Legacy
By Edward Earwood | SCACS Director / VP of AACS While I do not know him personally, David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby, provokes some…
What Every Head of School Wishes They Could Say to Their Board
By Ruston Pierce Fundraising & Capital Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation “I just wish my board understood what I deal with every day.” If I had…
The Most Important Board Meeting Of The Year
How Summer Planning Helps School Boards Lead with Greater Clarity By Ruston PierceFundraising & Capital Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation Finally, we get to breathe. School…
Endowment Integration
Anchoring the Present with the Future By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation Every school is unique in its ability and capacity to fund…
The Most Important Fundraising Season… It’s Summer
By Lara Gopp Marketing Manager | Fortify Foundation How intentional marketing, advancement planning, and endowment development in the summer can strengthen schools for generations to…
Investment Strategies – The 3-Way Tradeoff
By Jason Weckel | Fortify Investment Committee What do endowment funds and retirees have in common? As a financial advisor, I’ve been helping families take…
Building a Case for Support – What Can It Do for Your Christian School?
By Ruston Pierce Fundraising & Capital Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation What is your school’s story? Why does it exist? What would your community miss if your…
The Oak Grove Strategy – Learning from Oxford
By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation New College of Oxford has a rich history as one of the oldest colleges under the Oxford…
The Story Gap – Why Great Christian Schools Struggle to Raise Money
By Lara GoppMarketing Manager| Fortify Foundation Understanding the difference between marketing and public relations may be the key to stronger donor trust, more effective communication,…
Map, Compass, & Calling – Why Every Christian School Needs a Strategic Plan
By Dr. Brian Simmons Introduction Strategic planning is determining in advance a strategy of action toward a desired objective. It has been saidthat failing to plan is planning to…
Stewarding the Vision
Balancing Mission with Resources By Edward Earwood | SCACS Director / VP of AACS In the pursuit of fulfilling God’s calling, many Christian education leaders…
Know Who You’re Talking To?
Why Audience Clarity is Essential for Christian School Sustainability By Lara Gopp Marketing Manager| Fortify Foundation Early in my career, I took part in a…
7 Steps to Creating an Effective Fundraising Plan
2026 New Year, New Strategy! By Ruston Pierce Fundraising & Capitol Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation As Christian nonprofits, schools, and churches think about 2026,…
What Has History Taught us?
Learning from the Past to Secure the Future By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation If you could go back in time, what might…
AI for Advancement & Marketing
Tools to Support, Not Replace, Your Team By Lara GoppMarketing Manager| Fortify Foundation As Marketing Manager for Fortify Foundation, I get the opportunity to attend…
The Foundation for Christian Education
Our Mission By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation What comes to mind when you think of a foundation? This may vary depending on…
Building an Authentic and Impactful Christian School
The 5 P’s Framework Todd Clingman | Head of School | North Cobb Christian School, Kennesaw GA There has never been a more important time…
What is a Donor Advised Fund?
Why should it be a big part of your school’s fundraising strategy in the New Year? By Ruston Pierce Fundraising & Capitol Campaign Manager |…
Properly Managing Property
Ensuring Today’s Growth Doesn’t Strain Tomorrow’s Resources By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation I recently had a conversation with a school that was…
End-of-Year Giving – 5 Ways to Engage Your Community
By Lara GoppMarketing Manager| Fortify Foundation At Fortify Foundation, we understand the vital role that Christian education plays in shaping students’ faith, character, and academic…
Lessons Learned in Setting Tuition Rates
A Case Study of Setting Tuition Rates in Christian Schools By Robert Arritt | Board Member Paideia Academy Determining tuition rates is one of the most…
MAXIMIZE YOUR MARKETING FOR YEAR-END GIVING:
Funding Mission. Fueling Kingdom Impact. By Lara Gopp Marketing Manager| Fortify Foundation As the calendar winds down, Christian schools step into one of the most…
Can Events Still Help Our School?
How do I make them effective? By Ruston Pierce Fundraising & Capitol Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation In the ever-competitive world of school fundraising, it’s…
FROM FIRST GIFT TO FAITHFUL PARTNER
How to Build and Cultivate Relationships with New Donors By Ruston Pierce Fundraising & Capitol Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation One of the most difficult…
RMD’s, QCD’s, IRA’s, OH MY!
