Policies

Policy 20

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS, DONATIONS AND SPONSORSHIP

The Board of Education believes there is a role for corporate sponsorships within the Division. The Board supports corporate participation that encourages and promotes the development of mutually beneficial relationships between schools and the business and non-business sectors. This participation must enhance the delivery of quality, relevant curricular and co-curricular programs for students. The Board believes it is their responsibility to fund and support the delivery of education. To that end, the Division encourages corporate and community sponsorships as a means of enhancing learning opportunities beyond the basics established for children and building citizenship in our communities.

Definitions

1. Partnerships
A partnership is an agreement based on mutual benefit where an ongoing relationship is sought to develop gains for both partners. The primary basis of an educational partnership is the formally acknowledged exchange of human, intellectual, or material resources to expand opportunities for pupil learning.
2. Sponsorships
A sponsorship is an agreement between the Board, school, and a company or community based organization or foundation through which the sponsor provides financial or resource support in exchange for advertisement or placement of products within the school or schools in the division.
3. Donation
A donation is a voluntary gift made by an individual or group for philanthropic reasons that may be in the form of monies, goods, or services.
4. Co-operative Venture
A co-operative venture is an agreement between the board, school(s), or school community council to participate in an education-business venture that will involve co-development of products or services related to education.
5. Education-Business Relationship
An education-business relationship refers to any partnership, corporate sponsorship, donation, or cooperative venture.
Lloydminster Public

1.0 Guidelines

1.1 Corporate involvement must support the goals and objectives of schools' curriculum and instruction and must be in line with the policies, beliefs, and practices of the Lloydminster Public School Division.
1.2 Programs of corporate involvement must be structured to meet an identified educational need, not a commercial motive, and must be evaluated for educational effectiveness by the school/division on an ongoing basis.
1.3 Schools and educators shall hold sponsored and donated materials to the same standard used for the selection and purchase of curriculum materials.
1.4 Corporate involvement programs shall not limit the discretion of the schools and teachers in the use of sponsored materials.
1.5 All goods and funds donated become property of the Board.
1.6 The Lloydminster Public School Division shall have the authority to decline any form of advertising or sponsorship, cash or in-kind, should it be found to offend the values of the division or the particular school.
1.7 Sponsor recognition and display of corporate logo shall be for identification of contributors and shall not contain further commercial messages.
1.8 All corporate sponsorship and advertising relationships shall be confirmed in writing or by contract as deemed necessary.
1.9 Corporate sponsorship involvement shall not require students to observe, to listen, or to read commercial advertising.

2.0 Procedures

2.1 The Director or designate is to be made aware when a school is entering into sponsorship agreements of $2500 or less. The Director or designate will be involved in the development of sponsorship agreements in excess of $2500. The Board must give prior approval for any sponsorship of $10,000 or greater.

2.2 Sponsorships in the Lloydminster Public School Division will be limited to vending machines, score clocks, corporate logos on uniforms, and other forms as approved by the Director
2.3 The following forms of sponsor recognition shall be permitted:

2.3.1 Public notices, including newspapers, radio, television or any other form of public media, and school publications directed or intended for parents or the community at large (e.g., school newsletter, yearbook, webpage).
2.3.2 Plaques, pictures or other notices at the division office.
2.3.3 Plaques, pictures or other notices at the donor's place of business.
2.3.4 Depending on the scope of the project and or support by the sponsor/donor, the Board may at its discretion identify specific levels of recognition. (ie. Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze)
2.3.5 In special circumstances the Board maintains the right to determine alternate means for recognition of donors beyond a plaque.
2.3.4 A letter to the sponsor from the principal, the district, the Board or the School Community Council.
2.3.5 The temporary placement of a sign in a school indicating the sponsor's name and/or logo, which is put in place for the duration of the sponsored program, event, tournament, production or activity. The location, prominence and design of the sponsor's banner shall be tasteful and respectful of the cultural community and the school.

2.4 Sponsorships

2.4.1 May be assigned to an individual school at the sponsor's request;
2.4.2 Which are not directed to a specific school shall be used to support the division’s efforts to support student learning.
Lloydminster Public

2.5 All cash or other donations provided by sponsors shall be tracked by the school or division using appropriate accounting procedures.
2.6 All non-cash donations provided by sponsors may have brand names, trademarks, logos or tags for product service or identity purposes only.
2.7 The administration of sponsorships, including the issue of exclusivity, shall be determined by the principal of the school, in consultation with the division, the School Community Council and the sponsor.
2.8 Sponsorship shall not permit financial gain to district employees, students, parents or trustees.
2.9 All sponsored educational materials shall be directed to the division which shall review them and ensure that they meet the following standards prior to distribution to the school:

2.9.1 They are consistent with established fact or with prevailing expert opinion.
2.9.2 Objectivity Points of view are fairly represented. If the subject is controversial, arguments are balanced. Any sponsor bias is clearly stated and references to differing views are made.
2.9.3 Completeness
The materials contain all relevant information and do not deceive or mislead by omission.
2.9.4 Language Materials are both interesting and understandable.
2.9.5 Non-discrimination The text and illustrations are free of any content that could be considered derogatory toward a particular group, for example an ethnic group, a race or gender.
2.9.6 Non-commercial The name and logo of the sponsor is used to identify the source of the materials and, if applicable, to provide contact for further information.

2.10 The Director of Education will provide the Board with an annual report of corporate partnerships, donations and sponsorships.

2.11 The Board of Education, is a Registered Charity with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The Board, at its discretion, may issue a Charitable Donation Receipt for any donations that meet the CRA definition of a charitable gift.