List of 3 items.

• AIS Fundraising Policy

  Atlanta International School, like most independent schools, depends on donations and charitable gifts to supplement tuition to meet its financial needs and budgetary obligations. 
  
  

  Charitable gifts are an important and necessary part of the school’s fiscal management. AIS’ Development Office, working within the guidelines provided by the school’s Board of Trustees and the Head of School, determines and oversees all fundraising activities (including those of the Parent’s Organization).
  
  

  AIS realizes the number of requests and expectations of the school’s supporters to contribute money in addition to the cost of tuition; thus, the school is mindful of and seeks to limit approved fundraisers each year.
  
  

  AIS will not approve fundraisers that compete or interfere with the main fundraising intents of the school: Capital Campaigns, The Eagles Fund , the annual fund, or Spring Benefit.

  
  

  Each year, the Development Office leads the Eagles Fund, the annual giving campaign, to raise money for special, supplemental purchases and to meet the financial needs of the school not met by tuition income. The Eagles Fund is the single most important avenue of giving, and it is hoped that every parent will contribute to this endeavor.

  
  

  AIS cannot allow special-interest fundraising activities that could affect the success of our own fundraising efforts, compete for our donors, or put additional financial demands on our families and supporters.
  
  

  Members of the AIS community (students, faculty, administrators, parents, etc.) may not distribute materials to solicit money, advertise, or promote any outside organization.  
  
  

  Student, faculty and staff may not solicit parents and special friends to fund specific programs or departmental needs.
  
  

  The following AIS fundraisers, have been grandfathered in and are approved by the Head of School:

  • Aprendiendo Ingles Solido Holiday Sale benefitting LaAmistad, Inc.
  • Clothing Drive benefitting From Houses to Homes- Guatemala
  • German Bake Sale benefitting SABHA, Inc. 
  • Primary and Secondary School Thanksgiving Collections benefitting the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services and Garden Hills families
  • Trick-or-Treat Donation Boxes benefitting UNICEF
  • Global Village Project 

  Grade level curriculum and programs with required fundraising elements will be reviewed by the Head of School, Head of Development and Head of School.  Upon approval, the guidelines regarding execution of the fundraiser must be followed. The following grade level and programs are approved:

  • Grade 3 Craft Bazaar
  • Grade 4 Coat Drive
  • First Robotic Competition

  Atlanta International School is a non-profit charitable institution, which complies with all appropriate federal and state laws. All cash gifts to the school for which the donor receives no goods or services are tax deductible. Certain donations such as Spring Benefit ticket and auction item purchases, gifts of stock, and gifts-in-kind - are deductible to the manner and extent provided by law in accordance with IRS regulations. The Development Office automatically furnishes gift substantiation summaries to donors for tax purposes for all donations above $250.00. 

  
  

  Gifts-in-kind are either tangible property or professional services designated by the individual donor for a special one-time project or purpose not included in the operating budget of the school. The Development Office must review and pre-approve all gifts-in-kind.

  
  

  Atlanta International School Fundraising Guidelines

  
  

  Fundraising at Atlanta International School (AIS) is conducted under the guidelines established by the Board of Trustees and the Head of School, and implemented by the Development Office.

  
  

  AIS fundraisers should promote international understanding and school spirit by creating opportunities for students, teachers, parents, and volunteers to work together to accomplish mutual goals.  These fundraising activities should strive to promote an encouraging environment for learning and service to AIS and the community at large.

  
  

  An activity at AIS is defined as a “fundraiser” when it is designed to make a net profit and/or when the organizers solicit parents, friends, organizations or businesses for tangible contributions (such as funding or goods).  Ticket sales for routine school-sponsored events, such as theatre performances or sporting events, as well as Book Fairs, Booster Club Concessions and Spirit Wear Sales will not be subject to approval.

  
  

  The Development Office, along with the Operations Department, will maintain a calendar of all AIS-related fundraising activities to ensure that fundraising endeavors do not conflict with each other or any other school activity, and to ensure that the AIS community is not inundated with competing funding requests.

