Halladay Education Group’s Inner Circle eZine Newsletter - March 23, 2007

Hi Inner Circle Member:

Happy Spring Equinox. My wife, our 2 kids and I spent the last few days down in the Seattle area for a mini-spring break. My son, Gresham (age 7), has been watching Red Lobster commercials on T.V. and had to find out how good their lobster meals really were at the Washington-based seafood restaurant chain. Well, there’s no influence like commercial TV to motivate buyers, so we headed south to the US (we’re literally right on the US border...as is 80% of Canada) for a little lobster-fest, shopping, and swimming in hotel pools. Though the traditional Pacific Northwest weather never strayed far from the liquid sunshine, we had a great time.

I’m a bit of a band-wagon Canuck’s hockey fan. This means that I jump on and off the bandwagon based on how well the Vancouver Canucks are performing in their standings. And right now they’re in first place in their division with the hottest goalie in the NHL, so I’m getting ready for a long play off run. Amazingly this can go right into June (ice and summer time just don’t make sense...oh well).

I’m always impressed by the continued interest by clients who are looking for help in starting their own school or to improve the operations and performance of their private school or non-profit. My clients come from North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Many find me through their Internet searches, while others are referred to me by word-of-mouth by other happy clients (and I thank you for your trust in my services).

I wish I could tell you about my updated website, but it’s about 99% there, and should be up by next Monday.

Enjoy today’s eZine,

Doug Halladay

President

Halladay Education Group Inc.
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

http://www.HalladayEducationGroupInnerCircle.blogspot.com

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In This Issue

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1. Why Do You Need A Strategic Plan?

2. Starting a School – Organizing a Well-Functioning First Board

3. Inner Circle Thought of the Week (it’s actually quite good!)

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1. Why Do You Need a Strategic Plan?

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Many School and Non-Profit leaders ask me if their organization really needs a strategic plan. It can be a lot of work and expense to an organization, and can pull resources away from every-day operations. My simple response is, “would you build a house without a blueprint?” NO! Continuing on, here are a number of other compelling reasons why your organization needs a strategic plan and can be easily justified.

1. MISSION CHANGE:

The most compelling reason for undertaking a strategic plan, and the most difficult to deal with, is when the mission of the organization (its purpose) is brought under question. Any time you have thoughts of changing the basic mission of the organization you will have a need to initiate the strategic planning process.

2. ORGANIZATIONAL UNCERTAINTIES:

Schools and non-profit organizations have to deal often with changing circumstances around them and make adjustments less traumatic than changing their mission. Although the organization’s purpose may be clear, the environments in which they do business (internally and externally) change, calling for modifications in how they do things. The strategic planning process allows leaders to hypothesize, peer into the future, and bring to the surface the uncertainties, making more informed decisions on the ways of moving forward.

3. DECISION MAKING:

Boards, Principals, Heads of School and their staff all need an inclusive and understandable basis for day-to-day decision making. Decisions in governance and management are more consistent when made purposely, with full examination of possible future consequences, within the framework of a set of determined priorities, and in harmony with the perspective of all of the organization’s programs and levels of authority. Strategic planning can give decisions that foundation.

4. FUND RAISING:

Most schools and non-profits need to attract donated money. A successful fund raising plan rests on a realistic determination of the funding needed and a persuasive statement of why people should contribute support. These essentials emerge best from strategic planning. Comprehensive planning is one of the key marks of readiness needed when undertaking the commitment that a major capital campaign requires.

5. RESOURCE ALLOCATION:

All organizations must delegate their resources and constantly be watchful in expending their revenues and assigning personnel. Board members of non-profits have a fiduciary role in financial responsibility. The approved budgets are financial plans for the short-term; strategic planning enables boards to enact sensible resource allocation over longer periods of several budget cycles.

6. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION:

The criteria used to measure and evaluate how well an organization is doing are established through strategic planning. In deed, there is no way to tell whether an organization is achieving its purpose unless somewhere along the way those purposes are clearly stated. Hence, your strategic plan forces school leaders to deal with the ‘means’ and ‘ends’ of the organization and whether they have been achieved and to what degree.

7. ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS:

Schools function as a team – the board, the Principal, and the staff. The strategic planning process magnifies team effectiveness, revealing the focus needed to be put on leadership. Planning measures board commitment and the fulfillment of its responsibilities and the mission, board support and oversight of the staff, and any micro-management or invasion of the staff’s management and operational duties. It will pinpoint the need for change in board composition, executive leadership, the organization, or the procedures needed to achieve the goals of the plan.

If you would like more information about Strategic Planning call me at 1-604-868-0002 or emailinfo@halladayeducationgroup.com , or go to: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/services.php?sub=strategic#topheader me at

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2. Starting a School – Organizing a Well-Functioning First Board

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When you are starting your school and shifting from an initial Steering Committee to a structured Board, you need to ensure that your Governance Model is based on sound fundamentals. You need to understand right from the beginning the roles, boundaries, and terms of reference for your board and committees...the critical distinction from governance and the administrator’s role, management. Though the 2 parties must work in mutual synergy and have an open, trusting relationship, the role of the board must be kept clear and distinct from that of the staff. But what is the role of the Trustees:

1). FOLLOW ONE-VOICE PRINCIPLE:

The board members have the authority to speak in their governance capacity only when attending official board meetings. When the board does speak, it speaks with 1 voice, rather than multiple voices of the individual trustees.

2). SIZE AND COMPOSITION:

There is no right answer to the question of how large a board should be. However, there is 1 clear trend toward smaller boards and toward structuring the board according to needs identified by the organization’s strategic plan. Hence, you will need enough members to fill your initial board committees, understanding that non-board members can also serve on these committees. You will need diversity, knowledge, skills to understand and evaluate options, and skills in starting the school (e.g., lawyer, accountant, realtor, educator).

3. BOARD MEETINGS:

Meetings that are carefully structured and efficiently conducted will help trustees feel that their time is well spent and the board adds value to the organization. Focusing agendas on strategic issues rather than on “administrivia” and listening reports.

4). COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES:

Subgroups of the board are critical to the successful implementation of the plan. However, for them to work well, each group needs to have a clear charge, and the board must resist the temptation to repeat committee discussions when their proposals reach the board. Additionally, the goals for the committees should be driven the strategic plan, with performance benchmarks laid out to be reviewed.

If you would like more information about Board Governance call me at 1-604-868-0002 or emailinfo@halladayeducationgroup.com , or go to: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/services.php?sub=online_assessments#topheader me at

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3. Inner Circle Thought of the Week

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Best newspaper headlines of years past.

1. Include Your Children When Baking Cookies

2. Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say

3. Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

4. Drunks Get Nine Months in Violin Case

5. Iraqi Head Seeks Arms

6. Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

7. Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

8. British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands

9. Teacher Strikes Idle Kids

10. Bush Wins Budget; More Lies Ahead

11. Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told

12. Miners Refuse to Work After Death

13. Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

14. Stolen Painting Found by Tree

15. Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout Counter

16. War Dims Hope for Peace

17. If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While

18. Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide

19. Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge

20. New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

21 Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Smile and enjoy your day.

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To your success,

Douglas Halladay

President and Founder
4316 Arthur Drive, Ladner, BC, Canada, V4K 2W8
P: 604.868.0002/F: 868.472.8737/Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S. If you’d like more information about how Halladay Education Group can help you with the following services, please email info@halladayeducationgroup.com or call us at 604-868-0002:

- Start a School

- Strategic Planning

- Board Governance Workshops

- Head of School Searches and Evaluations

- Coaching for Chairs and Heads

- Institutional Assessments

- Markets, Recruiting, and Admissions

- International Development Projects

P.P.S. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE MY ECOURSE ON STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFITS?

So far, more than +100 educators and non-profit leaders have signed up for my complimentary 10-part email mini-eCourse entitle, "Strategic Planning: The 10 Steps to Success." If you're not one of them, do it now. It provides a clear overview of the fundamentals needed to develop your own strategic plan and many secret short-cuts to ensure that you’re on track.

Sign up here by emailing the following address and putting in your subject, “Sign me up for the 10-part Strategic Planning mini-eCourse”:

info@halladayeducationgroup.com

Halladay Education Group’s Inner Circle eZine Newsletter March 17, 2007

Hi Inner Circle Member:

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. In the tradition of Ireland, we’re in for a weekend of rain here in Vancouver...it keeps everything green (and rusty!). My wife, kids, and I are going to an Irish Caelley tonight (Irish dancing and Guinness Beer). It should be a lot of fun. Tomorrow we’re heading downtown to the St. Patrick’s Day parade (let’s hope for a brief break in the weather).

