Account Sponsor Training Activity Fund Account Sponsor Training

Student Activity Funds These funds belong to the students and are generated through fundraising activities, donations, fees, student picture commissions and student vending machine commissions. These funds do NOT belong to the Activity Fund sponsor. These funds are used to promote the general welfare of the school and the educational development and morale of all students. Money raised must be expended to benefit the students currently enrolled. Money raised follows the student (i.e. money left in a 1st grade account at the end of the year will benefit these same students as they move to 2nd grade the following school year. Money left in a graduating class account will go to the General Student Account.)

Account Sponsor Expectations

Sponsor Responsibility Agreement All Account Sponsors must read and sign the Sponsor Responsibility Agreement. The Account Sponsor is responsible for reading the Activity Funds Procedures Manual and complying with it. A new agreement is required every year and is kept on file by the Bookkeeper.

Bi-Monthly Reconciling

Sponsor Bi-monthly Report This document is very important and must be filled out by the Account Sponsor, not the Bookkeeper. You will be reconciling two months at a time. The Bookkeeper and the Account Sponsor must sign off on this report for each month. It is recommended that larger accounts or accounts with lots of activity balance monthly and sign off monthly. The report must be completed even if the account has no activity. The report must be completed in ink and any changes must be marked through and initialed. DO NOT USE WHITE-OUT! Each submission line must be signed and dated. This is a mandatory document providing checks and balances between the Account Sponsor and the Bookkeeper. This is a major audit finding for you and your campus if it is not completed fully as required.

Gray area is what the sponsor fills out, not the bookkeeper!

Receiving And Depositing Funds

Make daily deposits to the Bookkeeper as money is received Never send money to the Bookkeeper by a student. Never leave money overnight in your office or room. Never take money home to count. Never leave money without getting the Bookkeeper’s signature on the Sponsor Deposit Slip showing “receipt of the deposit” and/or “receipt and counted”. Repayment of a Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) check must be made on a separate deposit slip and given to the Bookkeeper with the notation that it is an “NSF repayment from (name)” AND it is the account sponsor’s responsibility to contact the check writer, not the bookkeeper!

Sponsor Deposit Slip If your deposit contains a non-taxable item (fee, donation) AND a taxable item (t-shirt, recorder) you MUST separate them on the deposit slip before you give it to the Bookkeeper. These two types of deposits have different object codes and MUST be separated (see example). Note: The Sponsor should write their account name (Band, 1st Grade, Yearbook, etc.) on the memo line of each check received. This assists the Bookkeeper if a check is returned for insufficient funds.

Properly receipt all money received. You MUST receipt money as soon as you receive it. Turn it in to your campus Bookkeeper daily intact. Keep it under lock and key until you turn it in.

Cash Receipt Books This is used when the amount received is $15 or more. It is mandatory. NOTE: The Sponsor must fill out the method of payment, i.e., cash, check or money order. This will be an audit finding if left blank. Do not use this receipt book for outside entities such as your campus PTA. That will cause auditing issues.

Cash Receipts Tally Sheet Used to record the receipt of amounts less than $15. A student roster can be use; be sure to note the amount received next to each student’s name. If a Tally Sheet or Class Roster is used to record money less than $15, it must be attached to your deposit slip when you turn in money to the Bookkeeper.

Teacher Money Envelope The Teacher Money Envelope must be used by the Account Sponsor to turn in all deposits to the Bookkeeper. The envelope contains your Sponsor Deposit Slip and the cash, check(s), etc. The Account Sponsor fills out the outside information and signs it. The Bookkeeper will initial the envelope once the deposit is verified. The receipts will be returned to the Account Sponsor in the money envelope.

Notes Do not use money receipted to cash personal checks – deposits are made intact!!! Do not combine your deposits with any other activity fund account or any other Account Sponsors deposit. Deposit money with the Bookkeeper yourself. When activity funds or product purchased with activity funds are lost due to carelessness, theft, or fraud, the Account Sponsor will be held personally responsible and will be required to reimburse the account for such loss. On all checks, put your “grade level or group” name on the check memo line, i.e., 1st grade, Cheer, Band, etc.

Fundraisers And Sales

Fundraisers/Sales The Fund Raiser/Sales Activity Application form must be completed in full by the Account Sponsor before the fundraiser or sale is held and submitted to the Bookkeeper for the Principal’s approval or denial. All cash received during a fundraiser must be submitted to the Bookkeeper daily intact (Account Sponsor must turn in money in the form it was received, e.g. pennies for pennies) along with a Sponsor Deposit Slip. All cash received during a Fundraiser must be deposited. When additional inventory is purchased during the fundraiser, the Account Sponsor must request a check. They CANNOT use cash from deposits to purchase additional inventory. Sales Summary Reports must be completed by the Account Sponsor and submitted to the Bookkeeper for the Principal’s signature within THREE weeks of the completion of the fundraiser. Fundraisers or Sales can be taxable or non-taxable. Each student group is limited to 3 fundraisers annually (school year) – 2 on campus and 1 in the community. Page 13 Give out Account Sponsor handouts Keep binder on fundraisers Bookkeepers must keep on top of fundraising applications and sales summary reports. Report problems to the Principal.

