• Jeff stated Rock & Roll Bingo raised approximately $13,000, about $5,000 more than last year
  • He credited:
    • Strong sponsorships
    • Better auction items
    • Higher engagement
• Star stated that event growth comes primarily from sponsorships, not ticket sales
  • Emphasized events should build relationships, not just raise money
• Group discussion raised concern that families may feel over-asked for money
  • Focus on avoiding “nickel and diming” the community
     
• Jeff reported on Hill View merchandise campaign:
  • 77 items sold
  • $730 raised
  • Below expectations
• Jeff stated he believed performance was impacted by:
  • Timing of campaign
  • Families already purchasing Lion King shirts
  • Limited publicity/marketing
• Group discussion agreed improvements needed:
  • Structured merch calendar:

-Start of year

-Holiday season

-Spring

• Stronger promotion so items actually reach families effectively

• Hannah introduced Starr Snead
  • Met at Montessori conference in January
  • Described Starr as highly experienced in school development strategy
• Hannah stated goal of the session:
  • Build a cohesive long-term development plan for the school
     
• Star stated core principle:
  • “Most funding comes from individuals, not events.”
  • “People give to people.”
• Jeff asked:
  • “How long does something like this take?”
• Star responded:
  • “A long time.”
  • Explained that development work is multi-year and relationship-driven
     
• Star explained funding structure should include:
  • Events (Bingo, merch) → supplemental income
  • Sponsorships → key growth area
  • Annual Fund → foundational giving stream
  • Individual major donors → primary long-term funding source
     
• Hannah asked:
  • “Can you give us a concise focus of what we should prioritize?”
• Star responded:
  • Build balance across funding types
  • Do not rely too heavily on events
  • Prioritize individual relationships and annual giving

• Scott asked about donor sources:
  • Whether giving comes from individuals or organizations
• Star responded:
  • Majority is individuals
  • Some corporate/foundation support, but smaller portion overall
     
• Andy stated need to structure donor outreach:
  • Categories should include:
    • Businesses
    • Parents
    • Grandparents
    • Alumni families
    • Community leaders / high-net-worth individuals
• Group agreed to begin organizing donor prospects into structured categories

• Scott asked about targeting larger businesses in Haverhill
• Star responded:
  • Yes, but success comes from relationships, not size of organization
  • Recommended starting with existing school connections first
     
• Star emphasized need for a donor database system
  • Must track relationships between people, not just names
• Scott asked if templates exist
• Star responded she will provide examples and suggested investing in a proper system
   
• Jeff stated current systems used for events are not sufficient long-term for development tracking
• Hannah asked about grants and whether they should be a focus
• Group discussion concluded:
  • Grants are helpful but secondary
  • Individual giving remains the primary strategy

• Star suggested improving events strategy rather than replacing them:
  • Add sponsorship tiers
  • Improve auction planning
  • Make fundraising purpose clearer
• Star introduced idea of a “Day of Giving”:
  • Example: $5 per family
  • Focus on participation rate, not total dollars
     
• Jeff stated concern about overburdening families with fundraising asks
  • Supported idea of simpler, participation-based campaigns
• Hannah agreed and emphasized need for balance in outreach
   
• Star concluded:
  • Start small, build systems, and prioritize relationships already connected to the school
  • “No is never no” — relationships can develop over time

Andy requested that we focus conversation in the next Dev Com. meeting to discuss messaging., so that we can developed a tight pitch deck that we can bring to potential donors. All members concurred.

• Finalize messaging strategy for donor outreach (clear, consistent language)
• Define structure and launch plan for an Annual Fund
• Decide on donor database system to track relationships 
• Build categorized donor list:
  • Families
  • Local businesses
  • Alumni families
  • Community leaders / high-net-worth individuals
• Define scope for summer intern (donor research + data gathering)
• Refine fundraising events strategy:
  • Rock & Roll Bingo improvements
  • Merch rollout schedule
  • Sponsorship development