By Lara Gopp Marketing Manager | Fortify Foundation Use Your School Calendar to Deepen Relationships As a new school year begins, administrators, advancement teams, and school leaders are often focused on enrollment, faculty preparation, and launching academic programs. Yet one of the most overlooked opportunities for strengthening school culture and increasing long-term support happens much…
By Edward Earwood | SCACS Director / VP of AACS While I do not know him personally, David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby, provokes some challenging thoughts in my mind as I read his writings. In Green’s latest book, The Legacy Life he makes the case that to effectively establish a legacy, Christians must adopt generational thinking….
By Ruston Pierce Fundraising & Capital Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation “I just wish my board understood what I deal with every day.” If I had a dollar for every time I have heard that phrase, I could buy a small island in the Caribbean. Why do school administrators and school boards struggle to communicate in a…
How Summer Planning Helps School Boards Lead with Greater Clarity By Ruston PierceFundraising & Capital Campaign Manager | Fortify Foundation Finally, we get to breathe. School is out. Everything slows down. It’s time to work on future planning. Summer is often the ideal time for a board strategic planning meeting. With fewer distractions and a natural midpoint in…
By Lara Gopp Marketing Manager | Fortify Foundation How intentional marketing, advancement planning, and endowment development in the summer can strengthen schools for generations to come For many Christian schools, fundraising follows the rhythm of the school year. Fall brings annual campaigns; spring includes events and giving initiatives, and year-end appeals arrive in December. By…
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 their hard-earned savings and transition it to a portfolio that will sustain them for the rest of their lives. With the combination of increasingly early retirements (sometimes not by choice)…
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 school stopped existing today? Is your school rooted in faith, mission, and a commitment to shaping the hearts and minds of students for the fulfillment of the Great Commission? Why should someone…
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, and sustainable endowment growth. A head of school once shared a frustration that many Christian education leaders quietly carry. “Families love our school. Our students are thriving. Our mission is…
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 fail! A corollary to this truism is organizations that need strategic planning the most do it the least and those who need it least do it the most! Strategic planning…
Balancing Mission with Resources By Edward Earwood | SCACS Director / VP of AACS In the pursuit of fulfilling God’s calling, many Christian education leaders find themselves laser-focused on the mission—sharing the gospel, discipling believers, educating the next generation, and serving communities. This focus is noble, necessary, and deeply biblical. Yet, in our zeal to…