Connecticut MeetingJune 17, 2015

Today’s Agenda 8:45 am Opening Prayer & Welcome

Introductions and Survey Responses

9:15 am Breakout Session I: Priorities and Challenges Trends in Advancement Trends in Enrollment & Marketing

10:15 am Break

10:30 am Reporting Out

11:00 am Breakout Session II: Priorities and Challenges Trends in Communications Annual Giving Retention

12:00 pm Reporting Out:

12:30 pm Lunch & Presentation

Who is in the room

Most effective marketing & communications

strategies Facebook HSA Newsletter web Billboards, word of mouth word of mouth blog posts - driving traffic to our website events (i.e. open house) Telecounseling, Emails, Facebook, Website, Face-to-Face Word of mouth, social media. Website/Internet/word of mouth direct mail to targeted group, presence at local events Community school events which lead in word of mouth. Website searches. We show great improvement in social media Direct mailing to CCD and Preschool families, articles of student happenings in local papers, Social media and word of mouth. Having a table at a vendor/town event has had some

feedback. Combination of traditional print and social media. Word of mouth Social Media Word of mouth! Having community events at the school that give exposure to people of all ages

Most significant challenges in

Advancement 1. Financial cost for families2. Retention for Kindergarten

Screening of students - need to make easier and more welcoming3. Establishing a planned giving initiative4. Competing with top ranked public schools

Increasing applicant pool with families who can afford our tuition5. The economy and the understanding of Catholic education6. The landscape of Catholic education has changed. Schools are struggling with enrollment. In turn, struggling with budgets. 7. Spreading the word to new territories, convincing students to take the jump to come here (parents often love the school, but

they leave the decision for the students to make), competition from independent, non-Catholic schools 8. Increasing endowment, annual giving, volunteer base, engagement of alums9. Time and Funds available10. competing with magnet schools for enrollment, competing with other organizations for donations (including parish)11. Getting the word out there about our school on a limited budget. Competing against other Catholic Schools. 12. Half of our student population comes from public school. It's difficult to fundraise with these folks.13. competing with magnet school14. Increasing Annual Fund.15. Enrollment Management

Annual Giving from younger alumni16. Many do not even attempt to visit because they think tuition is too much, breaking stigma, and annual giving17. Major gifts18. Declining enrollments, poor economy, demographic trends, rising costs19. Lack of financial aid available; old facility; new blood needed20. Getting people to understand the importance of giving and the value of the education we give.

Most important Advancement priorities for

next year1. Setting a budget for 2016-2017 school year2.  Focus on Pre-K to K retention3. Increase out-of-town marketing efforts4.  Starting an advisory committee for planned giving; culling more info about our alumni5.  Increasing inquiry and applicant pool6. Creating a parent admissions network7. Growing Enrollment8. Our school is celebrating its 100th Anniversary. I will be leading the year long celebration.  9. Keeping the experience personal, keeping students well informed and having fun, increasing the applicant pool, maintaining

students throughout the process, outreach to Hispanic families 10.  increased engagement of parents and alumnae, fundraising goals increased 11. Scheduling - covering events, assisting Admissions and Development (Advancement) 12.  Enrollment, raising money to expand certain programs to become more competitive13.  Executing school/community events on a limited budget and keeping our numbers up with enrollment and finding a way to

retain children who are moving out of town. 14.  We are in the midst of a feasibility study and need to look to enter a campaign, which we haven't done for 14 years.15.  more recognition of the benefits of a Catholic School, and our school in particular. Pre-K16.  Raising more money than this year.17.  Enrollment 18. Annual Giving19.  Increasing enrollment20. Increasing annual giving21.  meeting our matching challenge for HC Fund and transitioning a new President22.  marketing and personalization23.  Getting the word out that the school is responding to concerns and making changes without 'throwing anyone under the bus‘24. Communication and more volunteer involvement

What are your most successful events?

1. walkathon, golf outing2. Open Houses 3. planned giving workshop4. shadow days5. Spring open house (marketed to 5-7th graders)6. Fall open house7. Family oriented events8. Shadow days, athletic meeting for incoming students, summer programs for athletics, test prep9. Homecoming Weekend, networking receptions, social events for all constituents, freshmen fun

night, open house,,,, 10. For Marketing: Open House, Programs for Middle School Students, Shadow Days11. local events (Shad Derby)12. Alumni Dinners, Golf Tournaments, Wine Tasting events, Annual Church Feast. 13. Our auction is our flagship event, raising $150,000+ each year. We also run a successful open

house, grandparents day and legacy mass.14. Education raffle and auction.15. 5K Road Race16. Evening With Friends17. Welcome Picnic to Kickoff a new year18. Open House19. Green & Gold Gala20. Home Receptions, Open House21. Friend-raisers! And our Open House is awesome22. Wine Tasting, Ladies Luncheon

What new initiatives have you tried?

