Social media is an integral part of modern life, especially for adolescents who use technology for everything from education to socializing. It provides 24/7 connectivity; at its best, it promotes creativity and community, and makes it easier for people to communicate and share information.

It’s no secret that a successful Development program relies on relationships. Building those relationships has remained an essential—and delightful—component of the Development Officer's role for decades.

September was busy with lots of “first days” as schools started back for the year. Here at ISM we were busy introducing our newest members to all of the resources they’ll want to take advantage of in the coming year. Join us in welcoming our newest ISM members.

Creating content to inspire donations is a challenging feat for private school fundraisers. Donors want to know their contributions make a difference—they need to see a tangible impact on the school where their children invest their time. Conveying inspirational content with written messaging isn’t ...

For every school, the right preparation ensures a campaign's success. A campaign plan lays out the design and proposed steps for implementation: identify your prospects; engage your constituents; and solicit, recognize, and steward your donors. Your plan illustrates what the campaign will look like from establishing goals to achieving results.

On December 5, 2000, the Daily Mail newspaper ran a headline that seems humorous today: “Internet ‘may be just a passing fad as millions give up on it’.” This headline is humorous because it was so wrong even at the time it was published—the internet had between approximately 400 million users by 20...

When used effectively, publicly available data can give your school valuable insight to help develop private school marketing and enrollment strategies and optimize fundraising efforts. Government sources, census reports, and other community data can include beneficial demographic information, in...

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) is a tool to evaluate your school, assess your current situation, and develop strategies for improvement. SWOT analyses are popular in the business world and are common in private school marketing. Why might your school want to conduct a SW...

Substance use—now the appropriate term for what was once called substance abuse—often stems from underlying issues like anxiety, depression, trauma, or social isolation. Early intervention at home and at school can circumvent potential problems before they escalate. But addressing underlying issu...

“A school’s most important asset is the data it possesses. Data helps you make better and smarter decisions …. Every school and business is a data organization,” said Jesse Roberts, Brand General Manager for Unbound360—an innovative software platform from ISM that identifies new prospects and delive...