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P1410a Fundraising and Crowdfunding Guide

  • 1100 Administration
P1410a Fundraising and Crowdfunding Guide

Administrative Guidelines under BOE Policy 1410 – Fundraising Activities 

School-wide fundraising activities for charitable and humanitarian purposes 

  1. Fundraising activities shall be carefully planned, limited, and combined whenever possible to avoid duplication of effort and to avoid imposing on those being solicited for funds. 
  2. Generally, only one major fundraising event shall be permitted each school year to secure funds from students for charitable and humanitarian needs. 
  3. An appropriate name, such as Student Friendship Fund, shall be given this single unified fundraising event. 
  4. All schools shall schedule this fundraising event during the same months as the community United Way fund drive. 
  5. Principals or representative committees shall determine the disposition of funds collected through this fundraising event. All funds must be processed through the School Activity Fund. 
  6. Building personnel shall have the choice to donate funds to any agency they believe worthy of support. 
  7. Fundraising activities conducted by individual charitable nonprofit organizations normally shall not be sponsored by the school. Student involvement in these fundraising activities either on or off campus must clearly identify the charity they represent, rather than the school, in their promotional activities. 

Fundraising projects conducted by students for clubs, classes or other school organizations 

  1. Projects must have approval of the principal. 
  2. Individual school needs and circumstances shall determine the advisability of each fundraising project. 
  3. Prior planning through school activity budgeting should keep fundraising projects in proper perspective and discourage impulsive and competitive efforts. 
  4. Projects involving students shall be approved only when such projects result in direct benefits to the students. 
  5. Equal opportunity shall be assured for approved groups requiring fundraising projects. 
  6. Projects shall be avoided which have strong coercive features or which possess lengthy excessive commitments of responsibility. 
  7. Students are not to be coerced into participation in fundraising activities nor embarrassed by nonparticipation. Written permission from parents should be obtained before elementary students engage in selling items in the neighborhood or soliciting contributions for projects. 
  8. Students involved in fundraising activities in the community must present identification to community residents regarding the school organization they represent and the purpose of the fundraising activities. Such identification might take the form of a note of explanation on school letterhead. 
  9. Fundraising activities involving competition among students, including the awarding of cash and other prizes, are prohibited unless approved by the appropriate Assistant Superintendent of Elementary or Secondary Schools. 
  10. Careful accountability of products and funds must be planned and structured in order to protect all participants and school personnel. All funds must be deposited in the School Activity Fund. 

Fundraising projects sponsored by school related organizations (PTA/PTSA, school community council, booster club, etc.) 

  1. Project must have the principal’s approval if the funds are raised in behalf of the school or in the name of the school. 
  2. The fundraising projects must be constructed with the educational goals of the school and the school district in mind. 
  3. Principals may approve staff participation in fundraising projects conducted in the building. 
  4. Careful accountability of products and funds must be planned and structured in order to protect all parties involved in the fundraising.  

Fundraising projects sponsored by schools for teachers or other district employees 

  1. The fundraiser must have the Principal’s/Director’s approval if the funds are raised in behalf of the school/district or in the name of the school/district 
  2. The fundraising projects must be constructed with the educational goals of the school and the school district in mind. 
  3. Principals/Directors may approve staff participation in fundraising projects conducted in the building. 
  4. Careful accountability of products and funds must be planned and structured in order to protect all parties involved in the fundraising.  

Crowdfunding  

Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or idea by raising small donations from a large number of individuals. This typically occurs on the Internet through the use of various platforms. 

Before crowdfunding is considered, District employees are strongly encouraged to contact the Grants Department. In many cases, there are funds or supplies already available that can be accessed to meet needs. If that isn’t the case, the Grants Department can provide information about best practices and assistance coordinating with other departments who should be consulted both before and after a crowdfunding project. 

  1. Acceptable Crowdfunding Platforms 
    1. The current approved crowdfunding platform is DonorsChoose (www.donorschoose.org). 
    2. Any platform where cash is requested (e.g., Go Fund Me) is prohibited. 
    3. Any other supply/equipment platform other than Donor’s Choose must be approved by the Grants Department for District use. 
  2. Ownership of Donated Items 
    1. Donated items become the property of the District and must be included in the District’s inventory.  The District will receive a report from DonorsChoose monthly to review. 
    2. Donated items must stay at the recipient school. 
  3. Principal Approval Required 
    1. The Principal should approve a crowd funding project/request PRIOR to it being posted on a DonorsChoose using the District standard form. 
    2. The fundraising activity should generate resources to support the educational mission and priorities of the school, as articulated by the principal and school’s leadership team.   
    3. A file should be maintained at the school for any crowdfunding request. The file should include: 
      1. The crowdfunding/fundraising approval form 
      2. Written detail of the project as well as the proposed posting for the website 
      3. Any photos or images posted with project 
      4. A copy of any agreement and permission forms 
  4. Equipment Requests 
    1. All Technology Equipment: 
      1. Chief Information Officer must review all requests for technology equipment that will be used on the district’s network. 
      2. Technology requests must meet the Technology Purchasing Standards and Guidelines. 
    2. Non-Technology Equipment over $10,000: 
      1. Division Director of Operations or the Chief Financial Officer must review requests for non-technology equipment over $10,000 because this equipment must be added to the district’s asset inventory. 
  5. Restricted Actions 
    1. School banking information should never be given out. 
    2. BOE Policy 2100 – School, Community, and Media Relations applies to posting of pictures, videos, and/or images of any students or staff. BOE Policy 2100 and the current Publication Consent Form can be downloaded from the BOE Policy section of the district’s Web site. 
    3. A fundraising activity that benefits an individual is not allowed. 
    4. The only crowdfunding platform allowed is DonorsChoose. Any other platform should be submitted to the Grants Department for consideration. GoFundMe is not allowed. 
    5. No district funds, regardless of source, can be donated through DonorsChoose, even if the purpose is to capture matching dollars.  
    6. District Procurement cards (p-cards) cannot be used under any circumstance. 
    7. Even if staff donate personal funds to their own DonorsChoose fundraising activities, the ownership of donated items remains with the recipient school. 
  6. Other fundraising and donations are governed by the following Board policies: P1408 – Commercial or Proprietary Functions; P1409 – Employee Fundraising Campaigns; P1411 – WPS Gift Funds, P1412 – Donations – Computer Technology, Equipment, Materials, and Supplies; and P7105 – Private Funding of Building and Site Improvements. 

Administrative Responsibility: Financial Services 

New: October 2019  1410a 

Download P1410a