Many successful principals use a strategy each spring to get additional resources for their school. Other school executives marvel at how, somehow, these successful principals get those additional monies to help their students. I’ve listened to some wise school leaders about some tips on creating a better chance to get additional funds at the end of the year. Who knows...you may find a nugget of gold this St. Patrick’s Day that might help you get more one time funds for your school initiatives this year. I’ll ask for your ideas at the end of the post:
- Spend your allocated monies, know where you have spent your funds, and ensure that your funds are spent on your school or district priorities: Before you can ask for any additional funds, you need to know where your monies are currently being spent and on what initiatives.
Ensure you can demonstrate that you are spending your school funds on your school or district goals. If you are asking for more money, you had better ensure that your current resources are being spent upon initiatives that have been approved and implemented. You must demonstrate that you are spending your resources upon the initiatives that have previously been approved.
Know where your funds are being spent. Once you request additional funds, your manager will ask the finance department for some basic research. The superintendent will want to know and will undoubtedly cross-check to ensure that you are spending funds on previously agreed-upon goals and initiatives.
- Ensure you have already spent your school funds on these priorities as well as the regular running of the school. The superintendent may want to know if you have “some skin in the game” investment in your request, rather than simply asking for more money for some pet project.
Demonstrate your success on particular projects, programs, and initiatives. Before you ask for funds, you should demonstrate that your current expenditures are helping students succeed. You must have performance measures, baseline information, and current results. You stand a much lower chance of getting your requested additional one-time funding if you cannot demonstrate results. Your charge is to align your request for additional one-time funding with those priorities of the district and clearly show how you have been a good steward of your school’s funds and how they have made helped students succeed.
Your turn-do you have any tips on helping to get more one time funds for your school before the end of the year?
Look forward to hearing your thoughts.
All the best,
Chris