Staying on the topic of St. Patrick’s Day, if you’re celebrating the Irish holiday, try out these questions of Irish trivia (Answers are at the bottom of the email):

1. What are the names of the members of the Irish rock band U2?

2. What is the alternative title of the song "Danny Boy"?

3. What are the colors of the flag of Ireland?

4. What were the shapes of the marshmallow pieces in the original Lucky Charms cereal? (For extra credit: What does the leprechaun say as a sales pitch for the cereal?)

5. What is the name of the Irish priest depicted by Spencer Tracy in the 1938 classic movie "Boys Town"? (For extra credit: What is the Boys Town motto?)

6. What is the minimum number of years that Irish whiskey is aged?

7. In Irish folklore, what is the traditional profession of a leprechaun?

8. In early television commercials for Irish Spring soap, a woman expresses her approval of the product by saying what phrase?

9. What type of meat goes into a traditional Irish stew?

10. What were the years of the Irish potato famine?

Enjoy today’s eZine,

Doug Halladay

President

Halladay Education Group Inc.

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

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In This Issue

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1. Your Fundraising Plan for a New School – Part 2

2. Inner Circle Thought of the Week (it’s actually quite good!)

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1. Fundraising Plan for a New School – Part 2

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INTRODUCTION

In Part 1 of my last eZine Newsletter on Fundraising for New Schools, I shared with you how critical fundraising for founders who are starting a new private school is – in fact, for any non-profit organization. Without adequate fundraising from the start, a new school will not be able to open. For a new school, startup costs will be an overwhelming focus. It’s vital to educate your community about the fiscal necessity of fundraising, and the expectation that everyone will contribute beyond tuition. In simple terms your fundraising plan needs to:

1. Develop your mini-stragic plan including your vision, mission, and values
2. Identify your fundraising needs
3. Determine your project costs and priorities
4. Develop your fundraising case -- developing a plan for a new school that is convincing and compelling, that identifies and justifies the school’s need for capital support
5. Then CULTIVATE – EDUCATE – SOLICIT

Now let’s talk more about the “Fundamentals of a Case for Support” and the “Phases of Fundraising.”

ELEMENTS OF A CASE FOR SUPPORT:

1. Summary
2. The school’s vision statement (An image or description of the school community you aspire to become in the future. It answers the question “If we could create the school of our dreams and have the impact we most desire, what would we look like in that year?”)
3. The school’s mission statement (States the purpose of the school’s existence. It answers the questions WHY we exist; WHY we are committed to support that existence, WHO we serve, and HOW we serve them)
4. Develop the core values (Answers the question HOW we will treat each other and other clients - students, parents)
5. Determine how much capital is needed
6. Describe how the money specifically will be spent
7. A campaign to meet these needs
8. The number and level of gifts required
9. Ways to give
10. Recognition opportunities
11. Campaign leaders

FUNDRAISING PHASES:

1). Feasibility and Planning Study Phase

A. Develop and confirm the timetable

B. Develop the purpose, intent, and information to be gathered

C. Feasibility Study provides findings, opinions, perceptions, and intentions about the School:

* Case for support

* Individual donors

* Campaign

* Wider community

D. The Feasibility Study provides recommendations about the:

* Campaign goals (fundraising targets)

* Case for support

* Campaign timetable

* Pre-campaign activities

* Campaign organization

* Campaign strategies

* Overall institutional image

E. Develop a list of internal (staff and board) and external (individuals families, donors, supporters) to be involved in study

F. Determine key messages and communication channels best suited for each constituency group

G. Conduct surveys and interviews to determine the level of acceptance and degree of support for the school’s development plans

H. Bring to light strengths the school can highlight during the campaign

I. Gather input from major stakeholders

J. Identify giving and recognition systems

K. Identify categories of giving (e.g., cash levels, naming rights)

L. Identify the specific constituency groups, the level of anticipated support, and who/how they should be cultivated and solicited (e.g., event, mail, phone-a-thon, in-person)

* Identify top supporters

* Create a working data-base (e.g., Raiser’s Edge)

