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P1785 Wichita Public Schools Gift Funds: Education Edge

  • 1100 Administration
P1785 Wichita Public Schools Gift Funds: Education Edge

The Unified School District No. 259, Sedgwick County, Kansas Gift Funds (hereinafter referred to as the Wichita Public Schools Gift Funds or the WPS Gift Funds) shall offer individuals, companies, organizations, and foundations additional opportunities to support student achievement, programs, staff activities, and facility improvements. Donors may continue to make direct donations to schools, programs, or the district according to other BOE policies; the WPS Gift Funds are not intended to supersede existing relationships between schools and their donors. The WPS Gift Funds shall be used to support all or a portion of any project in the Wichita Public Schools to the extent not supported by public tax monies. Donors may contribute to WPS Gift Funds for district-wide priorities approved by the Board of Education. Donors may also elect to make designated gifts to WPS Gift Funds for specific purposes that are aligned with the district’s mission and programs. 

Administrative Implemental Procedures

  1. District-Wide Priorities.  
    1. Principals or their designees shall provide school site councils and other appropriate community groups an opportunity for input on district-wide fund-raising priorities.  
    2. WPS Gift Fund Teams shall collect this input and submit district-wide priorities for their respective fund-raising activities to the Superintendent. 
    3. The Superintendent or staff designee shall present district-wide priorities for all Fund Teams to the BOE for approval.  
    4. These approved district-wide priorities shall be shared with the community during fund-raising efforts, and requested disbursements from the WPS Gift Funds shall be based on these priorities.  
    5. All purchases shall be made according to BOE Policy 3304 – Authorization to Purchase. 
  2. Managing Foundation. Unified School District No. 259 shall contract with a BOE-approved foundation to accept, manage, and disburse gifts and funds for the WPS Gift Funds. The BOE shall approve any instrument of gift agreements and/or amendments of such agreements from the managing foundation prior to the establishment of Gift Funds, Endowments, and/or Fund Teams. It is understood that the managing foundation will have final authority over investment and distribution of WPS Gift Funds. The Superintendent or staff designee shall act as the liaison between the BOE and the managing foundation’s board of directors. 
  3. Fund-raising and Disbursement Requests. 
    1. The Superintendent or staff designee shall approve and oversee all fund-raising efforts of individual WPS Gift Funds and approve any Fund Team contacts with prospective donors. 
    2. The Superintendent will evaluate funding requests, present requests for the Board’s consideration, and request disbursements from the foundation board of directors to the USD 259 Treasurer. 
  4. WPS Gift Fund Teams.  
    1. Fund Teams: Athletics, Fine Arts, Mini-Grants and any other fund teams approved by the Board of Education. All Fund Teams shall organize fund-raising efforts and design their respective programs based on fund-raising rules, subject to the approval of the Superintendent. Each Fund Team shall be comprised of a chairperson, representatives selected by the respective principal groups, and five to ten community volunteers who are willing to support the project priorities of the Gift Fund through fund-raising. The district representatives shall recruit the community volunteers, including two USD 259 students, for terms lasting up to three years. The chairperson from each Fund Team shall serve as a liaison to the Superintendent. 
    2. Appointee Terms. Terms of Fund Team appointees shall coincide with the district’s fiscal year, from July 1-June 30. A Fund Team appointee may be considered for additional terms.  
    3. Other Responsibilities. Fund Teams shall be responsible for complying with this policy (P1785) and other governing BOE policies. 
  5. Support Team. A Support Team, including Fund Team chairpersons, Financial Services, Strategic Communications, and the Clerk of the Board shall be responsible for providing unified administrative support to the Superintendent and Fund Teams. Provided the Superintendent has been previously apprised, general WPS Gift Funds information (e.g., brochures, reports, digital content) prepared by the Support Team may be distributed at district functions or through the media. The Support Team shall share progress with the Superintendent. 
