b'Donate? But I already pay fees?!Whydoyouneedmydonation,surelyourexample of this is that government funding to independent school fees cover a new swimming pool?Weschoolscanonlybeusedforinfrastructureandessential pay$(fees)ayear,whyshouldwesubsidiseeducation. This rule means that those funds cannot be used another childs education? If my fees dontforreligiouseducationorfornewbuildingprojectsand cover that, then what do they cover? expansion. IfyouhaveeverworkedinajobthatinvolvedsolicitingIf a school that already solicits financial contributions from donations for an independent fee-paying school, you haveits community by way of fees, and then endeavours to solicit almost certainly heard this feedback. All the more so, if thevoluntary contributions, a lot of the aforementioned responses school was in the top-tiered fee bracket.given, could be obviated by greater transparency. If people For those of us who have worked in, or managed, independentknew more about how the financial operations of the school schoolfundraisinginanycapacity,theanswertothoseworkat least, on a very high level, that would surely help. questionsmightseemabsurdlyclear.Afterall,feesoftenA parent being asked to support a new building project, or to cover the cost of tuition, but rarely can they be leveragedcontribute to bursaries and scholarships, should already have for extras such as, scholarships, bursaries, and costly newa sense of where fees are going and why the school is still left facilities. Where then, does the misunderstanding lie?a deficit. In addition to which, creating a sense of transparency A multitude of answers can be offered to satisfactorily (orwithin your school community will also bring about a sense of perhapsunsatisfactorily,fromtheindustrysperspective)collective ownership.address this question. In many instances it might just be thatThere are a multitude of ways in which this principle can be parents will never feel they can reasonably be expected toappliedwithinyourschoolcommunity.Somemeanswith make contributions to the school that extend beyond fees.which to communicate where fees and government funding Thatwouldespeciallybethecasewherefeesareaboveare used include: $30,000.Alternatively,reticencecansimplystemfroma sensethatparents,alreadyallocatingsignificantfundsto pay for their childrens education, cannot be expected to payInfographics within your enrolment forms, another childs fees. There is, however, a deeper and more pertinent answer. IfA short explanatory video for social media, properly addressed, this issue could have drastic implicationsAn article in your school yearbook, for an independent schools propensity to build a culture of giving.The great team atAskRIGHTrecently surveyed aBriefhighlightingatend-of-yearassemblies/prize-large, independent boys school in Queensland and a broadgivings. cross-section (1,000 responses) of their community (weighted towards current parents) and this yielded some fascinating results.Regardless of the medium you elect, or the level of detail you Ofparticularinteresttofundraisingisthesignificantdelve into - a cursory understanding of the practical reasons percentage of those reporting to have little or no understandingfor an independent school soliciting donations should already of how the schools funding works:be instilled in your community. Simplyput,apassionateandwell-informedcommunityis a community that gives. Parents might retain reticence to 16%ofthosesurveyed,purportedtohavenodonate to the school, but never again will you hear the phraseunderstanding whatsoever, Donate? But I pay fees! 39% purported to have limited understanding,36% purported to have some understanding,whileonly9%purportedtohaveacompleteCAELAN MACBETH PROJECT MANAGER understanding.**CHARIDY AUSTRALIAAND ASIA - PACIFICIndependent school funding is complex with regards to what government funding and tuition fees can be allocated to. One DECEMBER 2019 25'