Taming the Beast: The Four Pillars of an Effective Catholic School Advancement System

The Beast

In Catholic School Advancement circles, we often hear about the need to tame the beast of numerous tasks, unrealistic expectations and ambiguous success indicators.

At Catholic Vitality 360, utilizing our success framework, the Seven Circles of Catholic Vitality, leadership coaching, workshops and school and parish partnerships, we promote Advancement as a system of interconnected parts that are related to the entirety of the mission and vision.

With Advancement much more than an afterthought or limited to frenzied fundraising, every leadership decision, action and strategy and its resulting outcome has an impact on your ability to transform the hearts, minds and souls of those for whom you serve.

The Advancement System

As the purpose of Advancement being to strategically advance and promote the mission and vision of the school by engaging more people and sustaining quality relationships, the key components of the system include:

• There is a collective agreement with administration, staff and volunteers on the working components of the Advancement system.
• All parts of the Advancement system are related, interconnected and complimentary to the mission, vision and values of the school.
• The Advancement system functions with a weekly, monthly and annual Advancement Vitality Vision with goals, strategies and clear outcomes.
• Adequate and proper resources and personnel are dedicated to support the Advancement system.
• The Advancement system is dynamic with ongoing evaluation and accountability.
• Advancement functions as a part of the administration of the school and decisions and actions are calculated and leveraged with the Advancement system as a key and critical element of the school.

The Four Pillars of Advancement

In order for clarity to persist and create a proven process that favors success, we see tremendous value in the development and implementation of the Advancement Vitality Vision around four operating pillars. Thus, here are the Four Pillars of Advancement:

1. People Engagement: The ongoing process of personally engaging people in the life, mission and ministry of the school through a variety of volunteer opportunities, special events, fundraisers, alumni outreach, service projects, parishioner connections and community activities. A broad range of stakeholders are personally invited and building quality relationships is paramount. Advancement Pillar #1 Metric: 50-100 new people every year.
2. Image and Marketing: The creation, implementation and daily execution of a comprehensive School Image and Marketing Plan is solidified, one that follows the four seasons of the year with thematic elements, events, social and digital media, responsive website, quality materials, raving fans and telling the compelling story of the school with boldness and conviction. An active Marketing Committee provides expertise, objectivity and support. Advancement Pillar #2 Metric: Positive Image, quality survey feedback and professional analytics on each strategy.
3. Enrollment Growth: With a keen understanding of the educational marketplace and your competitive advantage, branding statements are established and realistic enrollment goals are created. As the lifeblood, heartbeat, top revenue stream and the school’s top priority, enrollment growth is everyone’s responsibility. From school tours, to shadow days, to personal interviews and a contact map for every family, this taps into our mindset that “Enrollment is Everything and Everything is Enrollment.” As school ambassadors, the Enrollment Growth Task Force could be very effective here in mobilizing resources, securing referrals and getting the word out. Advancement Pillar #3 Metric: 20-25 New Students – Net Growth +
4. Sustaining Revenue: Seeking quality rather than quantity, a sensible and pragmatic goal is established for Advancement revenue. Rather than a reliance on raffle tickets, please consider major or legacy gifts through special events, targeted campaigns and sponsorships. Following the completion of the Fundraising Audit, the Advancement Office executes 3-5 quality fundraisers and a comprehensive annual giving process, that engages all school stakeholders through a variety of giving opportunities. Growing the endowment or foundation with legacy gifts should also be a priority, as well as preparing for a Capital Campaign. Advancement Pillar #4 Metric: $200,000 - $3,000,000 annually in Advancement income

A Strategic Approach

According to John Maxwell, leadership expert and best-selling author, the value of a system can help us in four ways: effectively manage time, conserve energy and waste, multiply our creativity and maximize progress towards our goals.

For us as Catholic leaders, developing this Advancement system needs to be strategic, deliberate and intentional. Once the foundational elements are established, like the components of each pillar and their corresponding metrics, key goals and strategies are created and placed on the calendar each day, week and month. Over time, new habits are learned and the system will become an indespensible tool for effectively managing the Advancement process. Over time, you will also discovery how to anticipate obstacles, eliminate ineffective tasks and become more open to new ideas and opportunities.

We Can Help

At Catholic Vitality 360, it is our ministry to serve your needs. Our mission is your vitality. All of the processes we share in our writings, videos and Zoomcast, THE CIRCLE are available to you. You are not alone in this work and we are happy to help. We consider you and your school a vitality partner with us as we navigate building the Kingdom of God. Let’s get moving today on creating the Advancement Vitality Vision and its four pillars. This approach will provide clarity, a working plan and a proven system that produces established results and engages more people in the life of the school.

Engage others, share this dynamic vision and build school vitality.

This will take time, patience, persistence, perseverance and PRAYER.

Do not fear, we walk in Faith and this is God’s work.