CASE Presents: Building a Development Office That Works-CASE Presents - AKS Lytham

CASE Presents - AKS Lytham - Presentation

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Sarah Walton, Director of Marketing and Development at AKS Lytham, describes building a Development Office from scratch as a solo operation. Success depends on leadership buy-in, clear strategy, managing expectations and acting as the “conductor” who coordinates the work.<br /><br />The office’s planning framework includes an impact report, annual delivery plan, key performance indicators and a three-year fundraising and engagement strategy. A balanced scorecard tracks performance across four areas: alumni engagement, financial results, internal processes, and learning and growth. Measures include event attendance, meaningful interactions, volunteer hours, communications engagement, donations and pledges, database growth, qualified prospects, and feedback from alumni, students and parents. Key priorities are building alumni relationships, marketing and communications, and establishing policies and procedures. The database is a core foundation for this work, with early targets of 1,000 online profiles and 400 event sign-ups.<br /><br />The Foundation launched on 5 May 2023 through stakeholder engagement, marketing materials, a notable alumni gallery, Foundation patrons and the unveiling of OAKS Hall. Donations ranged from £10 to £50,000, and £184,400 was raised in the first two years.<br /><br />The first major donor’s journey illustrates the value of sustained engagement: over 18 months, the prospective donor had 17 meaningful interactions before pledging a major corporate gift. Their strong connection to the school, interest in rugby and desire to contribute were important factors.<br /><br />Lessons drawn from the charity sector include treating the Development Office like a new business, collaborating, testing and learning, staying patient with fundraising, and remaining open to unexpected opportunities—including a charity walk that led to legacy gifts.

Keywords

development office

fundraising strategy

alumni engagement

marketing communications

balanced scorecard

stakeholder engagement

database management

major donor cultivation

charity sector lessons

leadership buy-in