The first meeting of the Donations Policy Review Committee was on November 16, 2016.
Attendees: Carolyn Stanley, Chandana Surlu, Connie Peterson, Dana Tavener, Debbie Romero, Elizabeth Sytman, Ellen Epstein, Jeff Lowell, Jeffrey Blunden, Jerry Hartmann, Jess Garcia, Kerri Patterson, Lisa Shank, Marie Telecky, Michele Miller, Michelle Ball, Michelle Deerkop
Welcome
- Thank you for being part of the committee.
- Please silence your cell phone. If you must make a call or respond to a message, we invite you to do so in the hallway.
- In order to provide an opportunity to share ideas for all participants, please tip your name plate up to indicate you would like to speak to an issue.
Introductions and Check-In using Interest Based Strategies
- Brief overview of Interest Based Strategies (IBS)
- Get to know you exercise – around the room
Review of Committee Purpose and Charge
- Letter from Jeff Lowell
- BSD updating district policies, continuous work-in-progress, include community engagement and voice
- Work on alignment, address issues, find solutions, submit recommendation to Board, clarity with partners
Sharing of Concerns and Questions
- All perspectives out on the table, examine all the pieces of the puzzle before thinking about the solutions
- If you have preconceived notions, please move those to the background
- Flexibility and problem solving is focus, everyone has a say and ownership in the process, strongly supported
- Story #1: What are your concerns about the current donation system?
- BSD Business Office doesn’t know who is donating.
- Inequity between schools in fundraising abilities; how do we provide “extras” to lower financial level schools?
- Inconsistency of policies/procedures school-to-school, PTA-to-PTA, messaging is off as well.
- ATM concept – Things become standardized and then assumed over time they will be provided.
- What is the current donation system?
- When matching funds come in, there is no way to trace which checks go to which ASB account.
- Audit requirements – How often? How transparent? Who? People should know who is donating.
- Communication – Policy/procedures aren’t readily communicated to treasurers/fundraisers.
- Parity – Girls’ sports/more popular sports within a single school. What are process/protocols for ensuring equity and consistency?
- Allowing PTA to pay for staffing -> inequity.
- Rules around student involvement and funds which shift with new rules and no/little reason/notification.
- Clarity of roll ASB/Booster/PTA/BSF for soliciting funds. Then specifics around rules for groups contributing. Restricted donations vs general donations.
- Collaboration about what is really needed in the first place. Appropriateness of donation.
- Lack of information about what expenditures are actually going toward what school can and can’t specifically pay for.
- All high schools have a different organizational system for their booster clubs.
- Transportation billing is unclear.
- Ability to enrich and innovate for buildings compared to basic programs. ASB reporting to Board – perception of rubber stamp by the Board without a lot of how/why.
- Turnover in leadership … teachers/advisors. Current system does little to keep new people in the loop. Constant retraining or people left in the dark.
- Donations need to be thought of globally instead of one-time donation so paperwork is less time consuming and more accurate.
- McCleary impact – finding ways to still do great things for our students.
- Want to make sure we are audit proof.
Sharing of Hopes for the Committee
- Story #2: What are your hopes regarding this committee and/or its outcomes?
- Something tangible: consistent process and protocol for each constituent group to understand what they need to do (three additional people strongly agree with this point)
- It should be clear as to what it means to the Booster Club, ASB, etc.
- Better transparency; training for treasurers, fundraisers, etc.
- Guidelines for someone who is setting up a new 501(c)(3) that says exactly what to do.
- Sharing ideas for easiest way to deal with Benevity.
- Best practices sharing.
- Consistent training across the district and elementary to high school.
- Checks and balances built into whatever system.
- Gold standard – BUT built in a manner for addressing changing and evolving systems over time.
- Plain language, readable, plan for disseminating.
- Understand how different organizations operate when building a plan.
- Perhaps dual process – Current 501(c)(3) vs emerging/new groups
- Look at potential unintended consequences before rolling out. Spot check outside this group for review. More eyes on the process.
- Protect our system/students from the “human element”.
- Built in calendar system.
- Transparency – Students dealing with large amounts of money. ASB: What training and processes?
- Official review committee.
Logistics
Future Meeting Dates and Times
- Letter from Jeff includes predetermined/tentative dates and times – a good place holder?
- Not all have to be formal meetings. May be an opportunity to meet/share research, followed by a more structured meeting.
- Wednesdays work well for members.
- Next meeting Wednesday, November 30th 2:30-4:30pm. Location to be verified.
Posting of Minutes
- Minutes will be emailed to committee on Thursday, following Wednesday’s meeting.
- Reply to [email protected] by Sunday with any requests to edit Minutes.
- Minutes will be posted online Monday, following Wednesday’s meeting.
‘Homework’
- Letter from Jeff outlines three phases, review timeframe
- Review notebook, get familiar with the content, prep for next meeting (11/30)
- NOTE: Request made for info regarding WIAA’s rules for athletics and activities donations
- Look at the organization you represent, review donations policy and procedure, bring to next meeting