School Board / 5033 - Student Fund Raising

SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17109

STUDENT FUNDRAISING

The Susquehanna Township School District, in order to limit the number of student fundraising activities in the schools, has established the following fundraising guidelines relative to each educational level (High School, Middle School, Elementary) and to certain district-wide fundraising activities.

I. The following regulations apply to high school fundraising activities:

A. Individual students and high school student organizations are not permitted to raise money through fundraising activities subject only to the following exceptions:

1. The yearbook staff may conduct fundraising to defray publication expenses by selling advertising space in the yearbook, upon receiving the written approval of the yearbook advisor(s) and high school principal. All yearbook fundraising procedures must be placed in the High School Yearbook Account of the Student Activity Fund in accordance with the guidelines stated in the Susquehanna Township School District “Activity Advisors’ Handbook.”

2. Student organizations may raise money for charities, which are exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and have a current Certificate of Registration with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Charitable Organizations, upon receiving the written approval of the advisor and high school principal or assistant principal. (All moneys raised for charities must be turned into the district office on a daily basis to be placed in a clearing account until funds are disbursed to the appropriate charity.)

3. One major school-wide student fundraiser will be held, the first two weeks of October under the sponsorship of the High School Student Government. That organization will decide on the nature of the fundraiser and coordinate all aspects of the activity under the guidance of its advisor. Prior approval for the fundraiser must be received, in writing, from the student government advisor and principal before it may take place.

a. All aspects of the yearly fundraiser must be handled in accordance with guidelines stated in the district’s Activity Advisors’ Handbook.”

b. All profits from the yearly fundraiser will be placed in the appropriate student activity account after being divided as follows:

(1). Student government will get one-half of the profits ` received.

(2). Each of the four classes, freshman, sophomore, junior and senior, will divide the remaining half according to the percentage of the profit produced by the efforts of each class. If, because of the nature of the activity, this cannot be determined, the remaining fifty percent of the profit will be divided equally among the classes. Decisions concerning the division of profits under this paragraph will be made by the treasurer of the student government in consultation with the faculty advisor.

c. Proceeds from the yearly fundraiser may be utilized by the student government and classes in the following ways:

(1). Various student organizations may petition the student government for financial support for projects, purchases, etc. and/or the student government and make yearly allocations to the various school organizations to support activities which previously were financed through organization fundraisers.

(2). Disbursement of the monies, received by the various classes, may be utilized to defray graduation expenses, the cost of senior yearbooks, prom costs, after-prom parties, a senior memento; i.e., class sweatshirts, a class gift, a class breakfast or any other activity or purchase which receives the written approval of the advisor(s) and the principal or his designee. Class decisions as to how the funds will be used shall be determined by a majority vote of the class officers.

4. All school-related dances must be sponsored by the high school student government. Dances are not to be held for the purpose of raising funds.

a. The student government is the only school organization permitted to sponsor a school dance, and in order to do so must first receive the written approval of the organization’s advisor(s) and the high school principal or assistant principal.

b. Proceeds form dances will be placed in the Student Government Account of the district’s Student Activity Account and used to pay for dance expenses such as disc jockeys, police, custodians, decorations, etc.

c. Admission fees to dances are to be determined in accordance with anticipated expenses. They are designed only to cover costs. (The advisor and principal(s) must be consulted on the setting of such fees for each dance.)

d. If insufficient funds are received to defray the costs of a student government dance, that organization must pay expenses from the existing account and if that is insufficient, then from the first available funds in that account. (Prior to conducting a dance, the student government must have sufficient funds in its account to pay for all anticipated expenses related to that dance.)

II. The following regulations apply to Middle School fundraising activities:

A. Individual students and Middle School organizations are not permitted to raise money through fundraising activities subject only to the following expectations:

1. Student organizations may raise money for charities, which are exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and have a current Certificate of Registration with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Charitable Organizations, upon receiving the written approval of the advisor and high school principal or assistant principal. All monies raised for charities must be turned into the district office on a daily basis to be placed in a clearing account until funds are disbursed to the appropriate charity.

2. The student government may conduct one major school-wide fundraising activity during a school year if a legitimate need is identified and presented to the Middle School administration for formal approval. The organization’s advisor must also approve the fundraising activity.

a. The actual fundraiser must be limited to a two-week time frame.

b. The fundraiser may not take place during the month of October, since it could potentially interfere with the October High School fundraiser.

c. All aspects of the yearly fundraiser must be handled in accordance with guidelines stated in the district’s “Activity Advisors’ Handbook.”

d. All profits from a school-wide Middle School fundraiser will be placed in the Middle School Student Council Account of the Student Council Executive Committee (majority vote), accompanied by the written approval of the student council advisor and a principal.

III. The following regulations apply to elementary fundraising activities:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

A. Individual students and elementary level student organizations are not permitted to raise money through fundraising activities.

B. Students may bring money to school to purchase fundraising items being sold by the Parent-Teacher Organization.

IV. The following regulations apply to district-wide student fundraising:

A. Only two district-wide fundraising activities will be permitted during a school year; namely, (1) the annual Valentine’s Day carnation sale and (2) the spring daffodil sale, and both are subject to the following conditions:

1. The proceeds of both activities shall go to those charities exempt from federal tax under Section 501© (3), and have a current Certificate of Registration with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Charitable Organizations, which are selected in advance. The student government of the High School and Middle School will make independent selections for the funds raised at each school.

2. Joint meetings of the Middle School and High School executive councils will determine if each of the flower sales will take place. A majority of each body must agree to conduct a sale.

3. In the case of both fundraisers, the High School Student Government must agree to conduct the sale in the elementary buildings.

4. All monies raised for charities through the flower sales must be turned into the district office on a daily basis to be placed in a holding account until funds are disbursed to the appropriate charities.

5. Both sales must receive prior written approval of the building principals (all levels) and the advisors.

6. All aspects of the sales must be conducted in accordance with the district’s Activity Advisors’ Handbook.”

V. The following regulations govern (PTO and PTSO), fundraising activities:

A. The Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTO and PTSO), associated with the various buildings in the district, are the only parent organizations, which may conduct fundraising activities in the schools. They may do so, however, only after receiving the written approval of the appropriate school principal.

B. The school district is in no way responsible for the profits or debts incurred from such fundraising activities.

C. At no time are school district employees permitted to handle monies associated with such fundraising
activities.

D. No parent or booster organization, other than the PTO/PTSO, may utilize school facilities for fundraising activities without complying with the regulations relating to the leasing of school facilities and any fundraising activity for such groups conducted in facilities leased from the school district shall not employ school district sponsorship, approval, or responsibility.

VI. The following guidelines are to be adhered to when contracting with vendors:

A. No product or service may be ordered for an approved fundraiser unless funds have already been collected in advance to pay for it.

B. No vendor to a student organization may rely on the credit of the school district to pay for any products or services furnished in conjunction with a fundraising activity.

C. Every vendor who does business with a student organization is to be given a copy of the Student Fundraising Policy (5035).

Approved by the School Board – July 25, 1988

Amended by the School Board – January 13, 1992