  6. Donor Gifts. Donor gifts are given to the managing foundation to be credited to the WPS Gift Funds in accordance with the instrument of gift agreements with the BOE. The managing foundation shall receive, invest, and distribute all donor gifts. The managing foundation may accept designated and non-designated gifts subject to restrictions that may be provided for in the instrument of gift agreement for a specific fund. The managing foundation may accept offers of challenge gifts, in which such offers are subject to challenge gifts by other donors. The district shall recognize the right of the managing foundation to accept anonymous gifts, and the district shall not know the identity of anonymous donors. The Superintendent, subject to the BOE directing otherwise, shall submit a request to the managing foundation board regarding a non-designated gift based on the district-wide priorities. The acts of the managing foundation described in this paragraph 6 are subject to and governed by the terms and conditions of the instrument of gift agreements between the BOE and the foundation. 
  7. Naming of Schools and Facility Projects. The BOE, at its sole discretion, shall approve the naming of schools according to BOE Policy P0650 – Selection of School Name. The Superintendent shall submit to the BOE any proposals that would offer donors naming options of facility improvements or additions to existing buildings before prospective donors are contacted. 
  8. Naming of Other Projects. The BOE reserves the right to review and approve the naming of other projects. Such projects may include, but are not limited to, supplies, uniforms, and equipment. Notwithstanding the above, the Superintendent shall submit to the BOE any proposals that would offer donors naming options of other projects before prospective donors are contacted. Fund Teams shall consult with their respective state and national governing bodies before offering naming rights to prospective donors. 
  9. Restrictions. Disbursements from WPS Gift Funds shall not be used in whole or in part for any purposes other than funding those priorities approved by the BOE or designated by the donor for other purposes. Before the managing foundation accepts a designated gift, it shall contact the Superintendent or staff designee. Designated gifts under $20,000 shall be approved by the Superintendent. Designated gifts $20,000 or over shall be approved by the BOE. If a donor provides the BOE-approved managing foundation (as described in AIP 2 of this policy) with a letter restricting the use of a designated gift, such letter shall serve as the Instrument of Gift unless the donor requests a separate Instrument of Gift signed by the BOE President. The managing foundation may, with the approval of the Superintendent, accept a designated gift of $20,000 or over contingent upon the approval of the Board of Education at its next regular meeting. Notwithstanding the above, surplus funds that result from a specific fund-raising activity may be disbursed for another priority developed by the respective Fund Team provided, however, that Funds that have been donated to be used for a specific purpose shall not be used for a purpose that violates the purpose for which the funds were originally donated.  Disbursements shall not be used to supplant tax-supported educational programs, or be used for pre-existing pledges, any private benefit, dues, membership fees, benefit tickets, goods bought at charitable auctions, lobbying, or the support of political campaign activities. A donation to the WPS Gift Funds does not imply that USD 259 has an obligation to reciprocate and/or favor the donor through some other activity, program, or any type of preferential treatment. The district shall comply with any additional restrictions stated in individual instrument of gift agreements. 
  10. Existing Foundations. Campuses and district programs with foundations in existence prior to the approval of this BOE policy may continue to raise funds for various student programs. 
  11. Other Fund-Raising Activities. Campuses and the district may accept monetary and non-monetary donations according to BOE Policy P1412 – Donations – Computer Technology, Equipment, Materials, and Supplies. Other fund-raising activities are governed by the following Board policies: P1408 – Commercial or Proprietary Functions; P1409 – Employee Fund-Raising Campaigns; P1410 - Financial Campaigns and Fund Raising Projects; and P7105 – Private Funding of Building and Site Improvements. If a conflict arises between this policy (P1785) and any other fund-raising policy, this policy (P1785) controls. 

The Board attorney has approved this policy as to legal form and content. 

Administrative Responsibility: Superintendent 

Latest Revision Date: November 2016 

Previous Revision: December 2012 P1785 

Updated administratively for alignment purposes: November 2020

Download P1785