{"id":1491,"date":"2025-08-20T17:19:40","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T07:19:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-wa\/?post_type=article&#038;p=1491"},"modified":"2025-08-22T15:55:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T05:55:41","slug":"working-together-on-school-budgets-a-guide-for-marketing-communications-and-fundraising-leaders","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-wa\/article\/working-together-on-school-budgets-a-guide-for-marketing-communications-and-fundraising-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Working Together on School Budgets: A Guide for Marketing, Communications and Fundraising Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5><strong>This article submitted by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ian-anthony-94b03b4\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr Ian Anthony<\/a>, Chief Financial Officer, Scotch College\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n<h5><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1493\" src=\"https:\/\/d1dfwahqlx324v.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/08\/ANTHONY-Ian-200x200-BW.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d1dfwahqlx324v.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/08\/ANTHONY-Ian-200x200-BW.jpg 200w, https:\/\/d1dfwahqlx324v.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/19\/2025\/08\/ANTHONY-Ian-200x200-BW-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Preparing for your annual budget isn\u2019t just about numbers, it\u2019s about aligning your plans with the school\u2019s strategic goals and ensuring financial transparency. Here\u2019s how to work smoothly with your Business Manager or main Finance lead.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Understand the Big Picture<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:200,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Know the school\u2019s strategic plan: Every budget request should link back to a strategic objective &#8211; whether it\u2019s boosting enrolments, improving community engagement, or enhancing student experience.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Ask about financial constraints: Understand what\u2019s already committed and what flexibility exists.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Budget Analysis &amp; Forecasting<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:200,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Review last year\u2019s budget: What worked? What didn\u2019t? Use this to guide your new proposals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Forecast realistically:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Base projections on actual data (e.g. past event income, campaign ROI).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Avoid overly optimistic estimates &#8211; your credibility depends on accuracy. Business Managers like dependability\u2026 they dislike surprises!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Include all costs: Think beyond direct expenses\u2014include any external costs, software required \u2013 implementation and annual running expenses, training, staff time, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Requesting New Line Items<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:200,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Be clear and specific:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Name the item (e.g. \u201cDigital Open Day Campaign\u201d).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">State the cost and provide firm quotes where possible.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Outline expected outcomes (e.g. \u201cIncrease enrolment inquiries in the early learning years by 20%\u201d).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Tie it to strategy: Explain how the item supports school goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Include measurable outcomes: This helps justify the spend and track success.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Tips for a Smooth Budget Process<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:200,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> No surprises: Keep your Business Manager informed early\u2014don\u2019t wait until the last minute.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Use templates: Ask if there\u2019s a preferred format for budget submissions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Document assumptions: If you\u2019re estimating costs or income, explain your logic.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Be open to feedback: Finance teams may suggest adjustments &#8211; see this as collaboration, not criticism. They\u2019re usually trying to balance requests across many areas and will lean towards spending that supports the ongoing growth of the school.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Build a Strong Relationship<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:200,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Meet regularly: Don\u2019t just talk at budget time &#8211; build rapport throughout the year, seek feedback.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Share wins: Let your Finance lead know when a campaign exceeds expectations\u2014it builds trust.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Ask for help: They can often help you find savings or better ways to structure your budget.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">By working closely with your Business Manager, you\u2019ll not only improve your budgeting accuracy &#8211; you\u2019ll also strengthen your case for funding and help your school achieve its goals more effectively.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ian-anthony-94b03b4\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Dr Ian Anthony\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Chief Financial Officer<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span data-contrast=\"auto\">Scotch College<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; This article submitted by Dr Ian Anthony, Chief Financial Officer, Scotch College\u00a0 \u00a0 &nbsp; Preparing for your annual budget isn\u2019t just about numbers, it\u2019s about aligning your plans with the school\u2019s strategic goals and ensuring financial transparency. Here\u2019s how to work smoothly with your Business Manager or main Finance lead.\u00a0 Understand the Big Picture\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1530,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-1491","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1491"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/educateplus-wa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}