MMS CHARITY FUNDRAISING CAUGHT IN SELECTIVE DISTRICT POLICY

So it appears that one school's effort to raise money for a worthy cause has been caught in district bureaucracy.

Many residents offered donations to the Maplewood Middle School's recent walk-a-thon aimed at raising money for two good causes: Nothing but Nets and the U.N. Foundation Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Apparently some $900 was raised so far.

But now comes word that a district policy against having students raise money through the school for charities has prompted this letter returning checks and asking people to donate through another channel.

If you do get such a letter and are asked to void a check and send a new one to the charity directly, please do so. Do not let these kids and their great deeds suffer because of district policy that appears to make no sense.

We reached out to the middle school and the district for a reason for such limitations, but have received none yet. 

A search of the school district policies finds there is a provision barring the use of school organizations or student groups to raise funds for entities outside of the school, apparently to:

"protect pupils from unnecessary pressures and the instructional program from disruption"

See it below:

5830  PUPIL FUND RAISING

 

The Board of Education herein limits the solicitation of funds by and from the pupils of this district in order to protect pupils from unnecessary pressures and the instructional program from disruption.

"Pupil fund raising" means the solicitation and collection of money by pupils, on or off school premises, for any purpose associated directly or indirectly with the school district or under circumstances in which the solicitors are identified as pupils of this district.

Permitted Activities

Pupils may solicit and collect money on behalf of approved school organizations.  Fundraising is allowed for the following activities:

1.    Sponsored activities as described under Policy 2430,
2.    Athletic teams under Policy #2431, 
3.    An entire class, or
4.    A school P.T.A. or Home and School Association.  

All funds raised must be used for purposes as described in the charter or bylaws of the fundraising entity.  Fundraising by any other organization or for any other purpose must be expressly approved by the Superintendent.  

Prohibited Activities    
Unsupervised solicitation by students, whether alone or in groups, is prohibited.  In no event shall fundraising be contingent upon a student’s performance or outcome.  The Board discourages incentives or awards based upon the amount of funds raised by students or groups of students.  

External Organizations
The Board recognizes that in some instances the use of an external organization may help raise funds for school purposes. These organizations may include, but are not limited to, publishers, wholesalers and manufacturers selling goods or services at a discount as well as those providing specialized services (local memberships, retail discount cards, etc.).

Approved school organizations may engage external entities to help raise funds for school purposes, provided the school organization has obtained written approval of the Superintendent or his/her designee prior to commencing fundraising activities.  External organizations are expected to abide by those activities permitted and prohibited by this policy.  In addition, external organizations and their representatives are prohibited from taking part in solicitations or other fundraising activities.

But this would seem to be selective enforcement as numerous past examples of student-run efforts to raise funds for outside charities can be found, including a Columbia High School 2011 Haitian relief program that earned awards and the CHS Italian Cultural Club's Sicily Night, a portion of which funds:

"a contribution to a worthy charity. Past charitable recipients have included Relay for Life of West Orange (American Cancer Society), the National Italian American Foundation (as a donation towards one of their scholarships for Italian Language) and the relief for the earthquake in Abruzzo, Italy in 2008."

CHS also has a charity club.