POLICY ON ALUMNAE AND DEVELOPMENT

This policy applies to the whole school.

Overall aims

WHS is very proud of its history and heritage and all of our Development work reflects our commitment to the past as well as our hopes and ambitions for the future. Alumnae and development forms an integral part of our work in engaging with the WHS community whether this be parents, alumnae, former staff, governors or local stakeholders. Our aim is to develop a culture of philanthropy at the school and to provide a programme of activities, communications and events that inspire all our key stakeholders to be engaged with and involved in the life of the school.

Alumnae

Data

All alumnae data is held on the GDST database, Bamboo. This database is managed centrally by GDST but updated locally at the school. The database can only be used by members of staff who have been trained in its use and who have a user name and password. Any data received manually is stored in the Alumnae and Development office which is in a locked office. If an alumna approaches the school wishing to get in contact another alumna, in line with the Data Protection Act we cannot provide any contact details but instead contact the second alumna ourselves and provide them with the necessary information to get in contact if they wish to.

Communications

Each year the school communicates with our alumnae in a variety of ways. By post they receive two mailings each year – the first being the GDST magazine GDST Life and the second a newsletter from our Old Girls Association (WHSU). In addition alumnae receive one or two e-newsletters each year and are able to access information on our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages. We use online platforms such as Campaign Monitor and Dot Digital to send emails. The latter syncs automatically with our Bamboo database. Unsubscribe options are included in all communications. We have a GDST centrally held ‘alumnae portal’ through which an alumna can update their details at any time securely online. Interested parties can request access to our online archive  and login details are provided for those with a legitimate interest e.g alumnae/ parents/ researcher.

Events

Each year, the school organises reunion events for alumnae. These are ticketed and alumnae pay a nominal amount to attend, which covers the costs of the event. All data from events is stored on Bamboo. Payment is sent to the school and processed on site. Increasingly we are using online payment and booking products such as Trybooking for events. In addition, alumnae attend school events either as our guests or on a paying basis. They also attend careers events and speak to our girls about their plans for the future and share their own experiences with them. We follow safeguarding good practice with regards to one to one contact between current students and alumnae’ ( for example, a teams call with a teacher or adult present). 

Development

Data and financial processing

As above, all data is stored on Bamboo or in a locked office. In addition to contact information in relation to Development, we also store all financial transactions on Bamboo. Donations are typically made to the school as a cheque or credit card payment. The banking of the donation is processed by GDST so all cheques are forwarded to them by post (recorded delivery). Donors also have the option of donating online or by bank transfer. GDST process all donations (as the registered charity for the GDST network of schools, charity registration no. 306983) and the school are responsible for acknowledging and thanking the donors and updating Bamboo with the relevant information. We aim to acknowledge all donations within 48 hours.

Due diligence

Before accepting any donation, the school is required to undertake a level of due diligence on every donor. If the donation is above £10,000 GDST are required to undertake (on our behalf) more detailed due diligence before accepting the gift to ensure we have the right checks in place when receiving funds from individuals and companies giving at this level. 

Donations can only be received with the assurance that it will not have any impact on decisions related to a prospective or current pupil.

Raising funds

Donations are secured through a variety of activities:

• Mailings – each year we send a direct mail to parents (and occasionally alumnae) asking for their support for the school. The mailing includes a leaflet outlining the case for support, a donation form, return envelope and letter from the Head.
• Events – at alumnae and parent events we share relevant fundraising projects and ask those attending to support them by completing a donation form at the event or after the event where appropriate. In addition we may organise specific events where we invite potential donors to attend based on their previous support for the school or other similar organisations.
• Online giving – the option to make a donation is advertised on our website.
• Individual approaches – we work with a small number of trusts and foundations who support the school and steward our relationship with them through regular updates and meetings.

1880 Society 

We have in the past year pivoted away from Project Ex Humilibus, which focused on creating new spaces for the benefit of our students and the wider community – literally “Building the Future” of our school and leaving a lasting legacy for future generations – toward our new focus, “Funding the Future”, which looks specifically at how we build a community that is reflective of our borough and is inclusive and diverse in a way that benefits us all. We launched the 1880 Society, named after our founding year which invites donors to commit to a regular gift of £1880.

Friends of Wimbledon High

Wimbledon High has an active PTA known as Friends of Wimbledon High (Friends of WHS). This is a parent led group who organise fundraising and social activities throughout the year in support of the school. FoWHS is a registered charity – donations are processed by Friends of WHS and then given to the school when requested for projects following a decision by the Friends of WHS Committee. 

WHS Boat Club 

Parents and staff fundraise separately for the Wimbledon High School Boat Club (WHSBC) through events such as an annual dinner, ergathon and Christmas Pudding Races. The school assists with admin and promotion; fundraising is processed through a separate WHSBC bank account.