"Every Girl Stays" – A Look at the Independent School Financial Aid Crisis
Patricia Voigt, Senior Consultant
April 2009

Priscilla G. Sands, Head of Springside School, the oldest school for girls in Philadelphia, recently sent a solicitation letter making an urgent plea for funds for financial aid to "keep every girl in school." This resulted in a heartfelt response from the school’s parents, alums, grandparents and friends. She cited heartbreaking stories from parents that kept her awake at night, stories of parents who desperately want to keep their children at Springside but are no longer able to pay tuition. Many are families who have never asked for help before. Some are unable to continue making their monthly payments. With a bold request for additional funds, she vowed to keep every student enrolled at Springside.

This clarion call for financial aid help is echoing across the landscape. As a fundraiser, I have watched schools shift their emphasis from building new science labs; large multi-purpose field houses; state-of-the-art technology in sophisticated classrooms; and even whole new campuses, to putting energy into careful planning; prudent spending; and yes, returning to their loyal donors with unprecedented additional appeals, asking them please to give again.

Some schools have created emergency funds for those few families who invariably face unforeseen financial problems. Usually this is accomplished through an endowment fund, such as the one named for a beloved former principal at the Academy of Notre Dame, but, due to parent job losses or salary cutbacks, administrators at Notre Dame say that the fund simply will not cover the number of families suddenly unable to pay tuition this year. They report that "a generous parent anonymously wrote a check to support the tuition of a senior student in need that literally saved the family." Now Notre Dame is asking a group of other parents to join in this effort, to lead by example and add to the emergency fund.

The Chairman of the Board of The Agnes Irwin School, Chip Clothier, wrote in an appeal, "We have 686 students at Agnes Irwin, but not one to spare to the economy. Together, with your generosity and our careful stewardship of your gift, we will meet the financial needs of all of our students."

Germantown Friends School Director of Admissions Laura Sharpless Myran said: "While there was an increase in both the numbers of current families' applications and in the amounts requested, the efforts to meet the financial aid need have been successful so far. We accelerated and compressed our process of review and awarded decisions and notifications so that our families had their financial aid awards in hand during re-enrollment month. This was the right thing to do and an important step to honor and keep our current families here."

How do these urgent solicitations impact the case for student aid fundraising? The successful responses have been gratifying in the short term and may initially stem the tide in this economic crisis. For example, alumnae at Springside immediately wrote back, "I have cut back on charitable giving but this appeal could not be resisted;" "I could not fail to respond regarding every girl stays;" "You asked me the only thing that could make me keep digging in my pocket – keep the girls in school." Letters and gifts keep pouring in, many from those who have never made gifts before but were touched by the stories and the message.

Some wonder how these supplementary financial aid appeals will affect philanthropy in the next fiscal year and beyond. One heartening outcome may well be that new donors, especially younger alumnae who have responded to this challenge by giving for the first time, will keep on giving with continued cultivation and communication. Nothing is more important to donors than knowing their gift has a direct impact on the lives of our young students and their future. Communicating effectively and poignantly how these gifts are used makes all the difference in securing future donations.

Thoughtful trustees and staff realize that their priority must be to increase endowment and plan fundraising campaigns that highlight the genuine need for tuition aid. Now is the time to increase efforts to identify donors capable of making planned gifts targeted for student aid. Making a strong and urgent appeal for endowment through bequests, family foundation grants, and other types of targeted appeals for this cause, can be more successful now than other campaign goals. If you educate your donors well and make your case persuasive, they will understand that the mission of the school is at stake. If it is clear that you will generate income in perpetuity to provide the gift of possibility, they will respond by investing in the lives and futures of talented students.

At a time when everyone is cutting back their own budgets and turning down the lights and heat, acknowledgement that schools and colleges are doing so too is not news. What donors want to hear most is what you are going to do to help your students and their families afford this education. Even during this challenging time for fundraising, nothing has touched the hearts of loyal parents and alumnae more than helping to keep students in the school they cherish and giving them the opportunity for the wonderful educational experience they so value themselves. Let your donors who love the school know their support is more vital than ever and that their gift will make it possible to keep every student in school.

Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm based in Philadelphia; providing management, fundraising and marketing consulting for nonprofit organizations, along with full-service direct marketing, database and creative/production services.