Milford Band Boosters

25 Apr 2005

Fair Share Program - Renewal

Problem Statements:
Each year the Booster pay for a number of misc., unanticipated expenses, which are not captured in the budget and thus are unfunded by the fair share program.

Principles:
The guiding principles of the current program are still valid and thus should be maintain:

• Total costs associated with each program (Marching, Percussion, Guard) will be divided by the number of participants to determine the amount to be charged to their fair share account. Budget is prepared for each known program prior to setting fees.
• The Boosters will not operate on a deficit budget.
• Fund raising will be completely optional. Families can fund raise as much or as little as they choose. Once a Student no longer participate in the Band Program, any positive balance in a Families account can be transferred to a siblings or another Band Members account. If neither of these options is selected it will be transferred to the Boosters General Account.
• Funds from concert gate proceeds and school sponsored programs will not be allocated through Fair Share.
• Only Net Profits from Fund Raising will be allocated to Fair Share Accounts.
• Funds earned through Fair Share, which have been credited to your account, can be applied to cover all Marching Band, Percussion and Guard Fees. Travel expenses charged to parents, volunteering with the Band, may also be paid by Fair Share funds.
• When Financial Hardship prevents payment of fees, alternative confidential arrangements can be made through the Booster Treasure and President.
• Families with more than two students participating in the same program at the same time will pay for only two.

Recommendation:

1. The total cost associated with each Band program will be estimated each year and fair share cost will be determined by dividing the number of participants by the calculated cost. Misc. cost will also be estimated and these costs will be added to the total costs of the Marching program since most misc. costs are associated with the general band program and which all Marching Band participants benefit from.
2. 100% of the Net Profits from all voluntary fund raisers will be allocated to a students account. All expense required to execute the fund raiser are subtracted to determine Net Profits. The VP of Ways and Means and the person responsible for the fund raiser will determine these expenses which will be subtracted and these will be shared at the Booster Meetings.
3. Mandatory Fund raisers will be schedule on an as need basis throughout the year to cover and deficits in any of the three main programs (Marching, Guard, Drum-line). These Fund raisers will be designated to the general funds of the Boosters and will be used to cover the deficits. If a member does not participate, there account will be charged for their fair share of the deficit.

Fair Share Program
(revision appear in a red font)

The Milford Band Fair share Program has been instituted to make the financing of the Milford Band Program equitable to all of its members. It is a restructuring of the fee collection process which involves higher up front fees and significantly higher opportunity for families to lower their fees (all the way to zero if they desire). Here is how it works.

1. Each year, the Band Boosters form a volunteer committee to establish the budget for the following year. The MBB will always operate on a break even budget. This budget will cover all the activities planned for the upcoming school year, including Winter Guard and Winter Drum-line programs. Included in the budget estimate for Marching Band will be 2 additional line items. One called misc. charges, recognizes the Boosters cover cost associated with both Concert and Symphonic Bands, as well as the Jr. High Band and these are not currently reflected in the budget. A second line item, called uniforms, is designed to recognize the depreciation of the uniforms and the future costs associated with replacing them.
   
   For simplicity, the misc. charges are being allocated to the Marching Band costs because, with only a few exceptions, all members of the Marching Band are in either the Concert or Symphonic Bands.
2. Certain income producing activities, such as a hosted Winter Guard show (if any), concert gate receipts, membership income, and bank interest will cover a small portion of the budgeted expenditures. These will be deducted from the budgeted expenses to get a remainder that needs to be funded.
3. The remainder of the band budget will be divided by the expected number of marching band participants to determine the fair share amount for band. The same process will be done for Winter Guard/Winter Drum-line to determine the fair share amount for those programs.
4. The fair share fee payment schedule is shown on the attached page. Members are expected to make each payment on time, sending a check along with the tear-off stub to the address noted on the attached page. If your fair share payment is in arrears, your student will not be eligible for the next performance.
5. The Fair share Program allows the band program to collect the fees needed to carry out the projected activities for the next year. This is your commitment to the band program.
6. The Fair share Program also allows members to become involved in fundraising to lower their required cash payments. 100% of the net profit you or your student earns through fundraising will be applied to their account to pay future fees. This is the programs commitment back to you. All costs associated with running the fund raiser will be deduct to determine net profits.
7. The Band Boosters will schedule as many fundraisers as members desire to give ample opportunity to earn the credit to pay all future fees. All of the current established fundraisers (fruit sale, mulch sale, etc.) are included and should provide opportunity to families to earn as much as they desire with which to pay future fees.
8. To insure we maintain a break even budget, the directors reserve the right to have “special fundraisers”, for any of the 3 programs (Marching, Winter Guard or Winter Drum- line), to earn money to pay for unexpected expenditures associated with that program.
   
   “Special Fundraisers” will be considered mandatory for all members of the designated program. If a member does not participate in the “special fundraiser”, consistent with the principles of our fair share program, their account will be charged. The charge will be equal to the total amount of the deficit divided by the number of participants in that program.
9. At the same time, if you prefer to pay the fee and not be bothered with fundraisers, the Fair share Program allows this as well. Simply pay the Fairshare amount and you need not get involved in the fundraising activities.
10. We recognize that most students will have to pay their first year since the fundraising activities generally occur after the fees are due. However, this program gives the opportunity for a student to fundraise his/her entire fairshare amount for future years. You can actually only pay for one year out of pocket and earn the remainder through fundraising since your student gets credit for 100% of the net profit coming from the fundraising.
11. Credits already earned through the existing Kroger/Scrip fundraising program can be applied to first year payments. So if you start participating now you can even lower the first year fees. Effective with adoption of the Fairshare Program 100% of Kroger/Scrip profit will be credited to student accounts.
12. We realize that some individuals may have specific problems meeting the established payment schedule. If you do have special circumstances, that prohibits you from meeting the payment schedule, please fill out the attached form entitled Special Payment Arrangement Form and return it as noted. You will either get written confirmation or someone will contact you to arrange a payment schedule that fits your situation. This is confidential and no one will be turned away from the program due to inability to pay the fees!
13. Please remember that amounts fundraised beyond future fees cannot be paid back in cash. As a non- profit organization it is against the law for the boosters to pay back money earned through fundraisers. Any excess amounts can be diverted to another students account (at your request) or they will be absorbed into the Band Booster general fund.
14. Communication regarding fundraisers will be sent home with your students, posted on the Band Booster website, and e-mailed through Yahoo Groups (join Yahoo Groups on the website). It is your responsibility to watch the website for information on upcoming fundraisers. The website address is www.milfordbandboosters.org. If you do not have access to the internet and want to be informed of fundraising activities please request special arrangements by writing to the Band Booster president at the address on the attached fee remittance page.