About

Red Pen Strategy is a communications consulting practice focused exclusively on independent schools.

Founded by Martin Voss, a strategic communications professional with nearly twenty years of experience working inside independent schools, Red Pen Strategy offers senior-level communications expertise without the overhead of a full-time hire.

Schools benefit from the wisdom of a seasoned director addressing their specific needs at a cost that makes sense.

The Red Pen Strategy value is straightforward: I have done this work for close to 20 years, in six different school communities. I have built communications departments from scratch, developed strategic plans, redesigned websites, launched capital campaigns, navigated crises, written mission statements and learning outcomes, and spent countless hours listening carefully across every constituency to understand the distinct profile and needs of a school community.

From public scandals to leadership transitions, to ambitious enrollment and fundraising campaigns, to announcements about parking or head lice: if it can happen in a school, I have probably communicated about it.

Red Pen Strategy Principal Martin Voss, school communications practitioner

Experience

Director of Enrollment Management & Marketing

Marin Primary & Middle School

Director of Marketing & Communications

Kent School

Director of Communications

Drew School

Director of Communications

The Bush School

Director of Communications

Chandler School

Communications Officer

Polytechnic School

Additional freelance and consulting work with

San Francisco Day School

Blair Academy

Thayer Academy

A Track Record of Results

  • Strategy and messaging for capital campaigns totaling more than $200mm.

  • Messaging, strategy, stewardship, solicitation, and recognition for 17 annual funds.

  • Consistent increases in enrollment demand, yield, and retention in varied competitive markets.

  • An extensive portfolio of mission-aligned writing, videos, photos, print publications, websites, and more.

Capital Campaign Strategy & Communications

  • Developed messaging framework and donor-facing materials for the quiet phase of a $100M+ capital campaign at Kent School, helping secure leadership gifts of $1M+.

  • Strategized and messaged a successful $17M capital campaign at Chandler School, including a breakthrough alumni participation campaign.

  • Messaged the public phase of a successful $93M philanthropic campaign at Polytechnic School.

Enrollment Growth & Admissions Marketing

  • Reversed a $1.3M operational deficit into a $700K surplus within 20 months at Marin Primary & Middle School.

  • Produced a 20% increase in admissions inquiries and a 5% increase in applications at Marin Primary & Middle School in an extremely competitive market.

  • Drove a 30% increase in applications and a 50% reduction in attrition at The Bush School in the wake of a public scandal.

  • Grew enrollment and revenue 10% at Chandler School during a period when the local population of school-aged children declined by the same amount.

  • Engineered the largest applicant pools in Kent School’s 120-year history and in Drew School's 100-year history.

Philanthropic & Donor Communications

  • Identified and told stories that drove consistent increases in giving, including by 25% at The Bush School and 17% at Drew School.

  • Conceived and executed messaging for a challenge gift at Chandler School that elicited numerous first-time gifts.

  • Stepped in to support the annual fund at Marin Primary & Middle School in the absence of a development director, helping secure multiple leadership gifts and exceeding the fundraising goal by December.

Brand Building & Digital Growth

  • Grew social media followings 315% at Drew School, 360% at The Bush School, 100% at Kent School, and 90% at Chandler School.

  • Redesigned institutional websites at Kent School, Drew School, and The Bush School, increasing unique visitors, time spent on site, and brand consistency at each.

  • Achieved a 70% open rate on weekly communications at Drew School

Crisis Communications

  • Led communications strategy at The Bush School during a high-profile institutional crisis involving criminal conduct by a staff member, resulting in 30% application growth and 50% attrition reduction in the aftermath.

  • Numerous matters and incidents that remained off the radar thanks to wise strategies.

  • During a brief corporate interlude, I managed internal and external communications at Restoration Hardware during COVID-19 furloughs and layoffs affecting thousands of employees.

Building Communications Functions From Scratch

  • Originated the first-ever communications and marketing department at Kent School, a 115-year-old boarding school.

  • Founded the first strategic communications department at Drew School and launched a multi-channel communications program at The Bush School.

Day-to-Day Communications Excellence

  • Created, edited, and sent countless email newsletters to parents, students, faculty/staff, alumni, and other constituencies, consistently earning open rates above 70%.

  • Audience-first information architecture and content production workflows, ensuring every constituency has easy, timely access to the information they need.