2). Preparation and Readiness Phase

A. Form the Steering/Development Team and determine roles

B. Complete the Campaign Plan based on the findings of the Study

* Premises and purposes

* Timetable

* Goal setting and sharing

* Campaign organization

* Campaign leadership and job descriptions

* Tables of gifts needed

* Named gift opportunities

* Gift acceptance and crediting policies

* Solicitation guidelines

* Premises and purposes

* Timetable

* Goal setting and sharing

* Campaign organization

* Campaign leadership and job descriptions

* Tables of gifts needed

* Named gift opportunities

* Gift acceptance and crediting policies

* Solicitation guidelines

* Campaign communications and events

* Case statement

* Solicitation stages and phases

* The role of the capital campaign

* Role of the Board

* Campaign budget

* Methods of evaluation

C. Establish Development or Campaign Office

D. Hire necessary staff

E. Recognize and recruit a leadership team prepared to lead by example

F. Recruit, educate, and inspire a dynamic team of volunteers

G. Craft and articulate the final Case for Support along with other strategic communications and marketing materials

H. Conduct further research into current constituencies and possible “Gifts in Kind”

I. Campaign Announcement

J. Begin executing marketing and awareness strategies

K. Cultivation events conducted

L. Begin to secure commitments of Leadership Gifts

M. Establish Foundation if needed

3. Implementation Phase

A. Campaign commencement

B. Leadership Gift Phase

C. Special campaign launch events conducted

D. Marketing and awareness strategy execution continues and intensifies

E. Presentation to various constituencies

F. Special gift phase visits for all key constituencies

G. All constituent groups solicited

4. Follow-up Phase

A. Analyze campaign for follow-up plan/program

B. Report to the board

C. Follow-up program/plan implemented

D. Design on-going Development Program

DON’T MAKE THE BIG MISTAKE:

Before you jump right in there start asking people for money (which is the #1 mistake most people make), you need to prepare your case. The extra time you put into the details, the more successful you will be.

Let me repeat, success lies in preparation and the details. Don’t let members of your team just jump right in there without doing your home work. Remember two things:

1. It’s not “Ready – Shoot – Aim”
   
2. You need the right person, communicating the right message, to the right audience, at the right time, and in the right way to get the donation you want (don’t forget this!!)

CRITICAL FUNDRAISING PRINCIPLES:

• 1 to 2% of donors contribute 50%; 8-9% of donors provide 40%; last 90% contribute 10%
• Asking people for money is the last step in the process -- fundraising is 80% cultivation and 20% asking
• People give to people
• The more people participate the higher the level of ownership and the more they will want to give to empower the vision
• Givers tend to ask two key questions:
• How was my donation used?
• What effect did my donation make?
• Tell stories of what is being accomplished

Well there you have it – Fundraising 101 in a nut shell. I’ve share a lot of information with you, but it’s the fundamental info you’ll need to start raising capital to start your school. Remember fundraising is as much an art as it’s a science. Now get out there and do it!!

If you would like more information about STARTING YOUR OWN SCHOOL call me at 1-604-868-0002 or email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com , or go to: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/services.php?sub=school_formation#topheader

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2. Inner Circle Thought of the Week

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The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle; when 24 hours in a day are not enough; remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided,

"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained; your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter; like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your spouse out to dinner.

Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter--

Set your priorities.

"The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.

"I'm glad you asked."

"It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem; there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Smile and enjoy your day.

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To your success,

Douglas Halladay
President and Founder

Halladay Education Group
4316 Arthur Drive, Ladner, BC, Canada, V4K 2W8
P: 604.868.0002/F: 868.472.8737/Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

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ANSWERS TO THE ST. PATRICK’S DAY QUIZ

1. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.

2. Londonderry Air. The lyrics were written by an English lawyer named Fred Weatherly to a traditional tune.

3. Green representing Roman Catholics, orange representing Protestants and white in between representing living together in peace.

4. Hearts, moons, stars and clovers. Shapes added to later versions of the cereal included horseshoes, pots of gold, rainbows and red balloons. (Extra credit answer: "They're always after 'me Lucky Charms." Or, "They're magically delicious.")

