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You would think that simply because the teachers were school employees, they would be more than happy to do whatever they could to make sure we had the funds needed to do things like purchase supplies, buy new textbooks, fund field trips, and cover payroll. Unfortunately, however, that wasn't always the case.

Some teachers, not all, actually resent the fundraising process. They believe that they were hired to teach, and that's it. I agree that teaching is an incredibly demanding job and these dedicated servants don't get nearly the recognition nor the compensation for what they do on a daily basis.

However, a school, in my opinion, is a community, and everyone has to pitch in to make it work. One of my favorite movies is the film Gandhi with Ben Kingsley. There is a scene in which Gandhi's wife refuses to "rake and cover the latrines" at their ashram, deeming that job for a lesser type of person. In no uncertain terms, her husband, a peaceful sort, straightens her out, and she finally agrees to "rake and cover the latrines".

Now, I'm not saying that fundraising is analogous to cleaning a toilet, but you get the point. Nobody is too good to help at any job. That's my motto.

So, I heartily believe that teachers should be active and cheerful fundraisers. No exceptions. If they believe enough in the school to accept a paycheck they should believe enough to sell some cookie dough, if that's what it takes.

Here are ten strategies I used to win over the more reluctant educators.

1. Lay out the goal in front of them

If a teacher doesn't see the end result before he or she agrees to actively participate, it's going to be hard to get them on board with you. You have to give them more than "It all goes toward the budget...". If you can be specific and say "We're going to use all the proceeds from the fundraiser to buy new textbooks for next year," you will get more people behind your effort.

2. Lay out the calendar for them

Teachers are planners, by nature. If you're just winging it, you're going to have some enemies. Develop a plan at the beginning of the year, think it through carefully, get others to help you review it, look for scheduling conflicts of any kind, and then set it in stone. If you can give a year-long fundraising calendar to the teachers before the school year starts in September, you will achieve the goal of not angering them later on. I discovered that teachers need notice of changes. Sudden course corrections don't go over well.

3. Take away as much administration from them as possible

I never saw a teacher who was sitting around with nothing to do. Most often, you'd find them buried behind stacks of homework papers and tests and their weekly lesson planner close at hand. The last thing a teacher wants or needs is to be given more paperwork. If you hold a fundraiser that requires a lot of administrative work, like filling out rosters, recording money in, collecting and filing order sheets, or organizing letter-writing campaigns, you're going to lose a lot of your teacher support. They just don't have the time.

While there are many factors that go into selecting a quality fundraiser for your school, one of the criteria must be an easy implementation that can be mostly carried out by your school office or a reliable volunteer. Do not stick the teachers with secretarial work!

4. Make the fundraiser popular enough where it sells itself and the teacher doesn't have to coax them to participate

It is unwise to expect your teachers to be cheerleaders of the fundraiser. You may wish them to fill that role, but you will be disappointed more often than not. This is especially true if you have an extended fundraiser that spreads over a few weeks. The enthusiasm will fade quickly after the initial roll out. So, make sure your event or sale or whatever has enough appeal with the students and their parents where the teacher doesn't have to keep encouraging them to participate.

5. Show them a clear priority list of what things will be cut without raising the funds

I know this sounds a little like blackmail, but whatever works, right? Sometimes your hands have to get a little dirty in school fundraising! I found that some teachers (again- not all) are like children. They think there is a money tree out in the backyard and mom and dad just go a-picking whenever something is needed. It really shocked me when I discovered this mentality among professional adults. I had to explain that there was no money tree, and if we didn't meet our pre-established fundraising goals, we would not be able to go on this field trip or have that assembly or whatever. Once they realized I was serious, the message sunk in. I know that fear is not the best means of motivation, but it does have its pluses.

6. Make sure the teachers feel appreciated for their extra effort

This is an easy one to do, but also an easy one to forget. Of course, we always stress to thank our donors and volunteers, but we can't forget to really stroke our teachers for all they do. And in my experience, the best way to do this is to do it twice. Once in person and once in a written card. It may take a little time and attention to ensure you don't forget anybody, but in the long run, it is well worth your effort. As I mentioned, a lot of teachers feel that fundraising is NOT what they were hired for, so they are actually doing you a favor. While this attitude ticked me off, I swallowed my feelings to ensure that I could go back to them for future fundraisers.

7. Create an incentive of a "teacher" prize

This idea works with some people and doesn't with others, but it's worth trying out. To keep the teachers encouraging their kids throughout the duration of the fundraiser, think about holding a private teacher contest for the class that raises the most. You could set up a prize like a gift card to a restaurant or maybe even a day off, if you have the flexibility to do that. Some teachers will hate this idea and won't want to participate, but others who have a competitive side to them will jump at this chance and it could really increase your bottom line.

8. Make sure teachers are familiar with what's going on with the PTO or PTA group

I was surprised to find out how little involvement some teachers had with the parent-teacher group at their school. I guess some teachers viewed this as Just Another Meeting (JAM) they had to attend, and many ended up skipping the meetings all year long. I found this a bit self-defeating as the parents likewise had busy schedules, but they still found time to meet and work on ways to get much-needed funding for the school.

So, I would highly recommend making attendance at some of the PTO meetings mandatory. Teachers should at least show up at a handful during the course of a school year, just to show gratitude.

I did find that teachers who went to these meetings were often more willing to participate in fundraisers and generally had a better experience in the social fabric of the school community.

9. Make sure you follow through with everything you promise, so they can't fault you later

This falls in the category of "CYA" (Cover Your Backside). If you are expecting your teachers, most of whom hate fundraising, to give it their all and jump through all the extra hoops, you had better deliver on what you promise them, namely solid organization and leadership. If you screw up deadlines, miss delivery dates, lose orders, or generally drop the ball, the teaching staff is going to see you as a fraud and not give their best effort, either. Be very careful- the teachers are watching you!

10. Make sure you report results to them, so they can see the fruits of their labor

This idea goes along with the recommendation of starting your fundraiser with a clear goal. It is equally important to frame the results of your fundraising efforts for your teachers when it is all over. Teachers, like most other people, like closure. If they invest their time, energy, and money, they would definitely like to know who you did. And, you can be a little more frank with your staff than you would be with the parents and other donors.

Break down things for them. Let them know where you think you did well and where you can improve. Ask them for their input and suggestions for the future. It will make the teachers feel like more a part of the team and potentially more willing to get on board next time.