Anonymous School Donations?

[Anonymous]

At most private schools, it’s great that parents donate—it really helps support the school and promote diversity through financial aid. But one thing that’s always struck me as odd is that donations usually aren’t anonymous. In fact, it seems like some parents want the school to know when they’re giving a lot of money.

That’s led to a common impression that some people donate in hopes of getting special treatment for their kids. Even if that’s not really happening, just the idea of it can create a sense of unfairness.

If the main goal of donating is just to help the school, wouldn’t it make more sense for donations to be anonymous? That way, there’s less room for suspicion or favoritism.

Do some families like having their donations recognized because it gives them status, visibility, or influence within the school community? Is there a downside to anonymous donations I’m not seeing?

[Anonymous]

At our big annual fundraiser there are probably slightly more anonymous family donors than named ones. I have always assumed the named ones do it to try and drive other donations, as opposed to getting more influence. The people who attach names to the donations already have plenty of influence without attaching their names.

[Anonymous]

Why do you think people who donate large amounts of money to a private school have a problem with favoritism or special treatment?

[Anonymous]

The named donations actually has more psychological effect on driving more donations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At most private schools, it’s great that parents donate—it really helps support the school and promote diversity through financial aid. But one thing that’s always struck me as odd is that donations usually aren’t anonymous. In fact, it seems like some parents want the school to know when they’re giving a lot of money.

That’s led to a common impression that some people donate in hopes of getting special treatment for their kids. Even if that’s not really happening, just the idea of it can create a sense of unfairness.

If the main goal of donating is just to help the school, wouldn’t it make more sense for donations to be anonymous? That way, there’s less room for suspicion or favoritism.

Do some families like having their donations recognized because it gives them status, visibility, or influence within the school community? Is there a downside to anonymous donations I’m not seeing?

Your take is unnecessarily cynical and says more about you than about other donors.

Named donations drive more fundraising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At most private schools, it’s great that parents donate—it really helps support the school and promote diversity through financial aid. But one thing that’s always struck me as odd is that donations usually aren’t anonymous. In fact, it seems like some parents want the school to know when they’re giving a lot of money.

That’s led to a common impression that some people donate in hopes of getting special treatment for their kids. Even if that’s not really happening, just the idea of it can create a sense of unfairness.

If the main goal of donating is just to help the school, wouldn’t it make more sense for donations to be anonymous? That way, there’s less room for suspicion or favoritism.

Do some families like having their donations recognized because it gives them status, visibility, or influence within the school community? Is there a downside to anonymous donations I’m not seeing?

Your take is unnecessarily cynical and says more about you than about other donors.

Named donations drive more fundraising.

And also drive more favors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The named donations actually has more psychological effect on driving more donations.

And also an effect on driving more favors.

[Anonymous]

OP why pay tens of thousands annually just to be bitter about the treatment of some families at your school?

[Anonymous]

Our advancement office works really hard to discourage anonymous donations, because seeing peers’ names on donations pushes people to give or give more. We tried to give anonymously one year and they called us in for a meeting to discuss it, and we did agree to use our name after that.

The vast majority of donors who stay anonymous are alumni or grandparents, or random neighbors with special interests in certain things that are best for neither them nor the school receiving the donation to advertise (area development, protecting use of campus along their adjoining property, etc.)

[Anonymous]

We always give a big donation and put our name on it. People already know we are rich. I don’t also want them to think I’m cheap. If our name didn’t show up on the list, people would think we didn’t give and wonder why. I don’t think we have ever gotten special treatment and we have never asked for it.

[Anonymous]

But schools can ask directly for a target donation and then make it anonymous. I always donate as much as possible regardless of what others donate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We always give a big donation and put our name on it. People already know we are rich. I don’t also want them to think I’m cheap. If our name didn’t show up on the list, people would think we didn’t give and wonder why. I don’t think we have ever gotten special treatment and we have never asked for it.

So you want everyone to know how much you donate?

[Anonymous]

Good lord, people will find fault with anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At most private schools, it’s great that parents donate—it really helps support the school and promote diversity through financial aid. But one thing that’s always struck me as odd is that donations usually aren’t anonymous. In fact, it seems like some parents want the school to know when they’re giving a lot of money.

That’s led to a common impression that some people donate in hopes of getting special treatment for their kids. Even if that’s not really happening, just the idea of it can create a sense of unfairness.

If the main goal of donating is just to help the school, wouldn’t it make more sense for donations to be anonymous? That way, there’s less room for suspicion or favoritism.

Do some families like having their donations recognized because it gives them status, visibility, or influence within the school community? Is there a downside to anonymous donations I’m not seeing?

The people who choose anonymous are generally anonymous to the public (whether that be others in school community our in broader community). The are very rarely anonymous to the school itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At most private schools, it’s great that parents donate—it really helps support the school and promote diversity through financial aid. But one thing that’s always struck me as odd is that donations usually aren’t anonymous. In fact, it seems like some parents want the school to know when they’re giving a lot of money.

That’s led to a common impression that some people donate in hopes of getting special treatment for their kids. Even if that’s not really happening, just the idea of it can create a sense of unfairness.

If the main goal of donating is just to help the school, wouldn’t it make more sense for donations to be anonymous? That way, there’s less room for suspicion or favoritism.

Do some families like having their donations recognized because it gives them status, visibility, or influence within the school community? Is there a downside to anonymous donations I’m not seeing?

The people who choose anonymous are generally anonymous to the public (whether that be others in school community our in broader community). The are very rarely anonymous to the school itself.

In my kids school there is NO option to be anonymous. You don’t have anywhere to check that option and the school knows up to the last cent how much you donate. Also top donors become board members, which I find it a bit corrupt. You pay a price to have a say in school policies.