Purpose of Policy
The Board of Directors of the Alabama School Connection (“ASC”) recognizes that the organization engages in fundraising and solicitation activity to sustain the organization. In order to comply with federal, state and local laws, as well as applicable ethical norms regarding fundraising activity, the Board has established this fundraising policy.
Principles for Donation Acceptance
The ASC, as a nonpartisan nonprofit media organization, must maintain editorial independence and objectivity. Donors should not expect to influence anything produced through the ASC by offering any type of donation.
Donations of monetary or in-kind support by any individual, partnerships, corporations, foundations, government agencies, or other entities are accepted with no expectation of return or benefit to the donor.
It is our desire to accept all gifts, discriminating only when the acceptance of the gift would seriously damage the reputation of the ASC. The Executive Director will exercise final approval of all donations.
Oversight
All fundraising activity for the ASC is supervised, coordinated and directed by the Executive Director. The Board shall annually review all fundraising activity by the ASC.
Use of Fundraising Professionals
Third parties not directly affiliated with the organization must have written permission from the Executive Director prior to any solicitation on behalf of the ASC. Third party fundraisers engaged by the ASC must be registered with the appropriate state and local authorities, and their representation of the organization must be evidence by a written agreement approved by the ASC.
Truth and Accuracy
All solicitation and fundraising materials and other communications to donors and the public shall clearly identify the ASC and be accurate and truthful.
The Executive Director shall review fundraising or solicitation materials prior to publication for:
- Material omissions or exaggerations of fact, use of misleading photographs, or any other communication which would tend to create a false impression or misunderstanding; and
- Any statements or content that would tend to create unrealistic donor expectations of what the donor’s gift will actually accomplish.
Compensation for Fundraising
The ASC shall pay fundraisers no more than reasonable compensation for their services. The ASC shall not compensate internal or external fundraisers based on a commission or a percentage of the amount raised, unless the fundraising vehicle is a multi-organizational event where proceeds must be divided among organizations.
Types of Gifts Accepted
Monetary donations are accepted either in person (cash or check), or through direct mail (cash or check) or PayPal (cash, check or credit card).
In-kind donations must be approved by the Executive Director.
No real property or marketable securities can be accepted at this time.
The ASC will accept designation as a beneficiary of any trust or life insurance policy.
Donor Acknowledgments
The ASC shall provide all donors with specific acknowledgments of charitable contributions, where applicable, in accordance with legal requirements for proper donor substantiation and the organization’s disclosure.
Donor Privacy Policy
All Donors providing donations of more than $25 will be identified by name on the ASC web site on the Donor page. A Donor making a donation of $50 or less can choose to opt out of name publication on the web site, but must do so at the time of the donation.
The ASC shall not sell or otherwise make available the contact information of its donors, except where disclosure is required by law.
The ASC shall not send mailings on behalf of other organizations.
Compliance with Law
In addition to any other requirements of this policy, all fundraising activities for the ASC shall be conducted in accordance with applicable law.
Sponsored Special Events Policy
The ASC will collaborate to produce special events to educate and engage the public in events in accordance with the ASC’s mission. Revenue-sharing contracts shall be approved by the Executive Director.