Turn a Tax Obligation into a Kingdom Opportunity By Brad Blackburn | Dyadic Financial Management Are you at the point where you must take Required…
#1 Financial Challenge in Christian Education
Most Schools Are Grossly Under-Endowed By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation What comes to mind when you read this title? There are 2 underlying…
Maximize Your Summer: 5 Strategic Marketing Moves to Prepare for a Strong Year
By Lara Gopp Marketing Manager| Fortify Foundation As someone who works closely with Christian schools across the country, I’ve seen a clear pattern: schools that…
Perspective from a Philanthropist
By Wade McGuinn | Managing Shareholder, McGuinn Homes Inc. In the world of generosity, whether you are a donor or a nonprofit receiving a donation,…
Take it Off the Shelf! A Strategic Plan is only as Good as its Implementation
By Ruston Pierce Fundraising & Capitol Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation A strategic plan outlines an organization’s short and long-term goals and the path to…
The Sustainability Myth: What’s the Aim and How We Compare
By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation When we bring up the word “sustainable” I’m sure there are a number of things that come…
Challenges Christian School Boards Will Face In The Next 5 Years
By Ruston Pierce Fundraising & Capitol Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation If a person had said to your school board, “We are going to spend…
Assessing the Impact of Enrollment Health on Organizational Life
By Andy Lynch | Tassel™ President & CEO & Sarah Sams | Brand Content Strategist Enrollment is oxygen for faith-based schools. The stronger the enrollment,…
Communications That Sustain: How Messaging Fuels Financial Stability in Christian Education
By Lara Gopp Marketing Manager| Fortify Foundation In the ever-changing world of Christian K–12 education, financial sustainability is a top priority for school leaders. While…
5 Reasons K-12 Schools Don’t Have An ENDOWMENT
By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation AI has no doubt taken education by storm! It seems every educational conference / convention has at…
Investigating the Investment
By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation One of the questions I get asked the most is related to the investment strategy that Fortify…
The Role of the Christian School Board in Fundraising
By Ruston PierceFundraising and Capital Campaign Manager| Fortify Foundation This article is an excerpt from a larger board training. Please contact Fortify Foundation if you…
THE JOURNEY OF A MESSAGE: Promoting an Endowment Fund for a Christian School
By Lara GoppMarketing Manager| Fortify Foundation In the mission-driven world of K-12 Christian education, financial sustainability is often the key to preserving the spiritual and…
Investing in the Future: Building a Stronger Tomorrow
By Gary Montgomery Executive Director – North America – Compass-finances God’s way Imagine a world where students learn to handle money based on the Principles of…
Let’s Talk ENDOWMENTS
By Brandon AllenExecutive Director | Fortify Foundation What are they? I think one of the greatest comparisons we have is in the examples we see…
PILLARS OF EXCELLENCE – What Makes Great Schools Great?
Dr. Timothy Wiens Chief Academic Officer, The Woodlands Christian Academy A great deal of research has been conducted on what makes great schools great, or…
Building Year-End Momentum: START 2025 STRONG
By Lara Gopp Marketing Manager| Fortify Foundation At Fortify Foundation, we’re driven by a singular mission: to see Christian schools financially sustained for the future…
Financial Storytelling vs. Compliance
Why Both Are Important By MATT METCALF Director of Business and Financial Services, Concordis Education Partners It’s November, which means Christian schools are up and…
Are you Ready to Start a Capital Campaign?
By Ruston PierceFundraising and Capital Campaign Manager| Fortify Foundation What need are you meeting? Before any school embarks on a capital campaign, there should be…
The Landscape is Changing
By Brandon AllenExecutive Director | Fortify Foundation A lot of things have changed since the pandemic of 2020. While it was an unsettling time for…
990’s: Legally Required. Donor Appreciated.
By Andrew Hedrich – SENIOR MANAGER SMITH + HOWARD ADVISORY LLC IRS Form 990 is an invaluable opportunity for organizations to craft a meaningful narrative…
Is Your Website Ready for Your Donors?
4 Questions to Ask to Maximize Your Donor’s Online Experience Hannah Jurius Owner, Sparrow Marketing, The end of the year is a busy season for your…
Playing The Long Game
Investing in the Future: The Value of Endowed Funds for Private Christian K-12 Schools Tyson S. Chastain Johnson University Private Christian K-12 schools play a…
Regulations, Regulations, Regulations…
Brandon AllenExecutive Director | Fortify Foundation It has been such a blessing to be a part of changing the landscape for the financial future of…
5 Things To Know About Marketing Your Christian School
Communicating your school’s vision is key to attracting mission-aligned partners. While internal focus is important, external marketing can expand your reach and engage a broader…
Looking Ahead: Sustaining Great Christian Schools
Jennifer Thomason Director / CEO – Christian Schools International Many Christian schools were founded to bring together families, churches and education. Some describe this as a…
Principles to Capitalize on our Principal!
By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation One of the benefits of God’s Word is the timeless stories, examples, truths, and principles we can…
Guided by Biblical Wisdom: Marketing Strategies for Christian Schools
By Lara GoppMarketing Manager | Fortify Foundation In the pursuit of financial advancement for our K-12 Christian schools, we find our most effective strategies within the…
Biblical Fundraising: What does it look like in daily practice?
