services that do this for you. These include
the following (arranged in alphabetical order):
• Blackbaud Financial Aid Management
- https://www.blackbaud.com/solutions/
financial-management/financialaid
management
• FACTS - https://factsmgt.com/
• National Association Independent
Schools, School and Student Services -
https://www.solutionsbysss.com/
• TADS - https://www.tads.com/
All of these services collect financial
data from parents – including the previous
year’s tax return, information about their
expenses, etc., – and prepare a summary for
you that includes a recommendation about
how much support they need. You can then
use this to make your own decision about
each family.
Keep in mind, all of these services base
their recommendations primarily on the
family’s prior year income, assuming that it
will not change substantially in a year. So,
if you are starting a financial aid program,
or expanding your current program, to help
families impacted by COVID-19, you will
need to ask each family to provide documentation
showing how much income they
have lost as a result of the pandemic. They
can do this in a letter to you, with whatever
supporting documentation makes sense for
their case.
• Raise funds from current families,
alumni, other community members,
local businesses, etc., to support your
nancial aid program and to pay for
special needs caused by the pandemic,
such as infrared thermometers, electro-
static cleaners, new outdoor facilities, etc.
I believe that in most cases, Montessori
schools should be able to meet their
core operating budgets through tuition
and fees. But covering the cost of
financial aid, facilities upgrades,
and other special projects requires
additional support.
There are many ways to raise funds
for your school, including holding
©MONTESSORI LEADERSHIP | WWW.MONTESSORI.ORG/IMC | VOLUME 22 ISSUE 4 • 2020
fundraising events, selling ads in a yearbook,
etc. But if you need funds immediately
to help families who have been
impacted by the pandemic and/or to
purchase specialized equipment to allow
you to reopen safely, the best way is by
appealing directly to people who know
and love your school - current families,
alumni, and other members of your
community. Here are some ideas for how
you can do this:
• Craft a strong story for your school
that appeals to the emotions of potential
donors, highlights the wonderful
things your school does for students and
families, and explains why you need funds
and how you will use them.
• Prepare a 2-3 page case statement
that embodies your story and
includes pictures of your students and
staff at work in your classrooms, on the
playground, during field trips, etc.
• Enlist a small group of your
strongest supporters from your parents,
2 Tim Seldin and Dr. Valadia Wise, International Montessori Council, “Fundraising During a Crisis,” Session 1, April 13, 2020.
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