Field Notes: A New Series by Alex Borders

In our work with schools and mission-driven organizations, we're often invited into moments of change: some joyful, some complex, all deeply human. Field Notes is a space where we share reflections from that work: what we're noticing, what's shifting, and what's possible when we pause to listen more closely. Read on to understand more about what we’re seeing, what we’re learning, and what’s helping organizations move forward.

Field Notes 1
From Scrambling to Steady: How One School Found its Marketing Rhythm

At Alma Partners, we often work with schools that are moving at full speed: answering phones, juggling open houses, reworking newsletters, and adjusting the website, all while deeply caring about every child and family who walks through their doors. It’s a pace that’s familiar, even necessary at times, but it’s also unsustainable.

Last year, we partnered with a school that had been living in that reactive rhythm for a while. Every marketing effort felt like a last-minute sprint:
“We need a postcard now!”
“Let’s throw some money at Facebook ads!”
“Our open house is in two weeks, and we’re not full—help!”
Sound familiar?

What we saw wasn’t a lack of effort or commitment but a lack of space—space to pause, see the whole picture, and plan from a place of intention instead of urgency.

Together, we spent a few reflective sessions mapping out a year-long marketing rhythm anchored to the school’s enrollment goals, seasonal cycles, and storytelling opportunities. We didn’t create a rigid plan. We created a living one that was designed to adapt while offering structure. We built in time for community voices to emerge, for impact stories to be shared, and for the school’s unique character to shine through. We made sure the team could pick up and carry the plan, even amid the urgency of admissions seasons, fundraising galas, and class field trips.

The result wasn’t just more inquiries or better conversion rates (although those came, too). It was a sense of steadiness, clarity, and breathing room.

An annual marketing strategy frees you and your team from the panic of improvisation and gives your community the best chance to see who you are, not just what you do.

This kind of work is one of our favorite ways to collaborate, because it helps schools remember who they are, what they stand for, and how to share that with the world.

If your school’s marketing still feels like a series of last-minute sprints, we’d love to help you find your rhythm. Reach out to explore what a steady, story-centered strategy could look like for your team.