What inspired Balcarras to run a Giving Day?

Cuts in government funding have meant that school budgets are squeezed and even general maintenance of the school can be difficult to fund. We wanted to find a fun and inclusive way to raise some essential funding and celebrate our 40th Anniversary.

What were your main goals going into the campaign?

To raise as much money as possible whilst making it fun, inclusive and celebrating our anniversary. We did set the goal of £40,000 to align with our anniversary and were over the moon to have achieved £40,101!

Had you tried anything similar before?

The school has a gift aid scheme which has been very successful for several years. We have run fundraising for specific items, ie sound desk and a grand piano but on a much smaller scale.

How long did you spend planning the Giving Day?

We started about 3 months as a whole team. In retrospect we needed a bit longer!

Who was involved internally?

A full committee of staff: management, teachers, catering, support staff – approx. 12 people but driving forward was just 2- 3. Pupils were also involved in the activities and in designing the logo.

What support did you find most valuable from Hubbub during the setup?

They were great with defining the communication and engagement plan and general all round support and encouragement!

How did you promote the Giving Day to your community?

Via bromcom (school MIS), Facebook and Linkedin, (mainly Facebook), school newsletters and weekly updates to parents. The PTFA also used their WhatsApp channels to help promote activity and fundraising over the two days.

What types of content or activities worked particularly well?

We wanted to ensure that everyone could participate and contribute at a level that was meaningful for them so we held some activities alongside the emails being sent out.

These included a Cake sale and competition, the chance for parents to be a pupil for a day, a table tennis challenge, non uniform day (increasing the usual contribution suggestion from £1 to £5) a small raffle and an anniversary concert.

Were there any surprises during the live campaign?

We did have some problems with the school messaging system that caused delays on day one. The PTFA stepped in though on Facebook and their WhatsApp groups to ensure the messages were still getting through.

All the staff were overwhelmed by the beautiful supportive messages on the donor wall.

What were the headline results?

We exceeded our goal of £40,000 raising £40,101 from 219 online donations with gifts ranging from £1 to £2,000!

Beyond fundraising, what impact did the Giving Day have on your school community?

It was great for morale and as it was the school’s birthday – it was a great way to connect with former pupils and staff. It created a buzz and the news of what we achieved has travelled.

What did you find most enjoyable or rewarding about running the Giving Day? Were there any challenges?

I really enjoyed the financial side of things and working with lots of different people throughout the community. Personally, it was challenging to get the day job done as well as the activities planned. 

Is there anything you would do differently next time?

Get cover for the day job! Really felt like I failed at photography for example as I kept getting interrupted!

What would you say to other state schools considering a Giving Day?

“Do it!”

What are your top tips for making a Giving Day successful?

Surround yourself with a good team of doers, people who will get things done but not sweat the small stuff. Get the PTFA involved!

How achievable did the process feel for a state school with limited resources?

It is very achievable with some slight tweaks. Build on existing activity and communication channels and be brave!

Are you planning to run another Giving Day in the future and how has this experience shaped your approach to fundraising going forward?

Yes! We hope to make it an annual event.  It has embedded that what we are doing is right.

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