5. Father Flanagan. (Extra credit answer: "There is no such thing as a bad boy.")

6. To scare away the devil.

7. Four. The usual distilling age is 7 to 8 years. Premium Irish whiskies are aged many more years.

8. A cobbler or shoemaker.

9. "Manly, yes, but I like it too."

10. Lamb or mutton chops.

11. 1845 to 1849.

P.S. If you’d like more information about how Halladay Education Group can help you with the following services, please email info@halladayeducationgroup.com or call us at 604-868-0002:

- Start a School

- Strategic Planning

- Board Governance Workshops

- Head of School Searches and Evaluations

- Coaching for Chairs and Heads

- Institutional Assessments

- Markets, Recruiting, and Admissions

- International Development Projects

P.P.S. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE MY ECOURSE ON STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFITS?

So far, more than +100 educators and non-profit leaders have signed up for my complimentary 10-part email mini-eCourse entitle, "Strategic Planning: The 10 Steps to Success." If you're not one of them, do it now. It provides a clear overview of the fundamentals needed to develop your own strategic plan and many secret short-cuts to ensure that you’re on track.

Sign up here by emailing the following address and putting in your subject, “Sign me up for the 10-part Strategic Planning mini-eCourse”:

info@halladayeducationgroup.com

Halladay Education Group Inner Circle eZine - March 6, 2007

Hi Inner Circle Member:

Well, I thought I’d be announcing the launch of my new and improved web site this week, but it looks like it will be another week...sigh. In the end, the wait will be worth it. The site will be more interactive, informative, and will have an Online Store, where you can invest in products that will help you start your own private or charter school, or develop your own strategic plan like the pros.

Right now I’m also working on a School Formation Toolkit with an additional 10-CD set that will help people start their own school...I’ll keep updated on when it will be available.

Right now, I'm helping out my daughter’s choir group, providing advice on how to put together their 2^nd Gala Dinner and Silent-Live Auction. Last year we put together the 1^st dinner/auction and raised over $20,000. That’s going from an organization with no history of fundraising to putting together an event and culture where people were thrilled to give and give even more. Well, this year our goal is to double that, while fine tuning what has already been done.

For any organization, be it a new or existing school, or non-profit, fundraising is the life blood of the organization. And it starts right from the top. The board of governors needs to demonstrate their belief in the organization by being good role models and giving at a level that reflects their excitement in what the school or non-profit is doing. Trust me, as someone whose led and participated in a lot of annual and capital campaigns, you need the board to lead the way. Without their financial endorsement others will look around and say, “If they won’t do it, why should I?” And it’s true, so don’t be cheap.

Well, today as you’ve probably guessed, I’m going to talk more about how to put together a Fundraising Plan to start a school. It’ll be a 2-part eZine story, with the 1^st installment today.

Now before you delete the email, there are a lot of commonalities in the mechanics of raising funds for a new school that can be directly applied to an existing school or non-profits.

So if you can spare about 3 minutes in your busy day, please read on.

Enjoy,

Doug Halladay
President

Halladay Education Group Inc.
4316 Arthur Drive, Ladner (Delta), BC, Canada, V4K 2W8
C: 604.868.0002 / F: 1.866.472.8737 / E: info@halladayeducationgroup.com
Skype (free Internet calling): dhalladay1
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

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In This Issue

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1. Your Fundraising Plan for a New School

2. Inner Circle Jokes of the Week (come on, you like them!) ;>)

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1. Fundraising Plan For A New School

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INTRODUCTION

Fundraising for founders of new private schools is a vital role. Without adequate fundraising from the start, a new school will not be able to open. For a new school, startup costs will be an overwhelming focus. Founders will need to raise enough money to pay the:

• Initial administrative salaries during the planning phase
• Purchase or lease land and facilities, architect’s fees, renovations, permits, etc.
• Capital goods, equipment, computers, internet, library resources, and furniture
• Admissions and marketing expenses
• Advertising and recruiting faculty
• Fundraising expenses

COMMUNITY AWARENESS

It’s vital in your first step to educate your community about the fiscal necessity of fundraising. Parents need to understand early on in the process that they will be EXPECTED to contribute beyond tuition. If not there will be lower fundraising yields and increased parent resentment, and they will feel less compelled to give. And of course, there will be fewer resources in the classroom. It’s as simple as that.

