SPS Policy No. 6114 – Gifts, Grants, Donations and Fundraising Proceeds

It is the policy of the Seattle School Board to actively encourage cooperation with individuals and governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as from private and foundation sources desiring to provide resource assistance to the district.  Such assistance may take the form of direct financial support, grants, services, supplies or equipment.  Where resource assistance is offered, the district shall make a determination whether to accept the assistance and upon what terms.  Any requirement to contribute district funds or other resources shall be documented and considered as part of the approval process and reflected in budgets.  Acceptance shall be in confirmed in writing. 

The district will actively pursue and accept grant awards and revenue-producing agreements and contracts that assist the district to meet the academic needs of its students, as well as assist the district to meet its strategic goals and priorities. The Seattle School Board values and welcomes such contributions to the district and its students. 

A grant award or revenue-producing agreement or contract is an award of funding to a department, a school or an individual within the district that is based upon a request for funding. Grant awards are designated for specific purposes and are usually accompanied with a statement of terms and conditions that guide the district or school on the use of these funds. In accepting the award, the district honors its obligations and responsibilities to expend the grant funds in accordance to the stated purposes and conditions of the award. 

In order to accept these funds, the grant award or revenue-producing agreement or contract must benefit the district and be congruent with the following principles: 

1. The district’s mission, vision, core values and beliefs. 

2. The district and school goals that positively impact student performance. 

3. The district’s instructional priorities and strategies. 

4. School and district transformation plan goals. 

5. Equity in funding. 

6. Support and honor district governance and decision-making procedures of the Board, central office and building-level staff. 

7. Receiving a value or benefit that is greater than the obligation under the grant award. 

8. Not violate management and/or bargaining unit rights and responsibilities. 

9. Not carry any conditions that would divert school or district efforts away from the district’s primary mission. 

The Seattle School Board authorizes the Superintendent to accept these awards and revenue-producing agreements and contracts with the following exceptions: 

1. Where the amount of the grant award or the revenue service agreement or contract in any fiscal year is more than the threshold for approval of contracts established in Policy 6220. 

2. When Board approval is mandated by the funding agency. 

3. Where there is a “cash match” or “in-kind match” requirement during the total period of the grant that requires a general fund or other grant fund obligation which is more that the threshold for approval of contracts established in Policy 6220 for approval of contracts. 

4. Where the Superintendent believes that it would be in the best interest of the district to have the grant or revenue-producing agreement or contract approved by the Board. 

Grant awards and revenue-producing agreements and contracts that contain one or more of these exceptions must be approved by the Board before the district can accept and obligate funds under the award. 

Once the district accepts the award or revenue-producing agency service agreement or contract, the district will have the decision-making and signature authority to manage the award in accordance with the purposes and terms and conditions of the executed agreement. 

Attempts should be made by the district to seek funding opportunities that do not require the district to use district funds to continue program activities once the grant source or categorical dollars have been discontinued.  

The Superintendent is authorized to establish operating procedures or administrative guidelines for the administration and management of such awards. 

The handling of gifts, donations, and fundraising proceeds is as follows:  

1. District employees who receive public funds in the form of gifts, grants, donations, or fundraising proceeds by cash, check, or any other form, must, except as set forth in paragraph 3, transmit those monies within 24 hours of receipt to the District accounting office for immediate deposit with the County Treasurer;  

2. If the funds are earmarked for use by a particular school or program, the accounting office will put them in a separate account for use by that school or program;  

3. District employees who receive monies that are intended by the donor to be deposited with the Alliance for Education, or another separately incorporated 501(c)(3) set up to benefit a District school or program, must immediately transmit those monies to that 501(c)(3) for deposit; 

4. All separate non-profit organizations which receive funds intended to benefit the District, or a District program or school, shall be subject to District oversight and reporting requirements in accordance with agreements between the District and the non-profit organization;  

5. District staff are prohibited from holding un-reported or un-deposited public funds, and prohibited from opening or operating any banking or checking account which contains public funds, without the express written authorization of the District comptroller. All District funds, and all funds intended to benefit the District, must be handled under either paragraph 1 or 3 above. Failure to comply with this policy shall subject employees to appropriate disciplinary action. 

Any gift to the district of real property can be accepted only by Board approval. Any gift of any type having a total value (including both the contribution and any district resources required to be contributed) of $250,000 or greater will be subject to Board approval.  

Gifts to staff are guided by Policy No. 5251, Ethics. 

The Superintendent is authorized to develop procedures to implement this policy.