The Guilderland board of education received a report on alternative revenue sources at its June 20 meeting.
The first half of the report, drafted by a committee formed by the board to explore alternative and non-traditional revenue sources, listed findings concerning corporate sponsorships, vendor contracts and pouring rights.
The second half of the report focused on the formation of a foundation in Guilderland as, according to the report, a vehicle to supplement the operating budget of the school district for projects and programs to enhance the opportunities available to current and future students.
The report states that support of the foundation has been a consensus. Discussion has centered on the concepts of a school foundation or a community foundation.
A school foundation would have clear and formal ties with the school district and the activities of such a foundation would be only to benefit the district’s programs and students.
A community foundation would benefit the community of Guilderland as a whole, in particular the school district.
`(A community foundation) would reach out to a broader range of people to request sup-port,` said Don Csaposs, who penned the section of the report supporting a community foundation. `It would provide funding for a range of factors other than the school district.`
According to Csaposs, a community foundation would enable people to pool resources, which would be redistributed to the community based on need.
`It provides more financially significant grant support,` he said.
A town foundation, said Csaposs, may provide more incentive for those who would be unwilling to donate their money to only one charity or benefactor, such as the school district.
`What would be the motivation to contribute to the school foundation?` said Csaposs of those who may not have students or an interest in the district. `There’s a lot of people who it’s just not going to float their boat.`
A town fund, said Csaposs, could be based on the community models in Voorheesville or Niskayuna.
The Niskayuna Community Fund operates under the supervision of the Community Foundation for the Capital Region (CFCR), an organization that acts as a surrogate for numerous foundations across the region.
Kristen Frederick, president of the CFCR, said that the Niskayuna fund consists of a board of directors and is completely volunteer run.
`They operate under the principles that the Community Foundation for the Capital Region have adopted,` said Frederick, referring to the National Standards of Excellence.
`(Niskayuna does) the fundraising, and everything goes to the community foundation,` said Jackie Mahoney, CFCR’s director of grant-making. Mahoney said that then funds are distributed through grant rounds every year. Grants are broke up into two different groups, which Mahoney called mini-grants, up to $1,000, and then larger grants, the maximum of which are $5,000. Each grant application is reviewed by a five-person committee.
`The organizations have to serve the residents of Niskayuna or be located in Niskayuna,` said Mahoney.
The section of the report detailing the formation of a school foundation provides instances in which school foundations have been formed and been successful including districts in Orange County, Fla.; Needham, Mass.; West Hartford, Conn.; and Brewster, Mass.
The CFCR said it also helps with two or three school foundations locally, which have been very successful in their endeavors.
According to the report that was submitted to the board, the subcommittee exploring foundations was not in total agreement to support either a community or school foundation.
The report indicated that the group felt strongly about the concept, that is, a plan should be developed to start a foundation of some kind.
The report stated that further exploration is needed, including focus groups with district residents and community leaders to determine the next step.
`From the research that we did and the presentation that we heard, you just don’t jump into this,` said Hy Dubowsky, board member and committee chairman.“