Educators are far too familiar with lacking the financial resources to complete the tasks set before them. With funding at a minimum, teachers often dip into their own wallets to purchase classroom supplies, attend professional development, fund projects for their students, or even provide basic needs for students that could otherwise hinder their learning.
Although fundraising ideally shouldn’t be one more role added to a teacher’s plate, we know it’s often necessary. With that in mind, TEC wants to make the process as simple as possible. This post includes helpful tools and strategies for leveraging community and business partnerships to support your classroom and campus.
Step 1 - Make your potential donor list:
To start, make a list of potential donors This may include individuals, businesses, faith organizations, stores and restaurants. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Chances are that there are preexisting relationships that you or your campus can access. Capitalize on the resources that are readily available to you within your own network and neighborhood. Ask yourself these questions:
Does your school have a parent organization that could assist you in fundraising?
Do your counselors have access to community partnerships?
Does your school district have a specific partnership or donation department you can contact for training or assistance?
Does your campus have a community liaison/parent coordinator who might be able to share the load to seek out donors?
Does your school have an existing relationship with a church, private school, or community organization?
Do you have any business professionals who have spoken at a past career day, served on your SBDM or donated to your campus?
While preexisting relationships like these are the best place to start, don’t be afraid to cold call potential donors too. A great place to start is Google Maps. Find your school, then zoom out to see businesses that fall within a 1-2 mile radius. Even if these entities have never donated before, they may be open to your request if you’ve purchased from them, brought business to their establishment, or simply because your school is part of their local community.
Large corporations like car dealerships or small business law firms may also be able to make a donation towards your cause. Grocery stores could provide you with a gift card that can be spent in their store to purchase snacks for your sports team. A pizza restaurant could donate a meal for your student incentives or class party. Home improvement stores may offer donations of materials for a physics project.
Step 2 - Making the ask:
Large corporations typically have a donation quota for the month or year, so the earlier you can ask, the better. Make your request 1-3 months in advance. Keep a spreadsheet with your potential list of donors and their contact information. Also keep track of who your contact is, when you last spoke to them and the status of the donation request.
Begin your outreach with a phone call. Don’t forget to leverage parent volunteers or even students (if you’re on a high school campus) to help you make the calls!
Ask to speak with an owner, manager or someone who deals with “community relations or donation requests”
Explain who you are and what you’re requesting. Be confident, polite, and specific. End your speech with, "Would you be willing to partner with us by donating _______?”
Offer to follow up with a formal request letter via email.
In your formal request letter:
Use your persuasive abilities and any data/statistics that can support your request. Don’t be afraid to tug at the heart strings! In light of the current times, highlight the added stressors of COVID and virtual learning to bring awareness to the impact on schools and educators.
State a brief overview of your organization or school and how the donation will impact students. Give them a context of who is seeking the donation and why.
State the need clearly by articulating what you need and when you need it. If you’re having difficulty deciding the quantity of money or an item to ask for, err on the high end and conclude with a clause such as "We would be grateful for any amount you are able to provide" so they can counter offer if they aren’t able to meet the full need. Be mindful of which establishments can donate money as opposed to gift cards or in-kind goods and services.
Use your campus or organization’s official letterhead. Be sure to get approval from campus leadership.
Include your school or district’s tax ID number to prove you’re fundraising for an official nonprofit organization. Be sure to get approval from campus leadership.
Step 3 - Following-up:
Take ownership to see the donation through. It might take multiple phone calls or emails to secure a donation. Keep track of your communication with them and politely remind them of any commitments they’ve made by coordinating a time to pick up your donation.
Know your district’s donation policies and coordinate with your campus representative. Make sure you’re familiar with what information needs to be collected for reporting and/or tax purposes. You should have a representative on your campus who has been trained on your school district’s protocol for donations. There may be paperwork that has to be signed and filled out by the donor or tax receipts the donor needs.
Say thank you in writing. Always say thank you. When possible, mail a thank you letter for a more personal touch. Sending photos of students or teachers putting the donation to use is always a great way to keep your school at the forefront of the donor’s mind for future partnership.
Present them further opportunities. If they gave before, they will be more likely to give to your school or organization again. Give them the chance to continue the relationship by reaching out to them next time you’re in need of support and keeping them updated on the impact of their previous gift.
Asking for donations can feel daunting. Nobody likes the possibility of being rejected, but keep in mind that it is completely normal to hear lots of “no’s”. However, you’ll never experience the joy of receiving a “yes” if you don’t take the chance and ask. Remind yourself that you and your students are worthy of being supported. Don’t view the appeal process as begging for charity. Shift your mindset to see this process as presenting someone with an opportunity to partner with you in the meaningful work you are already doing in the lives of students and on behalf of your community.
Tessa Alexander is the Director of Programming and Engagement for The Educator Collective. She attended Dallas Baptist University where she studied Sociology and Spanish. Upon graduating college, Tessa worked as a community liaison for Cary Middle School in Dallas ISD for 5 years running a mentoring initiative, working with donors, business partners, and both community & parent volunteers. She is married to Kevin and they have two children, Lyla and Tripp.