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

Getting Kids to Spell Philanthropy Inspires Giving 1

A funny video capturing students of all ages at the Porter-Gaud School helped triple year-end gifts to the institution’s annual fund.

By Holly Hall

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