FUNDRAISING AT BANFF TRAIL SCHOOL

FUNDRAISING AT BANFF TRAIL SCHOOL
Banff Trail School has two parent run organizations, a School Council and a Fundraising Association (The École Banff Trail Parent Fundraising Association or EBTPFA).  The EBTPFA manages all money on behalf of the School Council. The Casino Account manages funds from gaming proceeds . The Non-Casino Account manages the funds from non-casino fundraisers and the Raffle Account manages the money from raffle proceeds. A fourth account managed by parent volunteers belongs to the Banff Trail School Yard Development Society. The School Yard Development Society is a charitable organization and can issue tax receipts.

School Councils are established and legislated under the Alberta School Act and are mandatory in every school.  Banff Trail’s School Council includes all parents/guardians of students enrolled at the school, and the principal.   School Councils are ineligible to apply for a gaming license from the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) for fundraising purposes.  In order to benefit from gaming fundraisers, such as casinos and raffles, an incorporated society is required.  This is the role of the EBTPFA.  

The School Council Operating Procedures outline the role of School Council as it relates to the EBTPFA.  Copies of the École Banff Trail Operating Procedures are available on the website as well as the school CBE website. The EBTPFA is a separate entity.  A formal relationship between School Council and the EBTPFA is supported by both.  School Council advises the EBTPFA regarding funds required to support School Council initiatives.

The AGLC outlines how the use of gaming proceeds (i.e.casino and raffles) can be allocated by Fundraising Associations.  A comprehensive list can be found here.  Many activities by School Council at Banff Trail can not be funded with gaming proceeds.  In this case funds from Non-Casino Fundraisers are used.

In 2014-2015 Non-Casino Fundraisers raised $14,723.  This money was allocated towards School Council activities and funding requests made by school administration for the 2015-2016 school year.  The Non-Casino Budget for 2015-2016 totalled  $15,260.  A breakdown of these budget expenses is available on the website here.  Each year, funds raised by Non-Casino fundraisers is approximately equal to the Non-Casino Budget, which supports between 10 and 15 school wide events and programs, benefitting all students at Banff Trail School.
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NON-CASINO SCHOOL FUNDRAISING EVENTS
School Council fundraising events are fundraising campaigns which are run by parent volunteers and all proceeds from these events are collected by the EBTPFA for the Non-Casino Account or Raffle Account.  The School Council has a Dance Committee and a Fun Lunch Coordinator which help to manage these events and the parent volunteers who support them. All School Council Executive positions are voted on by parents at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and parent commitment to these roles is on a yearly basis. Other parent volunteer roles are assigned at the AGM or during the year as the need arises.  Ideally these roles include two or more parents to ensure continuity for planning year to year. Events such as Fun Lunches and Art Cards require both teacher and parent volunteer support. Events such as Bake Sales and Bottle Drives rely on the time and energy of both parents and students.


INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT SALES FUNDRAISERS
Product Sales are fundraising campaigns partnering with an outside vendor. Fundraisers are initiated and run by volunteer parent coordinators and all sales profits are collected by the EBTPFA.  Each vendor has a fundraising matrix that determines how much School Council earns for each unit purchased.  For example, for every $43.50 wreath sold, the profit is $16.20 or 37%.  For each $16 poinsettias the profit is $6.50 or 40%.  For each $32 case of perogies the profit is $8 or 25%.  Some fundraisers have a higher rate of return than others, while the popularity of some offsets a lower rate of return. 
DIRECT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS 
In lieu of supporting the school or School Council/EBTPFA by buying items offered through a fundraiser, some parents may chose to make a Financial Contribution.  Financial Contributions can be made by parents through a Cash Donation or an Employee Matching Program to the school via the CBE, directly to the school, or to School Council/EBTPFA. 
Because the school is considered a charity, tax receipts can be issued for any donation over $25.  Some Employee Matching Programs will only match donations to a charity.  Neither School Council nor EBTPFA are charities and cannot not issue tax receipts.  In the case of Financial Contributions made to the school, directly or through the CBE, money donated to the school gets put into the school expenditure account and must be spent during the school year.   These funds help school administration offset their budget requests to School Council/EBTPFA. For cash donations made to School Council/EBTPFA, parents will always have the opportunity to advise how they wish their funds to be allocated.
FUNDRAISING SURVEY
 To best allocate parent volunteer resources and to maximize our return on investment we want to find out directly from parents how they feel about fundraising at Banff Trail School.  We want to know which campaigns parents prefer.  We also want to know how you would support each campaign.

Please click HERE to complete the survey!