Advancement Committee Meeting Minutes

September 12, 2025, 8:30-9:30 AM

Friday September 12, 2025 at 8:30 AM

ANCS Admin Offices

423 Georgia Ave

Atlanta, GA 30312

(entrance on Cherokee Ave)

In accordance with Georgia's open meetings requirements, notice of this meeting has been posted at both campuses and on the ANCS website.

Bex Godsey, Evan Saadat, Jen Hidinger-Kendrick, NaTasha Woody-Wideman, Rebecca Wagner, Robin Hubier, Wakita Jacobs

Ashley Coogan, Barrett Krise, Susannah Darrow

Alastair Pullen

Rebecca Wagner called a meeting of the Advancement Committee of Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School to order on Friday Sep 12, 2025 at 8:32 AM.

Jen Hidinger-Kendrick made a motion to approve the minutes from Advancement Committee Meeting on 05-09-25.

Wakita Jacobs seconded the motion.

The committee VOTED to approve the motion.

Goal is 100% participation of families. Ended last year at 60%, and we’re already at 61%.
Donor appreciation event to be held on 10/22 at Mediterranea. Gratitude-only event for people who gave over $1K in FY25. Will share a lovely note from a student alum whose career was shaped by Chef Bradley; wiill share more broadly later but want to share the story at the donor appreciation event first.
We have an increased number of grandparents in the $1K+ group so move the event to be in Grandparents & Special Friends Week. We get their email addresses at the event. There are typically many early arrivals for Grandparents Day so we could have morning coffee out there and information about Gather & Grow, book plate for library books, perhaps sponsor a farm plant/plot, etc.
From January-March, we don’t have much going on. For Spring Drive, it’s more electronic communication. Historically this has been focused more on EC campus because of the longer-term potential; need to think through how to engage the Middle School as parents aren’t on campus as often.
We get 700 gifts a year and use Boomerang to track. Trying to have a wealth screening in early January.

Sponsorship has been slower; taking Wonderball off the calendar may have impacted sponsors that were invested in that event specifically in the past. We will go back to them with new opportunities for the spring.
Have lost a few sponsors but have gained others at the same level.
Increased our recurring donorship over the spring drive.
Background note: The Gather & Grow Fund is the annual fund (general fund, not restricted funds). There is not a capital campaign fund yet.
ANCS Music Fest is tonight and is meant to be more of a community gathering. Music Fest is a low-stakes, low cost event. Plan to do a post-mortem with ideas for next year (e.g., childcare).
Planning to do moves management dinners with select donors. Think these could be an effective fundraising tool without the large budget of our big events (e.g., $20K for Wonderball).
- The committee should feel free to explain to our community members and answer questions about why we are not doing Wonderball anymore (i.e., the event has seen a net loss in recent years so we’re shifting to PTCA doing community building events and the school doing other activities for fundraising.)

Want each team member to focus their time on 1-2 areas rather than spread out over many areas:
- PTCA support/Community interest and giving - rally the parents and support Wakita and the PTCA
- Foundation Creation - will have its own board
- Major donors/Events - individual donors and events
- Corporate/Sponsors - nurturing existing relationships and bringing in new partnerships
- Comms/Recurring Giving - built upon case for support last year and different audiences for that resource; think about what can we supply leaders with for communication opportunities.
- (Data analysis is another area that could use support)
Let Rebecca know by the end of the month which area(s) you’d like to support.
Need to shift monthly committee time (will be week before board meeting); Bex is available: M, TH, F 8:30-12:30. Send Rebecca our availability during these dates. Prefer to be in-person when possible, but virtual is ok.

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 9:17 AM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Rebecca Wagner