Private school tuition can never cover all the costs of operations. And when you’re starting a new school, you’ll need to raise even more funds to cover the initial startup costs (marketing, salaries, etc), and a capital campaign to build your school. A school like Sage Hills School near L.A. raised $30,000,000 over 2 years to build their school. As the founding Head, Clint Wilkins pointed out, you need to know what you’re raising the money for, how much, and then get out there and raise the money. CULTIVATE – EDUCATE – SOLICIT.

IDENTIFY YOUR FUNDRAISING NEEDS

But before you start to develop a fundraising plan and case, you need to spend time figuring out how much money you think you will need. When putting together an estimate, you need to be realistic and conservative, not counting on promised goods or services until you have them. Unanticipated costs should also be budgeted as a necessary precaution. The estimate should be detailed as possible to ensure all expenses are determined. The fundraising campaign itself will cost money:

• Publications
• Staffing
• Events

A good rule of thumb is that expenses will consume 5% of the fund-raising goal.

FUNDRAISING CASE

The first maxim in fundraising is to “know yourself” -- your “Fundraising Case.”

To be able to present a plan for a new school convincingly and compellingly, you need to flesh out your ideas. You need to have clear “vision” and “mission” statements of what the school is to become.

Also, you need to have a strong sense of how much money it will take to make your school a reality.

Part of the process in developing your Fundraising Case is to initially develop a higher level strategic plan. The central purpose of the strategic planning is to develop, confirm, or modify the organization’s mission ‑‑ its purpose and values – and be in agreement with a vision of what the organization wants to be and do in the coming years. Without a vision of success, organizational members may not know enough to fulfill the mission.

MISSION: Your mission clarifies an organization’s purpose, or why it should be doing what it does

VISION: Your vision clarifies what it should look like and how it should behave as it fulfills it mission.

CORE VALUES: With the core values, they encompass an organization’s fundamental purpose, philosophy, and values.

The mission (what’s your business) and vision (what you’re committed to) statements summarize your organization’s purpose, direction, and values (what you believe). While they may be brief, the information compressed in the mission and vision statements is concentrated and crucial. They constitute the DNA of the organization – the master templates from which specific actions and programs evolved.

Once the “visioning” of the strategic plan is developed, founders should then develop their case statement to identify and justify the school’s needs for capital support. The case statement should be concise, clear, and compelling. It should capture the founders’ passion and image of the school they envision. It will delve into how much money is needed and how those funds will be spent. Ideally, it will break done the total amount into specific ways for donors to give and will present various opportunities for donor recognition. The case should answer who, what, why, when, and how – about the needs the campaign will meet.

Next week we’ll finish off with the 2^nd installment on fundraising for a new school, looking at the “Fundamentals of a Case for Support” and the “Phases of Fundraising.”

If you would like more information about STARTING YOUR OWN SCHOOL call me at 1-604-868-0002 or email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com , or go to: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/services.php?sub=school_formation#topheader

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2. Inner Circle Jokes of the Week

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GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:

1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2) When your Mum is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fibre, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD

1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:

1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.

SUCCESS:

At age 4 success is . . . not piddling in your pants.

At age 12 success is . . . having friends.

At age 17 success is . . having a drivers license.

At age 35 success is . . having money.

At age 50 success is . . . having money.

At age 70 success is . .. . having a drivers license.

At age 75 success is . . . having friends.

At age 80 success is . . . not piddling in your pants.

Smile and enjoy your day.

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To your success,

Douglas Halladay
President and Founder

4316 Arthur Drive, Ladner, BC, Canada, V4K 2W8
P: 604.868.0002/F: 868.472.8737/Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

P.S. If you like these tips, please feel free to pass them on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

P.P.S. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE MY ECOURSE ON STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFITS?

So far, more than +100 educators and non-profit leaders have signed up for my complimentary 10-part email mini-eCourse entitle, "Strategic Planning: The 10 Steps To Success." If you're not one of them, do it now. It provides a clear overview of the fundamentals needed to develop your own strategic plan and many secret short-cuts to ensure that you’re on track.

