Donors are vital to ensuring that Church Farm School can carry out its mission — which runs in stark contrast to that of most private schools — to make a college preparatory education financially accessible to a diverse group of young men with academic ability and good character.

Sharing its story in Chester County and beyond enables CFS to reach new potential donors, and so, marketing is ultimately the key to its ability to offer students such generous financial assistance.

One of the cornerstones of CFS’s marketing strategy is its affiliate partnership with American Community Journals. As the parent company of VISTA, MONTCO, DELCO, BUCKSCO, and PHILADELPHIA Today, ACJ is a paradigm of innovation, positivity, and content delivery.

In an era when traditional media is in decline, and the coverage of positive news is dwindling, ACJ affords its affiliate partners the opportunity to be featured in stories that are read by some of the most influential and engaged residents, business leaders, and decision-makers in the Delaware Valley.

“Donors out there in the community and businesspeople in the area are all reading VISTA Today,” said Stefanie Claypoole, CFS’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “It’s a great place to get exposure with potential new friends of the school.”

CFS’s partnership with ACJ dates back to 2017.

“When we dipped our toes in the water, so to speak, we immediately got great feedback,” said Claypoole. “When we met with new people, they would always say, ‘I read your story on VISTA.’”

CFS opened in Exton in 1918 and sustained itself largely as a working farm until the early 1980s — students worked the farm half the day and studied the remainder of the day. When the need for phasing out farming operations became a reality, the school made the decision to sell off most of its acreage and create an endowment to support its future.

Today, CFS serves a diverse student body of 200 young men in grades 9-12 from the Mid-Atlantic and around the world. Each comes to the school for an opportunity to fulfill their dreams of a better future — one still made possible by donors who want to make a meaningful difference through the values of education.

“Back when Chester County was a smaller community, and when Church Farm School was actually a farm, people had different connections to us,” said Claypoole. “Maybe they knew the Shreiner family, or received Scrapple or a Christmas ham in thanks for their donation to the school.”

CFS is steadfast in its allegiance to its founding principles but has evolved to keep pace with the world around it. And its marketing efforts aim to communicate that evolution.

“Images of the school still persist today, but we’re always looking for newer ways for people to understand us,” said Claypoole.

One of those ways is through brand storytelling, the foundation of ACJ’s model.

“Authentic storytelling resonates with readers and builds a strong brand identity,” said Ken Knickerbocker, the CEO and Publisher of American Community Journals. “We provide our affiliate partners with a platform to share their stories and make those emotional connections.”

“The history of our school is unique and fascinating,” said Claypoole. “We have a great donor base, but we’re always looking to capture the attention of people who may not have a connection to the school but believe in our mission.”

Claypoole noted that a lot of the referral traffic that CFS’s website receives comes from VISTA Today.

“I’ve always appreciated working with VISTA,” she said. “I rarely have to push them content; they are actively seeking it out on our behalf, whether from our social media channels or our newsletter, and suggesting what might make a great story.”

Learn more about how Church Farm School provides a structured environment, extremely competitive academic and athletic programs, and a commitment to individual personal growth for young men from across the nation and around the world.

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