Creative ways to raise funds

Consider creative ways to raise funds designated for scholarship or tuition assistance.

It's okay if tuition assistance moneys come out of your budget. Most schools do it that way.

However, if you are giving away 5% of your tuition income as tuition assistance, and then raising that same 5% through fund raisers to subsidize your budget, you may find fund raising much easier if the appeal is for scholarships rather than for general expenditures.

Also consider delivering written proposals to churches from which you get a number of students, asking for a monthly commitment to tuition assistance specifically for families from that church. (Clients of CFS have sample proposals in their CFA Manual "A One-Day Tuition Assistance Program.")

Two other ways schools have successfully raised funds for tuition aid:

Matching gifts. Find a donor who is willing to commit to a fund raising program in which donors give funds for either your General or Annual Fund, or for a specific project - like you always have. The difference is this: for every dollar given, your matching donor will give a dollar to your aid fund. Donors will often give more if they know their gift is doubled. They will often give more if they know the "match" is going toward tuition aid.

Enterprises. Some schools have successfully started book stores, thrift stores, or even services within the community. These enterprises can provide part-time employment opportunities for families needing a little extra cash, while all the profit goes to your tuition aid fund.

Require students to meet behavioral and academic standards to continue receiving tuition assistance.

By tying the continuation of tuition assistance to behavioral and academic standards you quickly erase the complaint that tuition assistance funds only attract undesirable students.

This will give you leverage in dealing with tough situations in which the families are also on assistance. It will also give parents leverage in working with their child's academic performance.

Commit to continuing aid

If you bring someone into your school using tuition aid and their financial situation doesn't change, you need to have a commitment to continue the aid.

Okay, so this doesn't need much explanation. Obviously the ethical thing to do is to continue your financial commitment to the family if their situation doesn't change.

Maybe you have seen cases where school boards have cut tuition aid because of pressure to cut the school's budget to account for tuition shortfalls. We have. Certainly areas not critical to the school's commitment to excellence are at the top of the hit list.

However, if the board is willing to cut aid to families already enrolled, the damage of that decision will extend way beyond the two or three families who will have to dis-enroll because of finances. Not only does it generate negative PR in the community, it also communicates that there is instability within the school's leadership.

I read the other day that companies that choose to continue a healthy commitment to their marketing budget during financial downturns come out much stronger than their competitors two years later.

Not the Administrator, not the Board

Use a committee of 3-5 to make tuition assistance decisions, (not the administrator and not the board).

In a recent survey we learned that it is not at all unusual for an administrator to make tuition assistance decisions on his/her own - and in many cases in the presence of the families. Let me say this nicely - that is not the most prudent course of action. The administrator who does this opens himself/herself up to potential complaints when families feel that there have been inequities - especially if the inequity means that they pay more than their friend pays.

It is much cleaner and more professional to utilize a committee to make these decisions. Then the administrator can distance himself or herself from the financial portion of the family's decision. Not only does this appear to be more professional to the families, it also relieves the administrator of one more task that he/she does not have to do.

In most schools it isn't too difficult to find 3-5 families who can make wise decisions and can keep a confidence. A good job description will go a long ways in spelling out your expectations. (CFAs' client manual includes a comprehensive job description that includes a list of what should be kept on file, and who should have access to those files.) If you feel more comfortable with a board presence, assign one board member to the committee - typically the board Treasurer.

Scale back on multiple-child discounts

Our school was like many others in the US. We provided hefty multiple-child discounts. Then one day a mother came to us and said "Here's a check for the difference - I don't need a discount, and it's not right for me to take it."

There seems to be some psychological advantage to giving discounts. That's why we shop at Sam's or COSTCO. We believe that if we purchase by the case we should get it cheaper. But allowing a third or fourth child to attend for free only hurts the school financially and makes you seem like a discount warehouse. On the other side of this coin: reducing multiple-child discounts will enable you to free up more funds for families with a demonstrated need.

A 5-8% maximum would be a more reasonable discount. Multiple-child families who still find it hard to afford a Christian education for their children can apply for tuition assistance, and receive it - based on their actual financial situation. This is a much more cost-effective way to deal with tuition and tuition discounts.