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�������� schools finance their operating expenses with tuition and fees. In other words, a school's income from tuition and fees offsets salaries, utilities, and all the other line items in a school's operating budget. Assuming that the admissions staff fill all the places and that the finance people have calculated projected income and expenses correctly, the school hopefully will break even at the end of the fiscal year. But remember that running any enterprise like a school also includes anticipating unexpected expenses. It's much the same situation that you and I find ourselves in when we suddenly have to pay for an unbudgeted expense. When that happens, you and I dip into our savings or charge the expense to our credit cards. That's fine for you and me; however, a private school doesn't operate that way. Instead, the treasurer maintains a rainy day fund or funds held in reserve. That's where endowing a teaching position comes in.

When you endow a teaching position at the private school that gave you such a great start, you express your confidence in the school and its mission. Your gift becomes an integral part of the school's branding. It helps to market the school and makes the school's balance sheet more stable. So let's explore how you can make this happen.

Giving during your lifetime

Discuss your idea with the school. Begin by speaking with the head of school, even if he or she is someone you do not know very well.

Marketing the small private school is a challenge in the best of times. In the post-pandemic world we all live in, that challenge often seems impossible. It is not when you handle it head-on. You can't ignore it or make excuses. Denial or procrastination will not solve the problem. Identifying your school's brand will help point you in the right direction. So, here are a couple of things you can do to improve the marketing of your school. While I am writing this article for the head or owner of a school, many points fit a parent's viewpoint.

What follows are primary questions you need to ask yourself and your marketing committee if you have one. The answers will help drive your marketing program.

Who are your prospective families?

What are the demographics of your community? The has most of the data you need to answer that question. Using , draw a ten-mile radius circle with your school at the center. Note which towns, cities, villages fall within that circle. Red flags would include communities with many retired people and homes with few or no children under 12. Investigate current property values with . The higher the property values and rents are, the more likely it will be that families can afford to send their kids to your school or any private school, for that matter. Understanding the demographics of your community is very important.

You run a small private school. You're facing many challenges filling seats. You're concerned about how next year's intake will look. With all the unexpected expenses facing you during the pandemic, you can't afford to hire a marketing firm to promote your school. So, what to do? The answer to that question lies in your school's unique trove of photos, news, testimonials, awards, and other memorabilia. I'm presuming that you have all those materials saved somewhere on your school's computers. If they are spread about over several computers, save them all in one system that is backed up securely. Better yet, save them in the cloud. These materials are unique and priceless. Saving them securely in the cloud is an expense that you should consider as cheap insurance. (I'm not sure how your accountant will allocate that expense, but we'll let her decide.)

Where am I going with this? Well, take a moment to look at commercial websites or commercial Instagram accounts. The photos and the artwork grab your attention, don't they? They draw you into their story. They help deliver the message. That's all I'm suggesting that you do with your collection of digital photos. They're unique. They'll your story to a stranger who knows nothing about your school and how excellent its reputation and academics are. They're one of the first steps in generating contact by email or phone with your school. You know how to convince parents to send their children to your school. But

On March 27, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stimulus Act of 2020 (the "CARES Act"). What is the Act's purpose and who does it benefit? According to ,

"Title I of the CARES Act establishes, among other things, the Paycheck Protection Program (the "Paycheck Program") providing for up to $349,000,000,000 in forgivable loans to business concerns which are backed by the United States Small Business Administration (the "SBA"). The Paycheck Program is a short-term program for the "Covered Period" from February 15, 2020, until June 30, 2020, and loans are capped at the lesser of 2.5x a borrower’s LTM average monthly payroll or $10,000,000 per borrower."

Shortly after that, we began to hear stories about businesses that received loans and didn't appear on the surface as the kind of company that should receive a loan. According to the , " Some large hotel and restaurant chains meant for Main Street businesses, prompting calls for changes." So did several private K-12 schools, according to the . The reason why the media criticizes private schools for accepting CARES loans seems to be the optics. As UCLA education professor Tyrone Howard said, “That’s not a good look... There’s just something that’s not equitable about that.” Apparently, the private schools are being criticized because they have endowments. The popular thinking seems to be that if

Raising money to benefit your private school is something as omnipresent as the four walls of your office. It's always there. It never goes away. Even schools which have large endowments seem to be constantly raising money. They can usually afford to hire Development Directors and can count on a couple of generous alumni to prime the pump for their multi-million dollars capital campaign. But what about small schools which desperately need money over and above what they can raise through tuition and fees? This article is for those schools. Hopefully, it will encourage you to see fundraising the way large schools do.

I have based these tips, suggestions, and strategies on over thirty-five years as a church musician. I was always raising money for one project or another. Finding the money to purchase a new pipe organ ($100,000) or raising money for a choir trip to England ($50,000) were major challenges for me back in the 80s. Now that I am semi-retired, I am the social media director and digital content creator for a small . The station's entire operating budget is listener-supported and raised through 2 major fund drives and constant messaging. We have been doing that for over 40 years. You've heard your local NPR station hold on-air fund drives, haven't you? That's what we do too. My point is that I understand the challenges which you are facing raising money for your small school.

The beginnings of modern philanthropy