Motivating donors and building a fundraising culture in your school

Building lasting school fundraising culture

Seminar brief

Schools across the UK generate around £1.3bn in additional income each year - from lettings, traded services, PTA fundraising and charitable donations. But beyond one-off events and enthusiastic volunteers, how do you embed a long-term culture of giving that’s sustainable, supported and successful?

In this session, fundraising consultant and former SBM Justin Smith shares strategies to boost engagement, position your message through the donor’s eyes, and inspire colleagues to support your school’s fundraising efforts. From refreshing your PTA to rallying staff behind your cause, you’ll explore how to build momentum, unlock community support and create a shared sense of purpose around fundraising.

In this seminar, we explore

• What motivates donors – and how to frame your campaigns effectively

• How to engage colleagues and senior leaders in fundraising efforts

• Ways to reboot or reimagine your PTA

• Building a whole-school culture of philanthropy

• Case studies and practical ideas from schools already doing it well

• Small actions that lead to big impact – and how to get started

Take-home points

• Clearer understanding of what makes donors tick

• Inspiration to rethink and refresh your fundraising strategy

• Real-world examples to adapt and adopt in your setting

• Tools to grow a sustainable income generation culture

This session is for school business professionals who

Are involved in fundraising, lettings, partnerships or community engagement – or anyone looking to increase additional income, build internal buy-in, and develop a school-wide approach to fundraising that works long-term.