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Over the past few weeks, I have been working to understand the existing fundraising practices and policies at our school.
Laura and I met with the Grade 12 Class to discuss their year-end service trip and how the Development Office can support their targeted fundraising efforts. We also met with the Grade 11 Class Advisors to learn about how the High School faculty is charged with inspiring, encouraging and coordinating fundraising for each grade (9-12). Several other conversations have pertained to class-specific activities that are in the planning stages for the Spring Fair (April 13). Last Friday, my children and I enthusiastically participated in the Chinese New Year celebration which raised over $1,100 for the school's much-needed roof repair. Meanwhile, planning for the 2nd annual New Moon Social community connection fundraiser is underway (June 5), as is a re-envisioning of how the Children's Christmas Fair may best serve as both a gift from parents to children and as a fundraiser.
Taking the time to explore these tangentially related intersections of convention, tradition, practice, and policy has enabled me to see that now is the time to connect the dots when it comes to fundraising at our school. As I peel back layer upon layer of the difficult to name, but nonetheless strong VWS culture, I continually see a will to collaborate, an openness to change, and a clear request for inclusivity.
As we begin to develop a structural framework to ensure that funds raised through school-wide fundraising initiatives, like the Grocery Card Program, are collected, managed, and allocated transparently, I thought it important to affirm that this will all be done in collaboration with our key stakeholders: you.
Please feel welcomed to reach out to me at any time if you would like to chat about any of the above. Stay tuned for another Development Office update after the break.
Mary Henley
Community & Resource Development Manager
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