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BOARD POLICY:
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.
a. Principals or their designees shall provide school site councils and other appropriate community groups an opportunity for input on district-wide fund-raising priorities.
b. WPS Gift Fund Teams shall collect this input and submit district-wide priorities for their respective fund-raising activities to the Steering Team.
c. The Steering Team shall present district-wide priorities for all Fund Teams to the BOE for approval.
d. 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.
e. 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.
3. Steering Team. The seven-member Steering Team shall act as the liaison between the BOE and the managing foundation’s board of directors.
a. Steering Team Responsibilities. The Steering Team shall:
1) receive and evaluate requests for new instruments of gifts and/or amendments of such agreements;
2) present such agreements to the BOE for approval;
3) present district-wide fund-raising priorities from Fund Teams to the BOE for approval;
4) establish fund-raising rules;
5) approve and supervise all fund-raising efforts of individual WPS Gift Funds; and
6) request disbursements from the foundation board of directors to the USD 259 Treasurer.
b. Appointment Process. The Superintendent and the BOE President and Vice-President shall make all appointments to the Steering Team. All meetings of the Steering Team shall comply with the Kansas Open Meetings Act. Not more than two BOE members may attend Steering Team meetings, and their participation shall be in a non-voting ex officio capacity. Initially, the seven appointees shall serve the following terms: three appointees shall serve three years, two appointees shall serve two years, and two appointees shall serve one year. All subsequent appointees shall serve three years. An appointee may be considered for additional terms. Terms shall coincide with the district’s fiscal year, from July 1-June 30. Two USD 259 students may be appointed to serve as non-voting ex officio members of the Steering Team.
c. Organization. The Steering Team shall elect a chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary. The secretary shall provide meeting minutes and fund-raising rules to the Clerk of the Board for distribution. The Steering Team shall have quarterly meetings, three to four weeks prior to the managing foundation board’s quarterly meetings. The Steering Team chairperson must approve any Fund Team contacts with prospective donors that occur outside of the fund-raising rules (e.g., fund-raising opportunities that may arise between Steering Team meetings). Steering Team membership shall lapse after four consecutive meeting absences, and a new member shall be appointed at that time.
d. Other Responsibilities. The Steering Team, in its bylaws, if developed, or in its fund-raising rules, shall be responsible for complying with this policy (P1411) and other governing BOE policies. Any bylaws and/or fund-raising rules shall be published in the WPS Gift Funds section of the district’s Internet site.
4. WPS Gift Fund Teams.
a.
Mini-Grant Gift Fund Team. The purpose of the Mini-Grant Gift Fund is to
help instructional staff support student achievement. This Fund Team
shall organize fund-raising efforts and design a district-wide grant program
based on fund-raising rules set by the Steering Team, subject to the approval of
the BOE. The Fund Team shall be organized by the respective Assistant
Superintendents for high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools.
Assistant Superintendents will select one elementary school, one middle school,
one high school, one special school representative, and five to ten community
volunteers who are willing to support this project through fund-raising. An
Assistant Superintendent shall serve as chairperson of the Fund Team and liaison
to the Steering Team.
b. Other Fund Teams. All other Fund Teams shall organize fund-raising efforts and design their respective programs based on fund-raising rules set by the Steering Team, subject to the approval of the BOE. 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 Steering Team.
c. 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.
d. Other Responsibilities. Fund Teams shall be responsible for complying with this policy (P1411) and other governing BOE policies.
5. Support Team. A Support Team, including representatives from Grants and Development, Fund Team chairpersons, Business/Financial Services, and Marketing and Communications, shall be responsible for providing unified administrative support to the Steering Team and Fund Teams. Provided the Steering Team chairperson 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. The Grants Administrator shall serve as liaison to the Steering Team, and members of the Support Team may attend Steering Team and/or Fund Team meetings in a non-voting consultant capacity.
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 Steering Team, 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 Steering Team 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 Steering Team 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 Fund Team chairperson. Designated gifts up to $10,000 shall be approved by the Fund Team chairperson. Designated gifts over $10,000 shall be approved by the BOE. Notwithstanding the above, surplus funds that result from a specific fund-raising activity may be disbursed for another priority approved 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 Money-Raising Projects; and P7105 – Private Funding of Building and Site Improvements. If a conflict arises between this policy (P1411) and any other fund-raising policy, this policy (P1411) controls.
The Board attorney has approved this policy as to legal form and content.
Administrative Responsibility: Grants and Development Services
Latest Revision Date: February 2003 - New Policy
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