  
  

  All Fundraising Activities:
  
  All fundraising activities, as defined above, must be pre-approved by the Head of Development. To seek approval, please follow these steps: 

  • Make all requests for fundraising approval a minimum of eight weeks in advance of the proposed date
  • Fundraising organizers must adhere to all applicable Federal/State/Local regulations, including the collection of sales tax when appropriate, and must conform to acceptable standards and practices of fundraising
  • Fundraising activities must be sponsored by a recognized entity within the school
  • Fundraisers may not begin or be publicized until permission has been granted by the Head of Development. Failure to comply will forfeit any opportunity to host the fundraiser on campus
  • Fundraisers that seek to solicit individual and/or business cash or in-kind contributions, must be reviewed and approved by the Head of Development to ensure that such a solicitation does not interfere with school’s long-range fundraising and development plans.  Programs, such as Robotics which has fundraising requirements, and other groups with similar requirements will work directly with the Head of Development. 
  • All funds raised must be accounted for in a manner acceptable to Head of Finance & Operations
  • To ensure consistency and accuracy, publicity materials used in conjunction with any fundraising endeavor must be reviewed by the Head of Marketing & Communications and the Head of Development prior to dissemination. This includes but is not limited to posters, flyers, solicitation letters and forms, and any information sent to the media.  Copies of publicity material from previous and current years will be held in the Development Office as a historical reference and a resource for future planning.
  • Use of the AIS name, seal or any other school logo in any fundraising activity must also have written approval from the Head of Development and Head of Marketing & Communications.

• Parent Organization (PO) Fundraising and Affiliated Groups

  The Parent Organization and all other school-related groups must obtain prior approval for any new event or activity from the Development Office. Funds raised from these efforts must be used for priority items and projects in keeping with the Board of Trustees’ funding priorities and with the school’s strategic plan.

  • AIS Parent Organization (PO) and any other groups that may be approved, are organized to support various aspects of the AIS community.  As such, these groups are required to maintain their financial accounts at the school, to operate as an activity of the school, and to report all financial activity at least once per year.  The PO and AIS agree that the financial aspect of their relationship, in keeping with the PO’s main purpose of overall enrichment of our families and community, is to support the activities of the school and its departments.  The PO does this by organizing volunteers, coordinating activities and providing assistance to faculty and staff. The PO does not exist to raise funds for the school. 
  • While certain department budgets are more limited than others, neither the PO nor its Culture Clubs and Committees are authorized to organize drives or collections of cash to provide or purchase new items on behalf of parents or groups within the school.  

• Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) Guidelines and Student Fundraising Policies

  All Diploma Programme students participate in the three elements of the IB Diploma; the Theory of knowledge (TOK) course, the extended essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).  CAS is designed to strengthen and extend students’ personal and interpersonal learning from the PYP and MYP. CAS is organized around the three strands of creativity, activity, and service defined as follows:

  • Creativity—exploring and extending ideas leading to an original or interpretive product or performance
  • Activity—physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle
  • Service—collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need

   

  All AIS individuals, groups, and teams wishing to conduct events  on campus under CAS must receive prior approval for their project/event from the CAS Supervisor, CAS Coordinator and Development Office.  Requests not aligned with the intent of CAS will be denied. [See CAS guidelines]

  
  

  Any CAS group must go through the CAS Coordinator to become an approved CAS group prior to requesting any and all activities and/or setting up financial accounts with the Business Office. All monies raised must be turned in directly to the Business Office within 24 hours of the activity.

  
  

  The Assistant Director of Operations will calendar all approved  activities and will include the event name, date and responsible party. Fundraising and marketing for events may not proceed until written approval from the Development Office has been received.
  
  

  Student fundraising is strictly limited to all ready established and designated CAS groups, other approved community services, and educational/athletic enrichment. The funds raised exist solely for the purpose of furthering the goals of the individual and specific CAS groups, services, or programs.

   

  Click here for more information