Not long ago, The Lutheran Schools Partnership started advocating for our Partner schools to hire Enrollment Coordinators to help boost community connections, marketing, and enrollment. And it worked. A majority of our schools now have at least a part-time staffer dedicated to these tasks, and the total enrollment for our 18 schools have increased year-over-year.And now we are also advocating the hiring of Advancement Coordinators. While a staple at universities, hospitals, other established non-profits, paid fundraising staff are still rare at our K-8 schools; however, this new concept is catching on, the hiring someone to provide the leadership, and success, for fundraising that our Partner schools will need today and tomorrow. We are not talking about bake sales here, folks, but someone to own the philanthropic activities and lead a dedicated, systematic fundraising program.
And Lutheran South Unity School joins the growing list of schools with fundraising staff. As of last Monday, thanks to a grant from The Lutheran Foundation, LSUS hired Pastor Maurice King, Sr.As the new Lead Executive for Advancement, Maurice will eventually be responsible for all-things advancement, including strategic planning, annual giving, SGO giving, planned giving, endowment giving, database management, etc. Having served previously as a police officer in Mississippi, a Special Agent for the Department of Justice, and most recently as pastor of Promise Land Church in the Hanna-Creighton neighborhood, these life experiences coupled with his degree in Journalism has given him a love and passion for working with and for children.In my role at TLSP, I look forward to working with Maurice, partnering with him as he grows in his role at LSUS and augmenting his skill set with advancement processes and techniques.Will hiring paid fundraising staff increase success at your school? It has worked for Emmaus and Central Lutheran schools, and LSUS can give us a report card this time next year.To be continued...
