Case Study

Vision + Plan + Execution = Success

Client: Hill-Murray School, Maplewood, MN

Needed: Planning and Capital Campaign Services

In 1995, the Hill-Murray School; a private, college preparatory Catholic school for grades 7-12; was at a crossroads and facing pretty significant challenges: an aging (and run down) facility, $1.8 million in debt, an endowment of only $200,000, and a student enrollment 300 short of capacity (700 students at a school designed for 1,000). But after 11 challenging years of planning, working, and sacrificing, the Hill Murray School moved from just surviving to thriving. At the start of the 2006-07 school year began, Hill-Murray's enrollment stood at 1,000 students, the $1.8 million in debt had been eliminated, the previously existing facilities had been updated, and new facilities had been added, with plans for more.

Joseph M. Peschges, President of Hill-Murray School, offers three simple reasons for his school's successful turnaround: "First, we hired Advancement Partners. Second, we mapped a vision and plan for the future together. And third, we executed the plan."