GBEBD: ONLINE FUNDRAISING AND SOLICIATATIONS – CROWDFUNDING
Kittery School District employees shall comply with all of the following provisions relating to online fundraising activities and solicitations, including the use of crowdfunding services, for school-related purposes as well as with all other applicable laws, regulations and district policies. No online fundraising may occur except as provided below.
Crowdfunding services are defined as any online service used for the solicitation of goods, services, or money from a large number of people via the internet or other electronic network. Examples include GoFundMe, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, YouCaring, and DonorsChoose.
The Superintendent shall have final authority to approve any online fundraising activities by Kittery School District employees and shall determine and communicate to Building Principals the circumstances under which online fundraising proposals shall require Superintendent or School Committee approval in accordance with law and school district policy. No employee shall post any fundraising solicitation or submit any proposal to a crowdfunding service without prior written approval from the employee’s Building Principal or, for central office employees, the superintendent through form GBEBD-E. If any employee’s proposal is subsequently submitted and approved by the crowdfunding service, the employee agrees to use the donated materials solely as stated in the employee’s proposal.
Solicitations under this policy shall be for educational purposed only (field trips, supplies, supplemental materials, books, etc.). The solicitation of personal items (coats, nutritional snacks, etc.) shall only be to benefit students directly. School related crowd sourcing funds may not benefit a specific student or students, unless otherwise approved by the Superintendent. To the extent an employee solicits any technology or software, the employee shall secure the prior written approval of the Director of Technology or designee prior to any such solicitation. Any employee seeking to display or post a photograph of a student in conjunction with a solicitation must first secure the written consent of the student’s parent or guardian and approval from the Building Principal or, for central office employees, the Superintendent.
Employees may only use crowdfunding services that send the items or funds solicited by the employee directly to the employee’s school or to the school district. Employees must verify that the crowdfunding service’s terms and conditions meet the Kittery School District’s requirements for such solicitations. Items or proceeds sent directly to employees are considered gifts to the employee and may result in violation of state ethics laws.
If a solicitation is not fully funded within the time period required by the crowdfunding service, or the solicitation cannot be concluded for any reason, the employee responsible for such solicitation shall use all reasonable means to attempt to return donations to the donors. Donations unable to be returned shall only be used as account credits for future solicitations.
Unless otherwise approved by the Superintendent in writing, all items and/or funds solicited and received through any solicitation shall become the property of the Kittery School District, and not of the individual employee who solicited the items or funds. The employee is prohibited from taking any such items or funds to another school or location without the Superintendent’s written approval.
Adopted: September 3, 2024
Cross Refs: GBEA: Staff Ethics/Conflicts of Interest
GBEBC: Gifts to and Solicitations by Staff
KCD: Public Gifts to Schools
Legal Refs: MGL 44:53A; 71: 37A; 268A:3; 268A:23; Ethics
Commission Advisory Opinion EC-COI-12-1