The Webb Schools of California has received what it describes as “the largest ever made to an independent high school west of the Mississippi” — $100 million from an anonymous donor.

That may indeed be a record gift, but I’ll bet it’s also the quietest nine-figure donation ever.

Despite the size, I could find only three online reports about it: one written by the school, another written by the local newspaper, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, and one by Philanthropy News Digest. (The latter two largely repurposed the school’s write-up.)

Webb is a boarding school that enrolls students from 10 states and 14 other countries, and I wonder if its prospective families beyond Southern California had any chance of seeing the news.

It’s a good reminder that the surest way to get our stories out is to write them ourselves and then promote them hard through Google ads and social media.

The old way of pitching the news media for promotion is largely a sucker’s game. Newsrooms have shrunk too much, and feel-good education stories — even $100 million gifts — draw too little audience in a news environment ruled by outrage and sensationalism.

Counting my blessings

On Nov. 12, 2020, I stepped into the plans I’d been drawing for months and officially launched my own business, Fine Point Communications.

Twelve months later, I am so proud of where we are. Fine Point hit all the one-year milestones of success set at the start. I contracted with nearly a dozen schools to write magazine stories, to edit and produce newsletters, and to consult on big projects. And the work has been interesting and fun, exactly what I had hoped. I am excited for the road ahead.

I recognize that I’m here only because of the generosity from so many: the wise counsel from those who’d already gone into business for themselves; the recommendations from colleagues who thought I’d be right for particular jobs; clients willing to take a chance on a new company; and the notes of encouragement along the way, including from you about this newsletter.

Thank you.

As we head into Thanksgiving, I would love to hear of your own moments of celebration this year, both to share in your joy and to offer my congratulations. Being in community with you is a gift and a blessing.

Don’t-miss clicks

• Four New England independent schools are lowering their tuition, with one head saying, “What was already unaffordable was becoming astronomically unaffordable.” Wise schools are already preparing for similar questions about their own costs.
• Harvard-Westlake School suffered a data hack this fall that exposed academic records. The information on approximately 150 H-W graduates was then sent to parents and the news media. Notably, the hack involved Naviance, a platform that many independent schools use in college counseling.
• This obituary of a pioneering school head from Washington, D.C., was an interesting glimpse of the days when a now-elite independent school was just starting out, as well as of the challenges that can emerge around succession planning.
• I mentioned last month a controversy at the Middlesex School after an invitation to Nikole Hannah-Jones to speak was rescinded. Since then, the head of the Massachusetts school, who is in his third year, has taken a leave of absence, and the board has launched a review of the episode.

What’s new at Fine Point Communications

As an anniversary present to the business, I commissioned Ryan Smith to update the Fine Point identity with a new logo, website header and banner for Refill. It’s exciting to see this work in the wild!

I also started work this month with three new clients, two universities and an independent school.

I look forward to attending the CASE-NAIS conference in Denver in person next January. The program schedule includes 10 communicators giving presentations. With so much relevant information, you should come, too. See you there!

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