On February 9 and 10, 2026, Academy held its fundraiser, Phonathon, where girls called alumni and past teachers to converse and politely ask for donations.

A phonathon, in basic terms, is a type of fundraiser where people of a certain organization call possible donors to build connections and persuade people to donate to their cause. Traditionally, a phonathon is a way for non profit organizations to raise money and support. While it may seem old, the idea of the phonathon stands the test of time and proves to still be effective to this day. Although, is only useful if done right, how do you have a successful phonathon?

First, you need to have an overarching purpose, and strong reason to call people. Most people aren’t going to donate if your reason isn’t important or appealing to them. In regards to the Academy, our mission was to raise money for the school by calling alumni, people who have an emotional connection to the school therefore making them more likely to donate.

Next, you need to have a script or plan for what you are going to say. People respond to confidence and conciseness, which can be achieved by a script. It also allows us the phone call to run smoothly and should prevent major hiccups.

After you have your script, it’s important to practice. Practice is another way to try and make the call to run more smoothly. An important part of practice is prepping for possible questions your potential donors may ask. It is valuable to sound knowledgeable, this reinforces the idea that you are serious about your cause and in turn creates a higher possibility of donations. 

Lastly, get out there and make the phone calls.

This event not only raised money for our school, but let girls step outside of their comfort zones and helped build communications skills. 

Aside from raising money to support the school, the phonathon strengthened and highlighted the importance of the Academy’s connection to alumni. Girls called former Academy students to remind them of their attendance and humbly asked for donations. Our alumni are important parts of our community and culture here at Academy. They are very involved by offering convocations, connections, and beloved traditions.

“It was really special to connect with other alumni from AHN and even a teacher I had before but hadn’t seen or talked to in a while” said Avery Maxwell (27′).