Equitable School Fundraising
Equitable School Fundraising Policy Example:
“As a school community, we recognize the unequal distribution of resources in our city and school district and commit to addressing this disparity. We understand that fundraising further entrenches inequity in our school system. All students in [SCHOOL DISTRICT] deserve access to safe, inclusive, engaging educational opportunities. Within [SCHOOL DISTRICT], our school fundraises on average [$/STUDENT] and falls within [SCHOOL DISTRICT] top [PERCENT] in its capacity to raise funds. Our school advisory committee commits to redistribute all funds over the [SCHOOL DISTRICT] median of [$/STUDENT] to a charity that operates transparently and is doing work that provides equitable support to students in the [SCHOOL DISTRICT].”
Take Action
1 - School Councils Commit to Equitable Fundraising
School councils commit to donating a percentage of raised funds to a transparent, student-centred, charitable fund that will disburse funds equitably across the board. See above for an example of a school council’s ‘Equitable Fundraising Policy’.
Determine a ratio for the amount to be donated by school councils; for example, a percentage of anything raised above a set per-student amount by a School Council would automatically be reallocated to a central equity fund.
2 - Contact the Premier and Minister of Education to Demand more funding for Public Schools
Pressure the government to fund public education adequately.
Email and call the Premier, Minister of Education and your MPP to demand they fund public education robustly and equitably.
School-based fundraising is an inequitable and inadequate solution to the lack of funding for public education. Public schools must provide safe, inclusive, and excellent educational opportunities.
3 - Contact your School District
If inequitable fundraising continues, urge your school district to mandate equitable fundraising. Funds raised by school councils can be pooled centrally and allocated pro rata based on school population size and needs (or by their Learning Opportunity Index).
Email the School District’s Superintendent and Director of Education
Toronto Case Study:
Background
Due to a lack of provincial government funding for public education, our schools rely on community fundraising. There are extreme disparities across the TDSB with regard to a school’s capacity to fundraise - ranging from $0 to $123,000 per school. These school-generated funds reinforce the mechanism of social inequities. A school community’s ability to fundraise is highly dependent on the income of their neighbourhood and the amount of time caregivers have to volunteer. Fundraising and volunteering disproportionately enhance the educational opportunities of schools in wealthier neighbourhoods. All students in Toronto deserve equal access to enhanced educational opportunities.
All schools in the TDSB must acknowledge and address systemic inequalities, and if they are to continue to fundraise, they should be mandated to commit to redistributing a percentage of all funds raised each year to a charitable organization in Toronto that operates transparently, is non-stigmatizing, and is doing work that provides equitable support to students in the TDSB.
Poverty and Fundraising Disparity In Toronto
In Toronto, there are areas where 72.3% of children live in poverty, a far higher proportion than in the rest of the province or country. The poverty rate for racialized children is twice that of non-racialized children (22.8% vs. 10.7%, respectively).
“In 2018, the top 10% of fundraising elementary schools raised 37 times the amount raised by the bottom 10%, with some schools reporting raising as much as $123,000.” The schools generating the most funds are located in wealthier neighbourhoods, while the schools generating the least funds are in low-income neighbourhoods.
Fundraising Prevents Efforts to Offset Inequity.
The TDSB currently allocates funding from the Learning Opportunities Grant (LOG) to support schools that face more structural barriers that impact student success and well-being and reflect income levels in the school community. Unfortunately, in previous years, it was reported that only 52.10% ($66,389,519) of the demographic allocation of the LOG was used for its intended purpose, which is to support students who are living in poverty and at risk of not succeeding academically.
The potential of the LOG to overcome the disadvantages facing students from lower-income communities is undermined by school-based fundraising in higher-income communities. An analysis of data provided through the EFIS database shows that in 2015-16, school-based fundraising generated an average of $280 per student, whereas the LOG demographic grant generated only $179. Fundraising is preventing the LOG from offsetting the academic and experiential inequity that exists between low-income and high-income school communities.
Additional Information
Shortchanging Ontario Students: An Overview And Assessment Of Education Funding In Ontario
Fundraising and fees in Ontario’s schools
Missing Opportunities: How Budget Policies Continue To Leave Behind Low-Income Student
Unequal City: The Hidden Divide Among Toronto’s Children And Youth
Policy Advocacy, Inequity, and School Fees and Fundraising in Ontario, Canada
TDSB Financial Facts: Revenue and Expenditure Trends
Resources for Educators
Lessons, activities and resources that build curiosity