By Ruston PierceFundraising and Capital Campaign Manager| Fortify Foundation In a world where financial concerns can sometimes overshadow moral principles, it’s essential to ground your…
Does It Really Work? Stability despite Change
By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation We’ve all seen it. The ups and downs of a ministry as they pass on the reins…
Planned Giving: An Administrator’s Perspective
By Maurice McCaney | Fortify Foundation Board, Director at Large When most people encounter a person in need of assistance, particularly financial assistance, the person’s natural…
Unlocking Success: The Process and Benefits of Creating a Strategic Plan
By Ruston PierceFundraising and Capital Campaign Manager| Fortify Foundation For the sustainability of a Christian organization success often hinges on more than just making sure…
Cash is Trash
By Brandon Allen Executive Director | Fortify Foundation As Christian educators, we know that our lot in life isn’t typically followed by the most lucrative…
ADVANCING Christian Education
Fortify Foundation seeks to impact Christian schools by developing long range financial strategies that will help ensure a multi-generational impact. It is always exciting to…
By the Numbers: Know the Giving Capacity of Your Donors
By Ruston PierceFundraising and Capital Campaign Manager| Fortify Foundation In the realm of philanthropy and fundraising, understanding your donor’s capacity is akin to having a…
Time Management
By Dr. Brian S. SimmonsVP for CIU Global Time. We all are given 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year…
Planting Seeds of Generosity
By Lara GoppMarketing Manager | Fortify Foundation In the dynamic landscape of K-12 Christian schools, a realization has emerged – not all institutions currently embrace…
Influence Requires Investment
By Edward Earwood |President of Fortify Foundation In his 1984 work, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion that has sold more than 5 million copies, Robert Cialdini, professor…
Ways to Fund an Endowment
By Brandon AllenExecutive Director | Fortify Foundation The task of establishing and building an endowment fund is often daunting amongst an already tight and often…
There’s Significance in Numbers
By Ruston PierceFundraising and Capital Campaign ManagerThere’s Significance in Numbers Are you struggling to make your annual fund or end of year giving campaign meaningful?…
A Little Goes A Long Way
By Brandon AllenExecutive Director / Fortify Foundation What do Larry Burkett, Steve Moore, Ron Blue, Howard Dayton, Dave Ramsey, and Rob West all have in…
Leveraging Giving Tuesday: Best Practices for Maximum Impact
By Ruston PierceFundraising and Capital Campaign Manager Is your school ready for Giving Tuesday? As Giving Tuesday gains traction each year, Christian schools must strategize…
What is Our Real Value?
By Brandon AllenExecutive Director / Fortify Foundation Isn’t it amazing to see how much our priorities shift as we grow older? When we’re in high…
Can You Be Trusted? Building Trust with Donor Relationships
By Lara GoppMarketing Manager / Fortify Foundation In an era where trust is elusive, Christian schools face a profound challenge in forging authentic connections with donors…
“So, How’d it Go?” Tips for Measuring Marketing Campaign Success
Written By Hannah JuriusOwner of Sparrow Marketing You just spent weeks planning and executing an impressive campaign for your school. You worked with a designer…
Perspective from a Philanthropist
By Chris LarsenFounder and Principal of Next-Level Income As a business owner and active member in the community, my business, family, and I are often…
Philosophy of Philanthropy
Written by Brandon Allen Executive Director / Fortify Foundation My hope and aim with this article is to help you refocus your fundraising strategy. With…
INDEPENDENCE
Written by Brandon Allen Executive Director / Fortify Foundation At Fortify Foundation, there are a lot of things we offer to help benefit you and…
Do No Harm
Written by Ray Moore, Th.M., Chaplain (Lt. Col.) USAR Ret, Chairman of CEI and director of Exodus Mandate “Do no harm” is the first principle…
UN REPORT: Use Tax Money To Control Private Schools
Written by Alex Newman, award-winning international journalist, educator, author, and consultant. Governments should use tax subsidies for private schools to bring them under government control…
Launch the School Year Right: Marketing What Matters Most
Written by Lara GoppMarketing Manager / Fortify Foundation Launching a new school year is the perfect time for Christian schools to showcase their unique qualities…
Economy of Scale: What can it do for you?
By Brandon AllenExecutive Director / Fortify Foundation What comes to mind when you hear the phrase ‘economy of scale’? Perhaps it’s just a phrase you’ve…
The Top Priority for a Capital Campaign: Planning
Written by Ruston PiercePresident of Consulting / Affinity Recruiting One of the biggest buzz words in private education currently is sustainability. It’s starting to get…
Say No to Extra Spending Today – In Order to Create a Stronger Financial Future Tomorrow
By Brandon AllenExecutive Director / Fortify Foundation I’ll never forget an illustration that was passed along to me as a fairly young kid. The speaker…
Will Your School Bless Others with the Employee Retention Tax Credit?
A Certified Public Accountant’s Perspective on the ERC Has your school applied for the Employee Retention Credit? It is worth as much as $26,000 per…
Way Back In The 1900’s
Written by Edward Earwood Director / SCACS Board Chair / Fortify Foundation I was recently on an accreditation trip when a team member relayed to…
Why does Planned Giving Make Sense? Providing Further Value to Our Donors.
Written by Brandon AllenExecutive Director / Fortify Foundation One of the things that I love about my job is having the opportunity meet with school…
Build Your Endowment with Two Easy, No Cost Strategies
Written by Dan Handford Vice Chair and Secretary / Fortify Foundation The word “endowment” can be intimidating when you first hear about it. This is…
The Opportunity Cost of Not Investing
Written by Whitney Elkins-Hutten Director of Investor Education | PassiveInvesting.com As a habitual optimizer, I’m always seeking to eliminate any friction in my environment that…