Spelling Out Philanthropy for Donors Spurs Them to Write Checks to a Private School

Seeking philanthropic gifts isn’t quite as hard as saying the word philanthropy or explaining what it means, at least at the Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, S.C.

The school more than tripled year-end gifts to its annual fund in part by asking students to say and spell the word philanthropy and then capturing that— and their community-service experiences—in a video. The results are often hilarious, as fresh-faced youngsters (some so young their smiles are full of gaps from losing their baby teeth) try the tongue twister. Asked to describe philanthropy, one boy says it’s like when his mother shot a pig, while another says it’s when you “pull somebody” by letting them ride in the back of a car. By the end, older students articulately describe how they helped others.

The video is part of a larger effort to get parents, students, and other school supporters engaged in giving, says June J. Bradham, a fund-raising consultant who sits on the school’s board. To that end, she says, Porter-Gaud borrowed an idea from the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals: Instead of celebrating National Philanthropy Day on November 15, as other chapters do, it celebrates for an entire week—and now so does Porter-Gaud.

The school’s first Philanthropy Week, held in November, was an effort to educate teachers, parents, and students about giving by bringing them together on campus for educational events, community-service projects, and other activities.

To help get the adults into the spirit of giving, the school increased the minimum contribution to join its giving society from $1,000 to $1,867, to remind people of the year the school was founded. And for the first time this year, parents could also go online and “shop” as they made their annual-fund donation.For example, they could “buy” something needed by a particular department such as auditorium lights to help with fine arts. Or they could purchase something used in their kids’ classrooms, such as laptops or books.

Porter-Gaud sought big gifts for the annual fund by hosting an overnight meeting at nearby Kiawah Island for people who gave $10,000 or more. Donors were treated to a one-night stay at a resort hotel where experts offered their perspectives on cooking, yoga, and other topics. School officials negotiated discounts on the hotel rooms, and most of the speakers donated their time. “It is about mind expansion and friendship building,” says Ms. Bradham. “We have a lot of parents who move here from other places, and we wanted the parents to bond.”

They seem to be bonding to Porter-Gaud, at least. According to Matthew J. Gould, the school’s director of development, Porter-Gaud has so far this year received 28 annual-fund gifts of at least $10,000 totaling $310,000, up from eight gifts in the same category in 2009 worth $97,700.