IMPORTANT – Fundraiser Profitability Research profitability of your fundraiser before submitting your Application for Fundraiser for the Principal’s Approval or Denial. A Fundraiser should earn at least 40% profit. A sale (such as student t-shirts) at cost plus tax is not a fundraiser. This is a taxable sale.

Remember, there needs to be a reason why the fundraiser is occurring Remember, there needs to be a reason why the fundraiser is occurring. Examples of acceptable reasons include: upcoming trips, student parties, supplies for activities, paying for substitute teachers when faculty and students will be at contests and field trips, and contest fees. Do NOT hold a fundraiser and then come up with a reason to have the funds. There must be a clear reason or reasons why the fundraiser is occurring.

Fundraiser/Sale Application Filled out by Account Sponsor and turned in to the Bookkeeper to get the Principal’s approval or denial prior to the beginning of the fundraiser.

Fundraiser/Sale Summary Report Filled out by Account Sponsor and turned in to the Bookkeeper within 3 weeks of the ending of the fundraiser.

One-Day Tax-Free Sales Campus organizations are allowed to have two (2) tax free sales per calendar year (January 1 to December 31). Either all sales must occur on one day or all of the orders must be delivered on one day (e.g. yearbooks). Must be designated by the Sponsor on the Fundraiser/Sale Activity Application form.

Concession/Multi-Item Sales Worksheet The Concession and Multi-Item Sales Worksheet can be used as a supplement to the Sales Summary Form to account for fundraisers involving sales of multiple items, such as concession sales.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding Crowdfunding is a way for the campus to fund a project or venture by raising money or getting donations of equipment or “stuff” via internet websites. The approved websites are set out in the guidelines for crowdfunding which can be found in the Financial Services/Accounting Comptroller/Activity Fund online library. These guidelines will be updated by the Office of Innovation & Development from time to time; therefore, you need to be sure that you have the current guidelines.

Crowdfunding Application Current Guidelines are in the online library under Financial Services/Accounting Comptroller/Activity Fund. These guidelines are updated from time to time by the Office of Innovation & Development. This form is filled out on-line by the Account Sponsor; the Principal’s email must be provided for approval or denial prior to the beginning of the event. Form is available in the Financial Services online library.

Crowdfunding Summary Report Filled out on-line by Account Sponsor within 3 weeks of the ending of the event. Must include the Bookkeeper’s email.

Disbursements (PARs, Checks, and Travel)

Disbursements Purchase Approval / Request for Check The Sponsor must fill out the top portion of this form completely when requesting a check approval from the Principal. ALL Purchases require PRIOR APPROVAL, in writing, from the Principal before the purchase is made. This includes AISD bus requests, substitute teachers paid with activity funds, and activity fund purchases made with the P-Card. The Principal has the option to approve or deny any Purchase Approval Request especially if you did not receive prior approval. A PAR must always be completed with corresponding receipt or invoice attached (with Principal’s signature) before a check will be written. Sales Tax and Use Certificates can be found in the Bookkeepers office. Page 10 Give out check handout Purchase Approvals filed by the month Must have vendor # before it can be posted. Must know balance in account.

Travel The Bookkeeper cannot reimburse campus staff directly from activity funds for travel out-of-district or give a check to the traveler directly before they go on their trip. On all out-of-district travel, staff and students are required to go through the travel desk in Finance to fill out the Pre-Travel Approval form prior to the trip and the Final Travel Expense Report form upon return from the trip. Funds raised solely through the efforts of staff such as Book Fair sales (if staff performed all of the work) or funds transferred from the Building Use account into Staff Development may be used for travel to professional conferences or conventions for staff with the Principal’s approval; however, this must also be coordinated and reimbursed through the travel desk in the Finance Department. The traveler is responsible for following the travel rules. Contact the Travel Desk in Finance in order to find out deadlines and processes.

Keep A Running Account Ledger

The Sponsor Ledger Keep a Sponsor Ledger to record all activity fund transactions. It is very important to maintain a running balance. It is the Account Sponsors responsibility to maintain the Account Sponsor ledger. The Bookkeeper should never create or maintain the ledger for the Account Sponsor.

Maintain Sponsor Ledger This form is important to help you, the Account Sponsor, keep an accurate running balance and track all checks requested and deposits made. You are required to reconcile with the Bookkeeper bi-monthly and this is a great tool for this purpose. You may also use an Excel spreadsheet.

Activity Fund Balance Your Activity Fund balance must always be positive. A check will not be written that will cause your account to become negative. Verify your Activity Fund account balance with the Bookkeeper; however, you should always keep a running balance and know your account balance. Keeping your ledger up to date will assist you in knowing your account balance.

Also… It is the Account Sponsor's responsibility to inform the Principal whenever the Bookkeeper fails to: Promptly sign and return the Account Sponsor deposit slip. Distribute bi-monthly reports. Correct any balance discrepancies.

Thank you for your attention and have a great year! Questions? If you have any questions at a later time, don’t hesitate to come see me. If I do not know the answer, I will find out and get back with you as soon as possible! Thank you for your attention and have a great year!