DONATING TO UPPER GRAND LEARNING FOUNDATION

IMPORTANT FEE CHANGE DECEMBER 2006

To realize our objectives to support educational opportunities which enhance the quality of life for communities of the UGDSB, UGLF accepts donations from individuals, corporations and other organizations in the form of cash donations (cash, cheque, money order, Visa, Mastercard), bequests, gifts-in-kind and other charitable giving opportunities. The administration fee charged by the banks for the use of credit cards will be deducted from the amount donated to the school, i.e. A $100 donation will result in $96.50 going to the school.

For all contributions: UGLF advises potential donors to discuss their contribution plans and decisions with their financial and legal advisors concerning tax implications.

Also, please note that charitable gift tax tax receipts will be issued only for donation of $20 (twenty dollars) or more, and where no direct benefit is obtained by the donor or their family members. For example, if the cost of a school trip is $25 per student, a parent may not pay for that child’s trip and expect to receive a tax receipt: the child directly benefits. However, if that parent donated $25 to your School Fund for general activities, that parent will receive a charitable gift tax receipt.

Donors can choose to contribute to:

School Funds – all UGDSB schools have a School Funds account that consists of money donated to their school. They use these funds for programs, events and activities.

General Funds – consist of unrestricted donations made to UGLF to be accessed by schools and community groups for projects, programming and activities. Also, donors can choose to support our objectives through an Endowment or by donating to our Community or Operating Funds. For more information, please contact UGLF.

Scholarship Funds – scholarship donations are designated by the donor to benefit students in specific schools or programs. Such donations should be reviewed by the donors with the intended schools' principal and guidance head. Donors will be required to complete a Scholarship Agreement with UGLF.

Sponsor an Award – awards are non-scholarship gifts designated to a school to recognize student achievement.

All donations must be accompanied by the Contribution Form, and may be submitted:

A. By mail
Upper Grand Learning Foundation, 500 Victoria Road, North, Guelph, ON N1E 6K2

B. By the Upper Grand District School Board courier service
Send to: Attention - Upper Grand Learning Foundation from any Wellington and Dufferin County school office.

UGLF welcomes other types of donations, including:

Gifts-In-Kind

Subject to strict guidelines, UGLF is able to accept on behalf of schools, donations of equipment, supplies and other materials which have educational value.

A contribution of service, that is, of time, skills or efforts, is not property and, therefore, does not qualify as a gift or gift in kind for purposes of issuing official donation receipts.

To donated gifts-in-kind, contributors need to forward a letter of intent to the UGLF that states what the donation consists of, what the educational value is, and the intended recipients.

Also, the school for which the in-kind gift is intended must forward a letter of intent to accept the gift to UGLF. Gifts-in-kind must meet any guidelines as may be established by the UGDSB.

To qualify for a tax receipt, a gift-in-kind MUST be accompanied by a WRITTEN appraisal of value by an INDEPENDENT reliable resource that is competent, qualified to carry out an evaluation, and at ‘arms-length’ from the donor. This appraisal must appear on the evaluator’s letterhead; any costs incurred for the appraisal are the responsibility of either the donor or the site to which the gift is being donated.

In Memoriam

In the unfortunate event of the death of a loved one, time may not permit contacting UGLF about arranging for requesting memorial funds to be channelled through UGLF. In this situation, the Contribution Form can be downloaded from our web site. Each In Memoriam donation should accompanied by a Contribution Form and forwarded to UGLF. To determine an appropriate disbursement of these funds, UGLF will consult the memorialized person’s family and the school to which the funds will be allocated. These donations may also be allocated to the General Fund.

PERSONAL INFORMATION PROTECTION AND ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS ACT

Beginning January 2004, the Upper Grand Learning Foundation will abide by the terms of this Act. Any personal information provided by donors will be used only for Foundation purposes: providing receipts, forwarding information and other business.

HOW TO ACCESS FOUNDATION FUNDS:

How Schools Work with Upper Grand Learning Foundation

A. SCHOOL FUNDS:

1. Putting Donations into a School Funds Account

When a school's fundraising activity:

A. results in a

B. the donor or the donor’s family receives no direct benefit in return for the gift,

then,

i. the school will forward the donation to UGLF (cash and cheque or money order payable to Upper Grand Learning Foundation, for example)

ii. along with a corresponding Contribution Form, completed and signed by the donor.

The money will reside in the school account to be accessed when the school needs it.

2. Getting Money out of the School Funds Account

When the school needs to access their funds, the school must submit the:

REQUEST FOR SCHOOL FUNDS APPLICATION FORM to UGLF.
(School administrators please note that the form is available on UGDSB's First Class as a pdf and here on the UGLF web site as a printable document - see link below).

Where possible, copies of any receipts must accompany the requisition form. At any time, the Principal must be able to provide evidence that the funds were used for the stated purpose.

Once we receive and review that form, the amount requested will be sent to the school.

With assistance from the UGDSB Finance Department, UGLF provides each school with account information at regular intervals.

B. GENERAL FUND:

Applications to this Fund must be made in writing and include total budget, sources of other funding, amount requested, a description of the project and an explanation of its educational value.

The REQUEST FOR GENERAL/COMMUNITY FUNDS APPLICATION FORM form (see link below) must be completed and forwarded to the Foundation for approval. The UGLF Grant Committee will meet to review applications and designate funds based on the amount of money available and the merits of the applications.

Expenditures from these funds must meet the provisions of the Income Tax Act. That is, there must be an educational value to the expenditure and there can be no direct benefit for the donors or their families.

C. COMMUNITY FUNDS:

Community groups or organizations in Wellington and Dufferin counties who have entered into a partnership with UGLF to establish a fund in their own name to support their educational projects, and have a formal agreement outlining this relationship, will be able to access these funds. Approval will be granted by a UGLF committee formed by the organization.

The REQUEST FOR GENERAL/COMMUNITY FUNDS APPLICATION FORM form (see link below) must be completed and forwarded to the Foundation for approval.

Expenditures from these funds must meet the provisions of the Income Tax Act. That is, there must be an educational value to the expenditure, and there can be no direct benefit for donors or their families.

D. SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS:

Descriptions and applications for scholarships, including the Upper Grand Learning Foundation Scholarships, are available through the Upper Grand District School Board’s secondary schools’ guidance departments. Students are informed of the availability during their graduating year. Individual school’s Commencement Committees ensure the requirements of the scholarships are fulfilled by the chosen recipients. Applications for the Upper Grand Learning Foundation Scholarships are reviewed by a Foundation Committee and awarded annually to deserving students.

Click here for the PDFContribution form

Click here for the Request for WORD School Funds Application form

Click here for the Request for WORD General/Community Funds form