3271 - Solicitation of Charitable Donations From School Children
| Policy: Solicitation of Charitable Donations From School Children | Policy Number: 3271 |
| Date of Original Policy: 07/10/2002 | Date Revision Adopted: 07/08/2020 |
| Reviewed by Policy Committee: 06/17/2020 | Date of Next Review: 04/26/2023 |
| Replacement of Policy Number: |
Direct solicitation of charitable donations from children in the District schools on school property during regular school hours shall not be permitted. It will be a violation of District policy to ask District school children directly to contribute money or goods for the benefit of a charity during the hours in which District students are compelled to be on school premises.
However, this policy does not prevent the following types of fund raising activities:
a) Fund raising activities which take place off school premises, or outside of regular school day. Thus, recruiting children during the school day for participation in fundraising activities is permissible as long as the activities themselves occur off school premises or outside of the school day;
b) Arms-length transactions, where the contributor receives something for his or her donation. Thus, this rule does not prohibit the sale of goods or tickets for concerts or admission to social events where the proceeds go to charity, because the purchaser receives a consideration; the concert or admission to a social event for the funds expended;
c) Indirect forms of charitable solicitation on school premises that do not involve coercion, such as having a bin or collection box in a hallway or other common area for the donation of food, clothing or money. In these instances, the collection activity is passive, and no pressure is exerted upon students to participate. What the rule does prohibit is approaching students in their classrooms or homerooms and asking them directly to donate money or goods to charity.
b) Arms-length transactions, where the contributor receives something for his or her donation. Thus, this rule does not prohibit the sale of goods or tickets for concerts or admission to social events where the proceeds go to charity, because the purchaser receives a consideration; the concert or admission to a social event for the funds expended;
c) Indirect forms of charitable solicitation on school premises that do not involve coercion, such as having a bin or collection box in a hallway or other common area for the donation of food, clothing or money. In these instances, the collection activity is passive, and no pressure is exerted upon students to participate. What the rule does prohibit is approaching students in their classrooms or homerooms and asking them directly to donate money or goods to charity.
The Board of Education shall ultimately decide which organizations, groups, etc. can solicit charitable donations and for what purposes, as long as the activities comply with the terms of this policy and the Rules of the Board of Regents.
Regulations shall be developed by the administration to implement this policy.
8 New York Code of Rules and Regulations
(NYCRR) Section 19.6
New York State Constitution Article VIII, Section 1
Education Law Section 414