Financial Storytelling - Share Your Love Language

Tell the Story Behind the Spreadsheet: A Budget Season Reflection

As our member schools head into budget season, it’s tempting to treat this process as a technical exercise with line items, forecasts, and spreadsheets. But the truth is, every school budget tells a story. The question is: are you the one telling it?

Because if you’re not, someone else will—and they might get it wrong.

Budgeting Is More Than Balancing

At its core, budgeting is about priorities. And priorities are deeply human - rooted in values, tradeoffs, and belief in what matters most for students. Whether you’re increasing compensation to retain faculty, funding expanded student services, or investing in technology, those numbers reflect a school’s mission in action.

The opportunity this season is to narrate those choices clearly and compellingly.

A Story-Based Approach

In a recent financial storytelling session, we asked participants to try this simple narrative template:

“Our budget reflects our belief that _______________.
We invest in _______________ because we know it directly impacts _______________.
Every line is designed to support our mission to _______________.”

That shift from “expense” to “investment,” from “cost center” to “student impact” changes the tone of board meetings, tuition conversations, and donor reports.

Try This with Your Team

As you prepare presentations for finance committees, board updates, or community messages this season, ask:

• What decisions in this budget are most aligned to our mission?

• Where is there an emotional connection to be made?

• What isn’t obvious in the spreadsheet that our stakeholders deserve to understand?

A 5% increase in instructional costs may sound dry until you explain it helped fund a lower student-teacher ratio, allowing more personalized attention and stronger outcomes. That’s a story people want to hear, and more importantly, will support.

Final Thought

This budget season, don’t just share the numbers. Share the meaning.

Because every great school has a story to tell, and budgets are one of the most powerful ways to tell it.