Sign up here by emailing the following address and putting in your subject, “Sign me up for the 10-part Strategic Planning mini-eCourse”:

info@halladayeducationgroup.com

Halladay Education Group’s Inner Circle eZine - Feb 26/07

Hi Inner Circle Member:

Whew, I’m just coming up for air right now. I’m working with my webmaster to finish off developing my new web site, and I hope to launch it the middle of next week. It’s a much more interactive site, with additional free information on how to lead and operate your existing private school, as well as how to start your own school. One unique service I’m including in the “new look” website is an “Online Store.” You’ll be able to invest in a number of products including my Webinar Series on ‘Starting Your Own School’ (K-12, Charter, Junior, Senior, or College). I’ll also be allowing you to invest in my Strategic Planning Toolkit, where you’ll be able to learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan like the pro’s with an easy to follow, step-by-step, all-in-one Toolkit containing a 101 page Manual and 98 page Workbook, and 4 CD’s, including a powerful Power Point presentation to walk you through the entire process. I want to get this into as many hands as possible, so I’ll being discounting the first 100 that go out.

On a parallel note, I’m also optimizing my web site so that it’s search engine friendly. For those techies out there, that means aligning my key words with the Meta tags and copy for each web page. Yep, I know, your eyes are starting to glaze over (I call this ‘screen saver’), so I won’t talk too much more on this topic. But I do want to emphasize that every one of you should not only have a web site, but you should make sure that it’s optimized so that your clients (parents, students, staff, alumnae, friends) can find your it in a natural search (using your key words) – you should test this theory right now (did you turn up on the 1^st page?). I used to think it was magical process and that over time the search engines would find my school’s web site ‑‑ they would just follow the yellow brick road. But I was wrong. It’s not that easy; not with over a billion web sites out there to search through. So you do need to spend more time with your techie ensuring that your web site is attractive, informative, validates to your current parents why they chose your school, inspires potential parents/students to select your school, and is search engine friendly so that people can find your site.

Today I’m going to talk about a topic that is a challenge for many private schools and non-profits. It’s the working relationship between the Head-Principal-Executive Director and the Board.

Enjoy,

Doug Halladay

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In This Issue

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1. The Head-Board Relationship

2. Inner Circle Jokes of the Week

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1. The Head-Board Relationship

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OVERVIEW:

Based on my professional research on the common attributes of effective schools, one of the most critical elements is a strong and healthy Board-Head relationship, and their joint efforts to achieve the mission and strategic plan of the private school.

Exceptional boards govern in an interdependent partnership with their CEO. They recognize that they can’t govern well without the CEO’s collaboration and the CEO can’t lead the organization to it full potential without the board’s support. However, in less than stellar schools, there can be an oppositional atmosphere and an unclear understanding of roles and responsibilities. You have blurred boundaries and confused roles. And what do you get...a private school unable to achieve its mission.

It’s important to understand the role that the Board and Head have in achieving the mission and goals of the strategic plan. The Board’s role is to develop the strategic, long-range plans for the school; “directing/developing” goals and policy, monitoring their implementation. The Head’s role is to lead the “operations” side to implement the goals/policies, with the Head and staff being held accountable for meeting Board expectations, which is clearly outlined and monitored within the goals/policies.

However, in small schools, new private schools, or schools where the boundaries or roles and responsibilities have blurred or overlapped, this may not be the case. In effective schools, Board members develop goals and policies with the assistance of the Head, and do not get down in the trenches (the operational side). However, in some limited cases, a Board member may have knowledge and a passion for a specific skill that may benefit the school (a skill that the school staff does not have or the school cannot finance); skills that the school may want to tap into and to provide staff access to.

However, this next tip is critical --> Board members need to make sure that they don't overstep and over commit themselves, and cross over from the strategic side (Board) to the operations side (management).

At a Board level, a goal should be achievable, measurable, relevant, and timely, with it being implemented by the Head and the staff. But since a Board member may have an "advisory role", there is a need to make sure that there is no confusion over the "chain-of-command". It is important to ensure that the Board's authoritative position and its obligation to its constituency be maintained, even when it is in the position to give advice, that by definition may or may not be heeded (e.g., do staff members put themselves in jeopardy if they do not heed it?).

FUNDAMENTAL RULES:

Good Board-Head delegation can be characterized by 4 simple rules:

(1). The Board will express its instructions and expectations only as a group, not as individuals or committees;

(2). The Board will express its instructions and expectations only to the Head, never to persons who work for the Head;

(3). The function and agenda for a Board committee be developed jointly with the Head.

