For many heads of school, advancement feels like a moving target. Admissions, retention, fundraising, marketing—it can seem like a scattershot of disconnected tasks pulled in all different directions. Yet in truth, advancement is a single thread weaving together your school’s story, your community, and your future.
Thriving schools recognize advancement as more than transactional efforts. Advancement is about building a culture of belonging and generosity, where every family, teacher, alum, and donor sees themselves as a partner in the mission. Advancement in this sense is not seasonal work, but daily hospitality. It is the way a school’s inner life—its liturgies, pedagogy, and culture—matches its outer voice to the world.
The burden of advancement often feels heavy because it is diffuse. Yet when unified around mission, it becomes clarifying. Every effort—from a campus tour to a donor dinner—becomes a chance to invite others into the story God is writing through your school. Be encouraged – you have a beautiful story to share.
Drawing from Standard 8: Advancement within the Accreditation Playbook, here is a concise field guide—five practices that steady schools embrace, and five pitfalls that quietly erode advancement. As with finances, you won’t master them all at once. Choose the next reasonable step, build the habit, and let the fruit grow in season.
Five Best Practices
- Hospitality at the Center
Treat admissions visits, alumni gatherings, and donor meetings as opportunities for genuine welcome.
Try this next: Walk your campus as if you were a guest—what story does it tell? - Align the Inner and Outer Voice
Ensure that what families see on the website is what they experience in the classroom.
Try this next: Audit your school’s communications this quarter for consistency with mission. - Retention Before Recruitment
Enrollment is not only about attracting new families but sustaining the right ones.
Try this next: Establish a simple feedback loop with current parents to strengthen loyalty. - Tell Transformational Stories
Data matters, but stories move hearts.
Try this next: Share one student or alumni story this month that embodies your mission. - Cultivate a Culture of Generosity
Fundraising flourishes when giving is joyful, not pressured.
Try this next: Invite your board and faculty to model generosity—time, prayer, and resources.
Five Pitfalls to Avoid
1. Fragmented Efforts
Treating admissions, fundraising, and marketing as separate silos weakens impact. Avoid it by: Establishing a meeting rhythm that integrates all departments.
2. Transactional Relationships
When families or donors feel used rather than valued, trust erodes. Avoid it by: Taking time to build authentic relationships before making any ask.
3. Inconsistent Messaging
A glossy brochure means little if faculty describe the mission differently. Avoid it by: Collaborating with faculty and staff to articulate the same clear mission in their own words.
4. Chasing Numbers Over Mission
Filling seats without mission alignment leads to long-term attrition. Avoid it by: Holding firm to principled admissions, even under pressure.
5. Short-Term Fundraising
Depending only on events or quick campaigns leaves schools vulnerable. Avoid it by: Developing a comprehensive plan tied to your strategic priorities.
Advancement will always require persistence and creativity. But when anchored in mission and shaped by hospitality, it ceases to feel like scattered obligations and begins to feel like what it truly is: the shared work of inviting others into the life of your school.
The needs are real, as you know. Do you have enrollment seats to fill? Are you preparing to launch a capital campaign? Do you see signs of parents disengaging? Do you know how your school is perceived in your market—and whether that story matches who you truly are?
These are not side issues. They are central to your school’s long-term health and credibility. The good news is that the way forward is not guesswork. Standard 8 offers a framework. Each small step—strengthening retention, refining your story, cultivating generosity—moves your school toward deeper trust, healthier relationships, and a stronger witness.
You don’t need to tackle everything at once. Choose the next reasonable step, and over time those steps weave together into a culture where families, donors, and alumni feel seen, valued, and invested in the mission. That is advancement at its best—mission-driven, relational, and enduring.
If you’re ready to take that step, consider joining Elizabeth Perkins’ Strategic Advancement Cohort. Her experience in enrollment and advancement offers practical wisdom for building an integrated advancement plan. And look for other experts who will join Elizabeth with even more expertise, as we dive into the multi-faceted topic of advancement. For school leaders who want to go even deeper, the SCL Symposiums provide space to step back, ask hard questions, and strengthen your long-term vision. Both are designed to equip you with the clarity and community you need for the road ahead.
