Fundraising

District Fundraising Form

All monies collected through fundraising shall be placed into a general fund to be used for the benefit of a team or club and its participants as a whole. Consistent with IRS regulations, the extent of student or member participation in fundraising activities of Organizations shall have no implications on the opportunities for students to participate in the activity or sport or on the receipt of awards or benefits distributed by the organization. 

Fundraising activities shall be requested in writing to the building principal or Director of Athletics on a district-approved form no later than 45 days prior to the event, which must be reviewed and approved at the building/athletic office level before any such fundraising may occur. Any fundraising activities that are to occur on school district property that would require a Small Games of Chance License obtained through the Allegheny County Department of Revenue (e.g. raffles, 50/50, games of chance, lotteries) must comply with School Board Policy #707 (Use of School Facilities). Small Games of Chance Licenses must be provided upon request.[5]

Regarding Crowdfunding specifically, the Board recognizes that crowdfunding has become an increasingly popular method by which school districts can procure funding for specific projects and/or programs. The Board permits district employees and eligible organizations to maximize opportunities to obtain resources for the benefit of students and the district; however, unregulated use of crowdfunding on behalf of the district can expose the district, the employee, and an organization to significant potential legal liability. The Board adopted policy 702.1 to effectively mitigate risks and establish parameters for the use of crowdfunding on behalf of the district. Organizations not granted formal recognition by the Board as an eligible organization shall not engage in crowdfunding on behalf of the district

No student instructional time shall be allowed for fundraising activities for any organization. Student solicitation within the community for any Organization shall be minimal so as not to place an undue burden on the student and/or disrupt local businesses, individual residences, and other stakeholders within the community. Any student fundraising shall comply with School Board Policy #229 (Student Fundraising).

Members of the organizations shall be given the option to participate, donate money or not participate in fundraising efforts. Mandatory fundraisers are not permitted. The confidentiality of members’ participation in fundraising activities or the lack thereof shall be maintained to the greatest extent possible.

In accordance with IRS Guidelines, cooperative fundraising is prohibited. Cooperative fundraising is defined as when a group's members join together (cooperatively) to raise money and then credit the funds raised (or the time spent volunteering) to the individuals who participated in raising the money. When records are kept showing how much each parent/student contributed to the fundraising effort these records are called Individual Fundraising Accounts ("IFA") and are prohibited.

Any exception to the above guidelines must be approved by the superintendent or his/her designee.