Crowdfunding Guidelines and Procedure

Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or idea by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. The following summarizes the District’s guidelines and procedures for district staff when wanting to initiate a crowdfunding effort.

Procedures:

• Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, all crowdfunding requests must first be submitted on your department’s budget submitted to your direct or department supervisor in February during the budget proposal process for the coming year.  This allows the district to determine if your request can be funded through the standard district budget process.  

• Staff members must fill out the Crowdfunding Request Form in its entirety and submit.

• The form will be forwarded to the appropriate building level or department administrator who will make the initial approval.  

• After initial approval, building administration will consult with the district administration team before making a decision whether to approve the request. Approved requests where money is sent directly to the district must be forwarded to the Business Office.

• Requests for technology must also be pre-approved by the district technology department.  The building or department level administrator will submit the technology request to  [email protected].  

• Requests that need electric or plumbing or other facility considerations must be approved by the operations department.

• Requests that involve athletics or activities must be approved by the Activities Director.

• Following notification of final approval, the staff member can create the crowdfunding page.

• If a proposal is successfully funded, the staff member must immediately notify the Principal and Activities Director who will, in turn, notify the District Business Office. 

• The District will not fund the remainder of projects receiving partial funding from donors.

• All monetary donations must be recorded by the District and deposited into the District account. A check should be requested to be mailed to the school in the District’s name, not an individual person. The District will ensure appropriate accounting. Items cannot be purchased until the donation is received by the district.

• If the crowdfunding effort results in nonmonetary items (supplies, equipment, etc), the items must be sent to the district and become the property of the district.

• The Business Office must be notified of any unspent funds who will determine the appropriate way to spend or return the unused funds.

Approval Criteria Guidelines:

• Beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, all crowdfunding requests must first be submitted on your department’s budget submitted to your direct or department supervisor in February during the budget proposal process for the coming year.  This allows the district to determine if your request can be funded through the standard district budget process.  

• Proposals that support the curriculum must be standards-based.

• The proposal must not conflict with the current and/or planned curriculum and instruction activities set forth by the District.

• Proposals must support district priorities.

• Proposals may not request materials that could be substituted by similar materials that are already supplied by the District or could be supplied by the District.

• Proposals may not start a program that would require the continued use of materials or funding beyond what is obtained through the proposal.

• The proposal cannot result in demands on staff not involved in the proposal.

• The proposal cannot request athletic equipment in conflict with the athletic programs of the District.

• The proposal must not cast a negative light on the district or any of its programs or employees.

• Campaigns cannot benefit individuals.

• Proposals must follow District policy, including the Wellness Policy.

• Crowdfunding campaigns cannot be contingent on additional District spending or require matching funds from the District or other organizations.

• Crowdfunding campaigns cannot contain language that suggests or states that an item for which the donations are being sought is required for or integral to a student’s special education program, necessary for a student to achieve their IEP goals, or necessary to ensure participation of a student of students with disabilities in school or any program offered by the District.

NOTE: The District will take into account the volume of requests as well as the above criteria and reserve the right to limit the number of requests approved.  After final approval of projects, each building will be allowed to have up to two active crowdsourcing projects ongoing at the same time. In the event that a project is submitted and approved by a department, not on a building level, the active project will count towards the building level number of allowed active fundraising projects based on the students the project will benefit.  

Example:  Drama Club raising funds for HHS project.  This project would count towards 1 active project in the high school building.    

It will be up to the building level or district administration team to determine the order in which projects are approved. 

Approved Crowdfunding Sites:

• DonorsChoose

• Go Fund Me

If a staff member would like to use a site that is not on this list, please contact Kari Yeagy ([email protected]) for consideration.

Other considerations:

• Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the publication of student images (or names) is not authorized except as to specified permitted categories of “directory information,” and even then for specific purposes. Even if directory information is used properly, parents have a right to opt their children out. ONLY PHOTOS OF UNIDENTIFIABLE CHILDREN (ex., the backs of heads) may be used on your crowdfunding application page.

• Administrators will verify that statements regarding special education programs are consistent with Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

• All items/materials obtained through District approved crowdfunding are the property of the District. While preference is given for the items/materials to be used and maintained by the employee who originally obtained them through crowdfunding, the District reserves the right to transfer such items/materials to another classroom and/or teacher, where necessary.