Schools that collect voluntary contributions from families can now make the process easier – and offer parents the benefit of a tax deduction – by using Schools Plus.

Through this new initiative, schools can channel their families’ voluntary contributions towards a project that will provide greater opportunities for their students.

For contributions to be eligible for a tax deduction, the following considerations must apply:

1. The donation cannot be made as an alternative to an increase in school fees or benefit a specific child directly.
2. The contribution must be voluntarily made (ie families should not be restricted if they don’t choose to make the donation).

We ask schools to register a project through our Fundraise Yourself platform that improves student outcomes. This enables families to know where their donation is going. Some things you can raise money for might be; school supplies, library books, software and computer upgrades, classroom support – anything that improves student outcomes.

Once you have registered your school and project on the Schools Plus Fundraise Yourself platform you will then receive a unique weblink to your project which they can donate directly to. We will also send out a form with your project name and options of how families can donate. You can tailor this form to suit how you would normally send out your request or invoice.

If you currently ask for the contribution on an invoice, we would suggest updating this to include your project weblink and/or a sentence along the lines of: If you would like your contribution to be tax deductible, please donate online using the weblink [insert weblink] or complete and return the attached form.

Families can donate by either:

1. Online through your weblink using their credit card – they will be instantly issued a tax receipt.
2. Complete the donation form and direct deposit into our account or make a cheque out to Schools Plus. They can send the form to your school or directly to us. We will send out a tax receipt directly to them.

Once the donation is received by Schools Plus, we will issue a tax deductible receipt directly to the family.

We send payments to nominated school accounts around the 15th of each month.

You can check who has donated by logging into your account on the Schools Plus platform. Here you can see which families have contributed and how much, with the exception of those who wish to remain anonymous. You can then cross check this with your database and update their records.

Once you have registered your project, there are many ways you can raise funds on top of the voluntary contributions. You could:

1. Move existing fundraising activities online
2. Invite former students to donate back to your school
3. Apply for grants that require DGR status – we can often lodge applications on your behalf
4. Ask businesses to match what you raise dollar-for-dollar
5. Ask for donations at events
6. Seek donations in lieu of birthdays, celebrations
7. If you already have a donor who donates to your school, they can now receive a tax deduction.
8. Ask your networks for support