AP 529

Donations/Sponsorships to Support Abbotsford School District

Background

The Abbotsford School District welcomes support from individuals, businesses, and community organizations when such support enhances learning and benefits students. Donations and sponsorships help strengthen programs, events, and initiatives across the district.

The district must also ensure that support is provided in a way that is fair, transparent, and consistent with our vision, mission and values. The district does not permit advertising, promotional activities, or the use of corporate logos in schools or across district communications, outside of our Community Bulletin (see AP 301-2). 

This Administrative Procedure ensures that donations and sponsorships, whether general or directed, are used appropriately, benefit groups of students, and comply with District policies and administrative procedures, including AP 301-2, which prohibits advertising to students.

Procedures

  1. Definitions

    1.1 Donation

    A voluntary gift of money, goods, or services with no promotional benefit for the donor.

    1.2 Directed Donation

    A donation designated for a specific program, event, or school-wide initiative (e.g., athletics, student wellness, literacy, arts).

    Directed donations must:

    • Benefit groups of students;
    • not be directed to an individual student or a single classroom;
    • not provide personal or private benefit

    1.3 Sponsorship

    Support from a business or organization, may be acknowledged through simple, text-only recognition. No logos or branding are permitted.

    1.4 Advertising

    Any message promoting a product, service, or business.

  2. General Guidelines

    2.1 Donations and sponsorships may be directed, provided they support a program, event, or initiative that benefits groups of students.

    2.2 Donations and sponsorships may not:

    • support an individual student;
    • support a specific child’s classroom;
    • support an employee personally;
    • provide a private or personal benefit.

    2.3 Recognition, when provided, will be verbal or text-only. Recognition is not guaranteed and is offered at the district’s discretion.

    Because the district issues charitable tax receipts for eligible contributions, recognition cannot include logos or promotional elements.

    Exception – Joint Community Partner Events

    This restriction on logo use applies to donation and sponsorship recognition and means commercial businesses may not receive logo placement for their contributions. However, this does not prohibit the inclusion of logos from established district community partners on materials for jointly delivered events, where their logo is a normal and necessary part of event branding. This applies only when the partner is directly involved in planning or delivering the event and is not providing commercial sponsorship.

    2.4 The district does not permit:

    • corporate logos or brand graphics;
    • slogans, taglines, or promotional language;
    • branded material or giveaways;
    • product displays or advertising messages.

    2.5 Support must not influence curriculum decisions or student participation in any program.

    2.6 All support must align with district values, priorities, and expectations.

  3. Approval Process

    3.1 School-Level Approval

    • 3.1.1 Principals may approve donations and sponsorships that:
      • comply with this Administrative Procedure;
      • support approved programs or initiatives;
      • benefits groups of students.
    • 3.1.2 A brief written summary must be kept on file at the school. This summary must include:
      • purpose of the support;
      • name of the program/event/initiative;
      • duration of the support.

    3.2 District-Level Approval

    • 3.2.1 The Superintendent or designate must approve:
      • district-wide sponsorships or donations;
      • partnerships involving multiple schools or district community events;
      • large-scale or ongoing contributions.
    • 3.2.2 District Communications and Community Relations will maintain a central record of major sponsorships and donations.

  4. Donation Processing

    4.1 All donations must be either processed through School Cash Online or through the Finance Department.

    4.2 Funds must be used only for the approved purpose or initiative.

    4.3 Donated materials (Donations In-Kind) must meet district standards for suitability, safety, and long-term use and are considered on a case-by-case basis and must be substantiated by independent valuation.

(Last Revised: November 2025)

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