How to develop your MAT income generation strategy

Follow our step-by-step guide and use our templates to help you develop your trust’s income generation and fundraising strategy. You'll find trust and school-level templates.

Last reviewed on 22 February 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 44224
Contents
  1. Step 1: understand your trust's financial position
  2. Step 2: set your trust's income generation vision 
  3. Step 3: conduct a MAT-level SWOT analysis
  4. Step 4: conduct school-level SWOTs
  5. Step 5: cross-reference your information and set your strategy

We developed this toolkit with Justin Smith, a school business specialist and Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) fellow with expertise in marketing and income development. 

Step 1: understand your trust's financial position

Work with other trust leaders to understand your financial position, including your:

  • Long-term financial projections
  • Key financial risks
  • Trust investment priorities
  • Trust or school-level projects for which fundraising may be necessary

This will help you identify the role that income generation and fundraising will need to play in achieving balanced budgets or financial stability. Use this information to set your trust's income generation vision (see below).

Step 2: set your trust's income generation vision 

Setting a clear vision for your income generation helps you to develop a strategy that is: 

  • Focused
  • Achievable 

Download our template and use the prompts and questions in it to help you write your vision statement.

Step 3: conduct a MAT-level SWOT