Fundraising and Philanthropy
Wycane supports schools to move beyond reactive fundraising toward intentional, long-term philanthropy programmes. Our approach focuses on relationship-based giving, clear cases for support, and strong stewardship.
Our work includes:
Major gift strategies and donor journeys
Annual giving programmes
Campaign execution and management
Donor stewardship, reporting, and accountability
The emphasis is on building confidence and credibility with donors—ensuring fundraising supports the school’s mission and delivers lasting impact.
Case Study
Fundraising and Philanthropy
Client Overview
One of New Zealand’s leading co-educational boarding schools engaged Wycane in an interim capacity to establish a structured fundraising and philanthropy function. While the school had a strong community and reputation, fundraising activity was fragmented and lacked a coordinated strategy.
Challenge
The school faced multiple interconnected challenges:
No dedicated fundraising office or clear ownership of philanthropic activity.
A need to generate target annual revenue from a mix of donations, corporate partnerships, and permitted sponsorship.
Growing demand for funding to support both operational priorities and future capital projects.
Limited policies, processes, and systems to support structured fundraising.
An engaged but under-nurtured school, trust, parent, and alumni (STP) community.
Before fundraising activity could scale, the school needed clarity of purpose, credible planning, and stakeholder confidence.
Our Approach
Wycane acted in an interim leadership role to establish the foundations of a modern fundraising and philanthropy programme. Our approach included:
Establishing a dedicated fundraising office, including role clarity, capability, and operating structure.
Reviewing all historic giving data and benchmarking the school against comparable institutions in New Zealand, the UK, the US, Australia, and Singapore.
Working closely with stakeholder groups to build understanding, confidence, and support for a structured fundraising approach.
Developing a comprehensive fundraising strategy to support annual giving, corporate partnerships, sponsorship, and capital funding.
This culminated in a clear five-point plan:
Build and engage community.
Articulate and develop purpose.
Create a sustainable culture of giving.
Align messaging, collateral, and communications.
Pursue immediate opportunities (“low-hanging fruit”) while laying foundations for long-term growth.
Outcome
The school implemented a coordinated and credible fundraising framework. Key outcomes included:
Secured early corporate sponsorships.
Establishment of a formal society to support bequests and legacy giving.
Creation of a clear giving framework and donor pathways.
Relaunch of scholarship programmes and development of a long-term scholarship funding plan.
Planning and launch of a major gala dinner event.
Development of a capital fundraising plan to support a proposed auditorium project.
Impact
The school now benefits from:
A functioning fundraising office with clear strategy, governance, and capability.
Stronger alignment and confidence across stakeholder groups.
Improved donor stewardship and engagement.
A growing alumni and supporter database.
Clear pathways to support both immediate funding needs and long-term capital ambitions.
The school moved from ad hoc fundraising to a structured, community-supported philanthropy programme capable of delivering sustainable impact.
Is your school set up to fundraise effectively and responsibly?
Wycane works with schools to create clear giving frameworks, engaged communities, and realistic pathways to long-term impact.