(4). Advice to staff from Board members can be workable with sound ground rules. Since the Board can only instruct the Head when it does so as a group, nothing an individual Board members says can have instructional authority. Thus, Board member advice is fine, but commands are not. So advice can be considered by staff on its merits alone.

SUMMARY:

It’s important to ensure that the line between “instructing” (which a full Board does) and “advising” (which Board member can do) does not get blurred and confusing for the Head and staff. The unintended result is that the staff ends up working not for the Board or Head per se, but for various sources of "advice", which they can never be completely sure is really only advice. Staff members are not inclined to tell Board members that their advice is unhelpful. Would you tell your ‘boss’ that their advice or assistance is not working? Probably not.

In other words, the Board “directs/develops” goals and the Head/staff control the "processes", and the Board members wear his/her "instructional hat" at the Board meetings only, not at the committee level. Thus the Head/staff is held accountable for meeting Board expectations (clearly outlined in the goals/policies of the Board’s strategic plan), not the individual Board members or the committees.

It’s important to make sure that the staff is free to review the advice and make the appropriate choices (processes) needed to accomplish the goals. Hence, a Board member’s place on a committee is two fold:

(1). Providing feedback to the Board for the development of goals/ policies (governing) at the Board meeting level;

(2). Advising, with the Head/staff making the final decisions on the processes to achieve the goals/policies, being careful of the balance between the two.

When you have a small school or a start-up, everyone chips on to help out. You may not have a lot of money to support your vision (e.g., computer technician, accountant, lawyer, marketing), so members of the board help out, where normally a staff member or a consultant would do the job. This can be great: you save money; there is pride and buy-in. But what happens if the job they are doing isn’t working out? Who tells the board member to either improve what they are doing, or stop it completely? Hmm, is it the Head? He or she would be dealing with a board member’s poor performance...people’s feelings may be hurt. Trust I’ve been there, I know it can be difficult. So if you do go down this road, make sure that you’ve clearly outline the boundaries and roles of the individual board member, and what to do if the operational task they’re performing doesn’t work out. You don’t want a board member to quite over it, but neither do you want to go against the principles of effective schools and board governance.

If you would like more information about my Board Performance Workshop call me at 1-604-868-0002 or email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com , or go to: http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/services.php?sub=online_assessments#topheader
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2. Inner Circle Jokes of the Week

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COMEDIAN STEVEN WRIGHT FOR THE MOMENT

What's another word for thesaurus?

I installed a skylight in my apartment.... The people who live above me are furious!

I used to work at a factory where they made hydrants; but you couldn't park anywhere near the place.

I got my driver's license photo taken out of focus on purpose. Now when I get pulled over, the cop looks at it (moving it nearer and farther, trying to see it clearly), and says, "Here, you can go."

And when I get real, real bored, I like to drive downtown and get a great parking spot, then sit in my car and count how many people ask me if I'm leaving.

FUN FACTS OF THE MOMENT

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.

The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma

No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven (7) times. Oh go ahead...I'll wait...

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

Most dust particles in your house are made from DEAD SKIN!

Walt Disney was afraid OF MICE!

It is possible to lead a cow upstairs... but, not downstairs.

A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six (6) feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. (I keep my toothbrush in the living room now!)

And the best for last..... Turtles can breathe through their butts.

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To your success,

Douglas L.J. Halladay

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President and Founder

4316 Arthur Drive, Ladner, BC, Canada, V4K 2W8

P: 604.868.0002/F: 868.472.8737/Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

P.S. If you like these tips please pass them on to your friends, clients and colleagues.

P.P.S. HAVE YOU RECEIVED MY ECOURSE ON STARTING YOUR OWN SCHOOL?

So far, more than +300 educators and non-profit leaders have signed up for my complimentary 15-part email mini-eCourse called "15 Critical Steps To Starting Your Own School." If you're not one of them, do it now. I provide a clear overview of the fundamentals needed to start your own PreK-12 school or Post Secondary Institution and many secret short-cuts to ensure that you start the school of your dreams – there’s no second chance to make a first impression on opening day.

Sign up here by emailing the following address and putting in your subject, “Sign me up for the 15-part email mini-eCourse”:

info@halladayeducationgroup.com