School Advancement Institute Files-Parent Engagement

Parent Engagement

Pdf Summary

The presentation by Mark Aimone and Jen Fifer at the CASE School Advancement Institute in January 2025 focuses on strategies for enhancing parent engagement in educational advancement. Parent engagement is critical for the success of institutions like Wibraham & Monson Academy and The Episcopal Academy. The session emphasizes understanding the concept of engagement, highlighting its importance in donor relations over social connections, and addresses the differences between philanthropic and social engagement.<br /><br />Key points include:<br /><br />1. **Defining Engagement**: Engagement is framed within the context of donor relations rather than community or cultural activities.<br /><br />2. **Types of Engagement**:<br />   - **Social vs. Philanthropic**: Social engagement involves broader outreach through Parents Associations, while philanthropic engagement requires deeper involvement, often through exclusive groups like Parent Leadership Councils.<br />   - **Benefits and Challenges**: Engaging parents philanthropically can have immediate positive impacts but can also face challenges like agenda conflicts and confidentiality issues.<br /><br />3. **Parent Dynamics**:<br />   - Parents today, primarily GenX and Millennials, are busy, tech-savvy, and expect clear returns on their contributions.<br />   - Engaging parents involves partnering with admissions early, analyzing applicant data, and maintaining communication to highlight institutional impact.<br /><br />4. **Life Cycle of Parent Engagement**:<br />   - Different strategies are recommended for prospective, new, and established parents, with an emphasis on deep engagement and identifying transformational donors.<br />   - A transition plan for maintaining relationships from current parent to alumni parent is necessary, focusing on milestone engagement to keep them connected post-graduation.<br /><br />5. **Actionable Strategies**: <br />   - Participants are encouraged to brainstorm and prioritize ideas for enhancing parent engagement, followed by implementing feasible strategies.<br /><br />The session emphasizes that while schools have different characteristics, they face similar parent expectations and challenges, and should adopt strategic engagement efforts accordingly.

Keywords

parent engagement

educational advancement

donor relations

social engagement

philanthropic engagement

parent dynamics

GenX and Millennials

transformational donors

alumni parent

strategic engagement