Autumn term

This term's face-to-face toolkit will talk you through the nuts and bolts of development, from setting up a development office and creating your first fundraising strategy, to the different ways to fundraise from your school community. Alongside this, our on-demand webinars will focus on how to engage with your community, from reunions and sports matches to careers and mentoring programmes. Then bring your questions to the IDPE team and catch-up with fellow delegates in our new delegate forum.

Schools' fundraising and engagement toolkit

• Setting up a development office
• Managing expectations/working with senior leaders
• Creating a case for support 
• Creating your fundraising strategy
• Setting targets and budgeting
• Fundraising and engagement techniques
• Observe first-hand how an established development office operates, spend time with the development director and expand your professional network

Read the full agenda for the day

Strategy: developing your case for support and how to use it 

Successful fundraising starts with your school's story. Your case for support is your chance to share your school's vision and purpose, show the difference you want to make, and to bring your community with you on your development journey. This session will explore both how to create a compelling case for support, and how to use it to ensure the success of your fundraising campaign.

Engagement: events

From reunions to annual dinners, sports matches to lectures, events can be a key way to engage with your community. However, organising events takes time and budget, and it can be very easy to get drawn into running events out of habit rather than because they truly meet your community's needs. What should be your key considerations when planning your events programme? What has changed since the pandemic? And how can you ensure that your events ultimately add value to your development programme?

Engagement: careers and mentoring 

Schools are increasingly recognising the value and necessity of placing a 'world of work' education firmly alongside the delivery of the academic curriculum, and using your community to enrich your school's careers' programme can be the ideal way to introduce constituents to giving back. Mentoring, internships, work experience, networking events – what does a successful careers programme actually include? And how can you harness your school community of alumni, parents and friends to support your careers programme?

Spring term

This term's series of on-demand webinars and in-person seminar will explore different fundraising techniques and how to set up and run a successful campaign, as well as need-to-know information about data protection, compliance, and legislation. Also, new for 2023/34, bring your case for support, fundraising strategy and ideas to discuss with our team of experts in a fundraising and engagement clinic.

Fundraising: planning a campaign and feasibility studies

Whatever your school is fundraising for, it's essential to have a plan: what will the development team be doing, and what results do you expect? A feasibility study can be an effective way of testing your case for support and fundraising target with your community, as well as identifying how much to ask for, and who to ask. Join us to explore the key ingredients necessary to create a structured and successful, fundraising campaign.

Fundraising: digging into your data

If the art of fundraising is in the asking, the science of fundraising is most definitely in the data. It is the accuracy of what's held in your database that will enable you to understand, communicate with, and engage your community effectively – and when you dig deep, it is your data that can provide the building blocks to a successful fundraising programme.

Fundraising: regular giving/annual funds

Regular giving programmes can be the first step to introducing your school community to a culture of giving and broadening your donor base. In time, your regular giving programme can provide an annual and relatively predictable source of income for your school. Who should you approach? How much should you ask for? And how can you engage with your regular donors to inspire them to give more?

Fundraising: compliance and legislation

Explore the fundraising and data protection legislation relevant to schools' development and how to ensure compliance.

Campaigns: strategies for success (bursaries and capital projects)

• Feasibility and approach
• Developing your fundraising ask
  
• Building volunteer support
  
• Engaging your community
  
• Securing leadership gifts
  
• Maintaining momentum
  
• Sharing the impact of your campaign
  

Schools' fundraising and engagement clinic

Bring your case for support, fundraising and engagement ideas and strategies to discuss with experienced development professionals and members of the IDPE team.

Fundraising: legacies

The gift of a legacy can be transformational for a school, and income from legacies continues to grow. Explore legacy marketing, legacy societies and how to ensure legacy fundraising remains the cornerstone of your development programme.

Fundraising: trusts and foundations

Trusts and foundations can be the ideal way to access funds for a specific project within your school. However, to be in with a chance of success, it's essential that you find the right grant provider to approach, and tailor your application to their specific criteria. How can you identify which grant providers are the best 'fit' for your project? What does a successful application look like? And how can you build longer-term relationships with funders to ensure repeat success?

Delegate forum 

Bring your questions on fundraising and engagement from this term to the IDPE team and enjoy an informal discussion with fellow delegates.

Summer term

This term's face-to-face toolkit will focus on building relationships, from how to communicate with different audiences and stewardship, to prospect research, moves management and making the ask. Alongside this, our on-demand webinars will focus on how to create a culture of giving in your school, and how to demonstrate the impact of your development programme.

Schools' fundraising and engagement toolkit

• Communication strategies for different audiences
• Saying thank you and stewardship
• Prospect research and wealth screening
• Major donor journey
• Moves management and pipelines
• Making the ask 
• Observe first-hand how an established development office operates, spend time with the development director and expand your professional network

The value of development: demonstrating impact

The impact of development goes far beyond the money raised, but how do you measure the different ways in which you engage with your community? This session will explore how to demonstrate the impact of your development programme, both internally to your senior leaders, as well as externally, showcasing the difference your donors are making to your school community. 

The value of development: creating a culture of giving

To create a successful fundraising programme, it is essential to get your whole school community, including governors, staff and pupils, engaged in development. This session will explore the ways in which you can embed development within your school to create a culture of giving.

IDPE reserves the right to substitute speakers and/or dates where necessary. If in exceptional circumstances a professional development event is postponed, all delegates will be notified and the event will be re-arranged. If a delegate is unable to attend the rescheduled event, a recording will be made available where possible. When cancelling an event with more than four weeks' notice, IDPE will not be liable for any expenses incurred by the delegate.