Knowledge > Fundraising > Annual Campaign Leadership

Volunteer Leadership

Volunteer leadership is essential to the successful undertaking of the annual campaign. (For more information on volunteer leadership, see the Leadership and Governance resources in the Knowledge section of the website.) Two leadership groups in particular - the Board of Directors and the Development Committee - are of key importance. Each body has specific responsibilities, and recruiting the right people is critically important.

Board of Directors

The key fundraising responsibilities of the school's Board of Directors include:

• setting the tone for the school's development efforts
• contributing to the campaign through 100% Board participation
• involving its members in some aspect of fundraising (i.e. prospect identification, solicitation, stewardship)

Development Committee

The Development Committee of the Board is responsible for:

• planning and implementing the annual campaign
• submitting a budget to the Board to support development activities
• working most closely with the development staff to guide and shape their work

Professional Leadership

Each member of the professional staff has a specific role and set of responsibilities.

Development Director

• creating, implementing, and overseeing the annual campaign
• supervising all aspects of the campaign
• reporting to the Head of School
• working with the Development Committee, Board of Directors, parents, and other volunteers
• supervising Development staff

In addition, see ISM's 10 Helpful Hints for First-Time Development Directors

Head of School/Executive Director

The Head of School or in some cases, the Executive Director, is the Director of Development's supervisor and key collaborator. Depending on strengths and talents, a school Head will be involved in a variety of development tasks, including:

• visioning
• soliciting
• stewarding donors

It is incumbent on the Head of School to:

• know the basic plans every development office needs to have in place
• be familiar with key fundraising principles for independent
schools by Patrick Bassett of NAIS

Faculty Members & Other Staff

Faculty members are a key component of the development team. Though nothing should ever compromise their position as educators, they can be extremely helpful in creating and implementing a comprehensive development program, particularly with regard to developing and nurturing relationships with key constituencies.