JJE
FUND RAISING: SCHOOLS, CLASSES & PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
I. Purpose:
Establish guidelines and criteria under which the various fund raising activities of the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District operate.
Define the fiscal relationships that exists between the District and those responsible for fund raising.
II. Definitions:
This policy covers the following types of fund raising (other types shall be handled on a case by case basis by the School Committee or District Administration as warranted):
A. Charitable Funds Raising:
Customarily initiated as a one time event by students and/or parents for the purpose of raising funds for a charitable cause not directly associated with the District (i.e.- Jimmy Fund, Toys For Tots, food pantry). The District’s involvement is usually marginal such as providing use of facilities and limited promotion.
Oversight authority: Superintendent
B. Student Clubs and School/Class Sponsored Activities:
Formally recognized student groups (for example Drama, NHS and Band) with a faculty (or administration approved) advisor, who may be compensated. Funds are raised by a combination of fees, donations and/or administration approved activities and are usually used to benefit the membership of the club/class (for example trips or performances).
Oversight Authority: Building Principal
C. Authorized clubs, organizations and other extracurricular groups:
Groups formed for the purpose of benefiting a specific entity within the district (for example Football Booster); however, such formation is independent of the District and with no direct District involvement in its composition, management or operation. In order to claim affiliation with the District and legally use AWRSD District/School/Sports/Club names and/or logos and other materials, as well as enjoying access to District facilities and services, the organization must have Committee sanction, which is reviewed annually. (See AWRSD Policy KBE Authorization of Parent Organizations)
Oversight Authority: School Committee
III. General Procedures:
Procedures/conditions in addition to those listed below specific to the groups defined in §II above may be imposed by the applicable Oversight Authority.
Unless directed otherwise by the Oversight Authority, Charitable Fund Raising is subject exclusively to A Pre-Approval, B Advertisement and C Student Participation of this section.
A. Pre-Approval: All fund-raising projects that involve AWRSD facilities, teams, athletes, or other students must submit a Fund Raising Request Form to be pre-approved by the Oversight Authority. Such submission should be 30 days in advance of the planned activity.
B. Advertisement: Any advertisements posted on school premises and fund-raising materials being sent home must be pre-approved by the Superintendent.
C. Student Participation: All student participation in fund-raising events is voluntary. Students must not feel obligated to fund-raise. No student shall be compensated for any fund raising activity: this does not preclude “rewards” given for sales of certain commercial products marketed specifically for educational fund raising.
D. Solicitation: Door-to-door solicitation is not sanctioned unless sales of commercial or donated products are involved. Teachers and other members of the staff may not be solicited during the school day.
E. Frequency / Duplication: The impact of numerous fund-raising and/or projects can have a negative effect on the community and its residents; therefore, every effort must be made to coordinate fund-raising drives among schools. The number of school fund-raisers by students and organizations will be kept to a minimum. The same or similar school fund-raisers within and between schools may not be approved.
F. Specific Purpose: Each fund-raiser must specify a specific purpose (i.e. to help defray the cost of a trip or being raised to install new playground equipment). Organizations that are their own legal entity may gift funds, equipment or other items to the school district and will be subject for acceptance by the School Committee under provisions of AWRSD policy DIBA Gift and Trust Fund Management.
G. Incentives: Only group incentives shall be approved (i.e. – teams, grade levels, school, etc.). Any other request for incentives may be considered on a case by case basis by the School Committee.
IV. Fund Accountability:
A. Charitable Funds Raising:
All funds (custody, management and accounting) are solely the responsibility of the individual sponsors of the activity. There shall be no relationship between these funds and the District. The District bears no liability with regard to any commitment made to or by any charitable organization nor to or from any other individual or organization. A disclaimer to this effect should be present in any advertising or promotional materials distributed for an activity that could, in any way, be construed as having a relationship with the District.
B. Student Clubs and School Sponsored Activities:
Student activity funds are considered a part of the total fiscal operation of the District and therefore are subject to the policies and regulations established by the Committee and the Business Office. The funds shall be managed in accordance with sound business practices--including sound budgetary and accounting procedures as well as audits--in the same manner as other District funds.
C. Authorized clubs, organizations and other extracurricular groups:
It is required that Authorized clubs, organizations and other extracurricular groups receive, by majority vote of the Committee, sanction to conduct their activities prior to any such fund raising or promotional activity taking place because these entities are independent from the District but enjoy a relationship such that the District may incur liability for commitments made with various vendors, individuals or other organizations as well as the consideration of attendant publicity, both favorable and negative, from such relationship.
The Committee requires that Authorized clubs, organizations and other extracurricular groups agree to certain conditions prior to granting such sanction including, but not limited to, those listed in this policy.
Authorized clubs, organizations and other extracurricular groups sanctioned by the Committee may use District facilities and equipment for fund raising if such use does not create an additional direct cost to the District and does not conflict with school use. If additional cost is incurred, the club or organization shall pay such cost. Permission to use District facilities must be granted: the building Principal will make that decision.
Receipts and expenditures of Authorized clubs, organizations and other extracurricular groups are not included in the regular school budget. However, all funds collected from whatever source are public moneys and their receipt and expenditure are therefore subject to the applicable policies and procedures of the District as developed by the Committee and Business Office. Necessary bank accounts must be established by the adults in charge, in the bank which is designated as the official depository for this purpose by the Director of Finance and Business Operations, and be reported to the Investment Subcommittee who will have all funds audited annually prior to the Committee review referenced in §II C above.
Committee sanctioned organizations shall submit in writing, to the Committee, a statement regarding their purpose/mission and planned activities including fundraising as they relate to the academic, athletic or fine arts programs of the District prior to initial sanction. Annually, by September 30th, these organizations shall provide updates to the Committee of all planned activities and fundraising.
V. Fund Raising Approval/ Follow-up
A. All fundraising activities must be approved by the apposite Oversight Authority prior to the commencement of the activity or series of activities.
B. The School Committee should be informed of all fund raising activities prior to their commencement as well as given semi-annual updates on successes and problems.
C. At no time may any funding raising activity imply an endorsement by the District of any political interest, business or commercial enterprise.
D. Committee sanctioned organizations need not re-apply for recurring annual activities after initial School Committee approval; they are, however, subject to the review process described in §II C above which may result in a requirement that the organization re-apply for sanction prior to commencing any additional activity/fundraising.
E. The approval/review/additional procedures/conditions process for any Authorized clubs, organizations and other extracurricular groups may be delegated by the School Committee Chair to a standing sub-committee of the School Committee who shall then make recommendation to the full Committee for sanction or other action. Such additional procedures/conditions as may be imposed shall be included in the minutes of the School Committee meeting at which sanction is granted.
Nothing in this Policy shall preclude the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School Committee from conducting fundraising activities in its own name for the benefit of the District from time to time.
CROSS REF: KBE Authorization of Parent Organizations
DIBA Gift and Trust Fund Management
First Reading: 6/23/15 Second Reading: 7/21/15 ADOPTED: 8/18/15 Revised & Readopted: 10/16/18