On the Hail Mary Approach to Advancement

Time and again I hear board members and administrators in independent schools lament that, "If only [insert name of wealthy family] would come through, we could fund our capital campaign [or build an endowment or whatever]." The idea being that with one or maybe two whopper donations, the future of a school could be secured. True enough, but such wishful thinking reminds me of a "Hail Mary" play in sports: a single spectacular play that, against all odds, works and wins the game.

Hail Mary plays happen, but infrequently, and so are a lousy basis for a business strategy. To be fair, most of the time I hear the One-Wealthy-Family lament, it is late in a failing capital campaign or when the school needs quick cash it doesn't have to seize an opportunity. Then, the Hail Mary fantasy almost seems to make sense. Almost.

The problem (often) is that the governing board has failed to lay the groundwork for a successful advancement initiative by not insisting all along that the school be doing the crucial small things that pay off over time. Worse, too many boards collectively subscribe to the fantasy that someone else (not them) will come through with a big check; hence, the Hail Mary. The truth is that in many day school environments the only big checks likely to appear are those written by board members themselves. And, for a great many schools, it won't be a big check, but many small ones over time that will add up.

Whether or not a board subscribe to a Hail Mary fantasy is actually a good test for the advancement professional. Such a belief, absent an already-committed angel donor, is a set-up for failure.

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