Chapter 2 Budgeting and Financial Management
Policy Statement
The Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (APSEA) welcomes the support and collaboration of individuals and organizations that share APSEA’s values through sponsorships and donations toward the Interprovincial Teaching to Diversity Conference. The conference provides a unique and unparalleled professional learning opportunity for APSEA staff and collaborative partners, focused specifically on supporting learner success across the Atlantic Provinces. These valuable sponsorships and donations not only provide crucial financial support to propel the impact and value of the interprovincial conference forward but may also offer promotional opportunities for potential partners aligned with APSEA’s mission, vision, and values.
Definitions
Advertising – An advertisement is a form of communication disseminated by a producer, manufacturer, or seller of a good or service to attract the public's interest and encourage them to purchase, utilize, or support the goods or services provided. This form of promotion often involves prominently displaying product logos to aid in easy identification of the producer and/or good or service.
Donation – A donation involves a voluntary act of transferring funds to APSEA without the expectation of receiving any benefits in return. Donations are given for philanthropic purposes and are generally acknowledged through expressions of gratitude rather than contractual obligations. It is important to note that donations and gifts are not subject to GST/HST. Donors are eligible to receive a charitable donation receipt, to be issued by APSEA in the donor’s name, for income tax purposes.
Donor – A donor is an individual, business, or organization that voluntarily contributes money, goods, or services to an event, program, or initiative without expectation of marketing benefits or promotional consideration.
Gift-in-kind – Non-monetary contributions (e.g., equipment, services, venue space) donated to APSEA.
Partnership – Formal arrangements with partners are established to foster mutual benefit, guided by an approved agreement that aligns with and upholds APSEA’s missions, vision, values, policies, procedures, strategic direction, guidelines, codes of conduct, and legal requirements, as appropriate and applicable.
Solicitation – For the purpose of this policy, solicitation refers to reaching out to or approaching potential sponsors or donors to secure funding for the Teaching to Diversity conference. Sponsor - A sponsor is an individual, business, or organization that provides financial or in-kind support to an event, program, or initiative in exchange for agreed-upon benefits such as recognition, advertising, or promotional opportunities.
Sponsorship – A payment by an individual, business, or organization to a nonprofit to further the nonprofit's mission that is generally recognized by the nonprofit with an acknowledgment that the business has supported the nonprofit's activities, programs, or special event. Sponsorship is considered a mutually beneficial arrangement and is typically governed by a formal agreement outlining expectations and deliverables.
Sponsorships in support of the Teaching to Diversity Conference will generally be acknowledged in the conference program and on promotional materials directly related to the conference.
Sponsorship Agreement – A written contract detailing the nature of the sponsorship, obligations, deliverables, timelines, and reporting.
Stewardship – Ongoing management and reporting to donors to maintain trust and demonstrate impact.
Policy Objectives
This policy is established to:
- Set clear and comprehensive protocols for accepting donations and creating sponsorship relationships for the purpose of supporting the Interprovincial Teaching to Diversity Conference.
- Define APSEA’s management and use of sponsorships and donations.
- Ensure that all sponsorships and donations are managed in a financially responsible manner.
Application
This policy applies to APSEA staff and others who participate in the administration of funds received through sponsorships and donations to support the Interprovincial Teaching to Diversity Conference, including those involved in the review process, and the use and/or disbursement of funds.
Policy Directives
Two Professional Learning Working Groups will be involved with the administration of sponsorships and donations received under this policy, including the review process and the use and/or disbursement of funds, and are responsible for understanding and following this operational policy. The membership of these working groups will compose the Sponsorship and Donations Review Committee (SDRC).
APSEA Professional Learning Working Group - The APSEA Professional Learning Working Group has been established to promote and support professional learning initiatives within and across APSEA’s diverse departments and to ensure that proposed organizational professional learning aligns with APSEA’s Strategic Plan, mission, vision, and values.
Interprovincial Professional Learning Working Group - The Interprovincial Professional Learning Working Group seeks to establish a collaborative approach to professional learning for APSEA staff and educational partners. The working group is committed to supporting culturally and linguistically responsive, inclusive, equitable, and accessible professional learning opportunities for educational personnel across the Atlantic Provinces. Within the membership of the group, efforts are made to ensure Pan-Atlantic representation and representation from diverse departments within APSEA. Representatives from each province are nominated by their respective Departments of Education and Early Childhood Development/Early Learning.
Working groups shall make decisions by referencing the applicable guidelines document that has been approved by the APSEA Superintendent.
Only the relevant professional learning working group members and APSEA staff involved in the sponsorship and donation administration process will have access to information contained in sponsorship and donations applications and submissions. All such documents and their contents will be kept confidential.
Professional learning working group members shall declare conflict of interest at the outset of the review process should a relative/family member be a prospective sponsor or donor. They shall not be eligible to vote on that submission.
Submissions reviewed by the professional learning working groups will be approved based on a majority vote of the members in attendance at each meeting in which a submission is reviewed.
Prospective donors and sponsors will be required to acknowledge and verify their agreement that their donations and sponsorships do not grant them the ability to exert any form of influence over APSEA's supports, services, or operations in any manner whatsoever.
Accountability
All APSEA Employees
APSEA employees and members of the professional learning working groups involved in any way with the administration of sponsorships and donations are responsible for understanding and following this operational policy.
Leaders with Direct Reports
Leaders with employees that report directly to them, such as the Superintendent, Directors, Managers, and Supervisors, are responsible for implementing APSEA’s operational policies and applicable guidelines.
Leaders will take reasonable measures to bring this policy to the attention of all employees involved in sponsorships and donations administration and to ensure directives are being followed.
Any known instances of non-compliance with APSEA’s Sponsorship and Donation Policy will be addressed. Given APSEA’s scope, some violations may go unnoticed. Employees should be aware that this does not mean APSEA condones unacceptable actions.
Monitoring
The Superintendent of APSEA or their designate will review this policy annually.
References
- APSEA Sponsorship and Donations Procedure
This is an organizational policy designed to supplement other APSEA policies and is not intended to replace or preclude them. If a situation occurs where there is a conflict between application of this policy and any other APSEA policy, the policy most specific to the situation will apply.
Approval Dates
Approved: January 2026
Reviewed/Revised: