If a person had said to your school board, "We are going to spend a year in our homes and all of your students are going to do virtual school", your board would have probably considered having that person committed. However, we all did it, and no one saw it coming. Very few had a strategy to deal with it, and the role of the board in strategy became very visible and needed. School boards play a crucial role in the strategic operations of Christian education, However, the next 5 years are expected to bring a new set of challenges as educational landscapes continue to evolve. From adapting to career needs to managing political pressure, to adapting to possible changes in school choice, school boards will need to navigate complex issues to ensure students receive the best education possible! This episode shares some great food for thought on current & upcoming issues that every school needs to prepare for. 

In this episode, we have a conversation with philanthropist Wade McGuinn of McGuinn Homes. When learning about fundraising / development, we often focus on methods from within fundraising groups. But how often do we cross over the table and listen for the sake of learning from the givers themselves? Wade McGuinn provides some incredible insights of things we should consider when sharing our mission and building fellow missional champions. 

Fortify Foundation exists to financially sustain Christian schools. Often, Christian schools struggle to find the right path in marketing who they are and what they are seeking to accomplish which leads to missed opportunities in growing their philanthropic efforts and building their much needed endowment fund. 

In this podcast, we invite guest Andy Lynch, founder and CEO of Tassel, to join us to share an in-depth perspective of what it means to create healthy enrollment and how this ultimately impacts the financial growth and overall sustainability of your school.

Links & Resources 

• Fortify Insights Article: Assessing the Impact of Enrollment Health on Organizational Life   
• Tassel Website:
  https://www.tasselmarketing.com/contact/ 
• Fortify Foundation:
  www.fortifyfoundation.com 

Yes, you read that title right! A truly effective board should be contributing to the fundraising efforts of your organization! If it's not happening, why not? Could this possibly be an area for growth? What would that effectively look like for your school and how can we create a change in the culture if it hasn't been happening? This podcast lays the foundation for all these questions and more! 

As we continue our series on effective boards / board governance, Fortify Foundation invites Jeff Pickren of Covenant Christian Academy to share some wonderful insights on some of the past challenges they've faced along with current changes to avoid making some of those same past mistakes. Are your bylaws / policies including what they should be? 

Sean Corcoran is a 19 year veteran as a school head. He provides some incredible insights on what it's like to shift the model in board governance. Suggesting, implementing, and adapting to change isn't always easy but sometimes it's necessary for the betterment of an organization. Learn from an insider as to what it's like to go through change and come out on the other side. (Additionally, gain a tangent of incredible information as to what your development team could be.)

The Fortify team continues the discussion of board effectiveness by evaluating several areas that often plague many boards. What kind of relationship should administrators have with their board members? Are there missed opportunities from having shallow relationships or is their wisdom in keeping a respectful distance? What are some good ways to evaluate our board? How can a board move from being comfortable, complacent, and reactive to productive, strategic, and proactive?  And finally, how long should a board meeting last? (just for fun!)

In this episode, Edward Earwood, Ruston Pierce, and Brandon Allen discuss some of the differences between an effective and ineffective board. They take the time to answer some of the lingering questions that often get missed. What is the role of the board? What's the process in selecting board members? Who should serve on the board? How many should be on the board? What is a good balance of power between the board and administrators? And ultimately, what constitutes a good board member. This podcast lays down an initial foundation to a series of podcasts focusing on School Boards. 

We've talked about whether or not a school is ready for a capital campaign and how to plan for that campaign. In part 3 of this series, we walk through the actual campaign process. What to expect, how to plan, understanding and overcoming many of the challenges during a campaign. This is where the rubber meets the road! 

Now that you know your school has the capacity for a capital campaign, what are some things you need to consider prior to launch? What is the biggest reason for either a campaign's success or failure? In this episode, we cover the 6 c's of crafting a successful capital campaign. 

This is part 2 of a 3 part series where we dive into the surveying, planning, and execution of a capital campaign.