1. Changed format of Open House2. Started Pre-K only Open House3. Facebook push4. Planned Giving is our newest initiative5. adding bus routes to target areas/towns 6. Email marketing with an outside company7. Since I am new, not much as of yet.8. We have tried small programs where we invited 8th graders with certain interests to hang out with students during

a club meeting. This was mildly successful. We also tried a test prep program and had many students attend. 9. several in marketing strategies for admissions and then in our events and alumnae relations areas10. having a presence at local events is new (1st time this year participated in town game show to raise money and

awareness)11. Alumni reunions, Around the World Festivals, Newsletters, Advertisements. In school programs to help with

attracting new students as well as retaining existing ones. 12. We tried a scholarship reception for those who give to named scholarships and it was not well received.13. going to local events / vendor fairs is new14. Annual Fund drive geared to young alumnae. Using social media to raise funds.15. Digital Billboards16. Alumni events

Changing open house format17. Legacy Receptions, CT Alumni Throwback Thursday, Volunteer Receptions and Wine Tasting18. Home Receptions19. Social events and trying to include the prospective students in everything - assume the sale!20. None

Discontinuing anything?1. Shortening time of Open House2. no3. I am starting with a clean slate. Hoping to win back some past donors.4. No. We just keep adding on and increasing my work load.5. looking to restructure alumnae board...6. We will likely not do a Fall Open House tours - minimal attendance7. Not at this time. We are continuing to try everything we can. 8. We re-vamped a few years ago with a change in leadership and

discontinued events then. 9. No.10. Less newspaper ads 11. I don't know12. no13. less newspaper advertising14. The letters to the local churches' religious ed - better to visit and bring

students with you15. No

Has your strategy shifted, how so?

1. More flexible, more personal (trying to accommodate prospective families schedules to tour school)

2. no3. We have become more strategic in terms of advertising and trying to promote more 4. yes - more focused, more looking at R.O.I., increases in fundraising goals5. more social media6. Yes. We find that we cannot just sit back and wait for students to find us. We need to find them. 7. Absolutely - we are working much harder to raise fundraising dollars and our admission team is

working much harder to capture students.8. More and more use of social media.9. More outreach in the community

More visibility with our students10. This is my first year11. Yes, trying to engage more people and getting more people involved in as many advancement

aspects as possible12. Definitely focusing more effort on social media13. Yes - I have made a huge effort to make the whole admissions process more personal - we are

'competing' with large organizations and need to show that we are where your students will be watched over and treated as the individual they are

14. Not in my role

What are you hoping to take home from today?

1. new ideas2. Best practices from other schools re: retention of Pre-K: also, how other schools do their screening3. networking; learning about planned giving initiatives at other institutions. 4. Creating a Parent Admissions Network5. Marketing to full pay families6. Strategies for converting accepted students to enrolled students7. Increasing the inquiry and applicant pool8. Strategies for competing with top ranked public schools9. New strategies for enrollment growth specifically enhancing the open house and visit days.10. Ideas are where to take my department.11. New ideas and insights into marketing in the digital age, networking with other schools from around

the state, 12. meeting people/networking, listening to thoughts and ideas13. New ideas and perspectives, new resources and connections, positive energy14. New refreshing ideas and techniques that we may try to better our school. 15. I would like to hear ideas from other schools that face the reality that there are fewer students

coming from Catholic feeder schools.16. New and broader ideas for reaching our target market. How to better compete, particularly with

'free' schools (public, magnet). 17. New ideas and renewed energy and enthusiasm for task.18. Any new initiatives in Marketing and Enrollment Management from the Admissions Side.19. How to increase Annual Giving, Wealth Screening from the Advancement side.20. Ways to improve enrollment and ways of increasing annual giving21. Fresh ideas22. Collaboration, a few new ideas or tactics23. Ideas, ideas, ideas!!!

Lunch Presenter:Ed Brymer, Chief, Middletown Police

(Retired) Chief Ed Brymer retired as Chief of the Middletown Police

Department in 2008.  Prior to that he served as the Deputy Chief of the East Hartford Police Department.  Before that he had a long career with the Connecticut State Police Department, retiring in 1991 with the rank of Lieutenant after 28 years of service.

 Chief Brymer serves on many boards; including the Board of Directors at Xavier High School and the Chiefs of Police Association.  

 He received his Bachelor's degree (magna cum laude) and Master's degrees from the University of Hartford.  He is married to Atty. Gerri Roberts and has 2 children and 3 grandchildren.  His granddaughter Sabrina graduated from the University of St. Joseph in 2014 with a BSW.  His grandson, Jeff, is a 2011 graduate of Xavier High School and just received his Bachelor's degree from Salve Regina University in Newport.  

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Save the dates!

ACAAP Fall Conference

Thursday, October 13, 2015

Holy Cross College

Spring Conference: Thursday, March 10, 2016