"If you don't have constraints, you don't think creatively." Matt Candler of 4.0 Schools
You might be thinking that you don't know what running a school without constraints would actually look like, but I’d bet that you'd like to give it a try. I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news: the constraints on your school's budget are probably not going to get any better.
Your Response Determines Your Future Success
What story does your budget tell? With most schools, personnel is the top expense. Do you want to avoid laying off your invaluable staff? What options do you have? Does everyone agree to a pay reduction or do you implement a hiring freeze?
Perhaps transportation and lunch costs eat up a lot of your budget, but without them, many of your students could not choose your school.
Get clarity on your priorities and how much money you need to properly fund those priorities. You’ll need this information not only for building next year’s budget but also for selecting alternative funding pathways, including grants.
Successful leaders respond swiftly and with their top priorities in mind. Writer Peter Matthiessen puts it this way: “In nonfiction, you have that limitation, that constraint, of telling the truth.” As a leader, you are your school’s lead storyteller, and you tell your ultimate truth through your budget.
Opportunities are Out There
The more clarity you have on the money you need to fund your school’s priorities, the more easily you will find grant funders who are eager to pay for those priorities. There are grants out there to pay for everything you need and even everything you want.
Your brain might be screaming, "Not ONE more project!" Please hear me out.
What if you could equip members of your school team to become grant writers? Your in-house grant writing team could find grant support, write award-winning grant applications, and win awards for your school. This in-house team is a resource that you’ll retain long after the budget shortfalls. As a bonus, after your grant writing team secures a few grants, they’ll gain expertise, and be ready to write bigger and more complex grants.
Writer William Arthur Ward said, “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” Why not start dreaming and imagining what is possible at your school? Build your in-house grant writing team now.
While everyone else is struggling with their budget next August, you’ll be in clover thinking about what’s next.
Let KLR Partners Assist You
KLR Partners sees grants as a path to success for schools, and we have created multiple resources that will fit any budget.
KLR Partners offers Grant Writing Assistance to equip teachers and staff members at your school to become grant writers. Email me at Katy@KLRPartnersLLC.com for details.
We write grants too (We have helped schools earn over $19.1M in grant awards). Read about these services here: Link to website.
Still unsure? Schedule a call so that we can tailor a program just for you. Here’s the link to our calendar: Click here.
KLR Partners is here to serve you so that your focus remains on serving your students and preparing for the next curveball head-on
This blog was written by Katy Ridnouer, Certified Grant Writer, Virtual Assistant Principal, and School Start-Up Specialist with KLR Partners. If you found this content valuable, please share it.
If you want to explore grant-writing opportunities or other areas of school leadership, contact Katy at Katy@KLRPartnersLLC.com for a complimentary discovery session. You create the agenda; you bring the challenges. Let Katy be your thought partner.