Business Administration AP 541: Naming Opportunities Honourary and Commemorative

Background

The Division values the relationships which evolve between individuals, families, groups, or organizations through long standing involvement with the Division and/or from significant financial contributions made via donation.  In appreciation, the Division will seek to recognize these relationships and contributions by offering honorary and commemorative naming opportunities.  Naming of schools, buildings, or substantial parts of buildings (gymnasiums, libraries, fields, etc.) is to support the Division’s overall mission and vision

This Administrative Procedure is intended to ensure uniformity and consistency of physical asset naming throughout the Division and to provide procedures to recognize honorary and commemorative contributions from individuals, families, groups, or organizations.

Procedures

1. Criteria
   1. Categories of individuals, groups, or organizations to be so honoured may include the following:
      1. Individuals, families, groups, or organizations who have made significant contributions to the Division through direct,  or other forms of involvement, including, but not limited to, monetary donations.
      2. Former members of the Division who have made outstanding contributions to a discipline or school, or the greater community.
      3. Individuals or families, groups or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the community as a whole.
      4. When recognition reflects a financial donation or endowment, the facility may be named:
         1. Directly after the benefactor
         2. May retain its current title
         3. Be given another title (following which the benefactor will be recorded as its sponsor).
2. Process
   1. Nominations are submitted to the Naming Advisory Committee.  The nomination must meet the above criteria outlined in section 1 and include a justification for the recommendation.
   2. Nominations for both honorary and commemorative naming will be addressed by the Naming Advisory Committee. The Naming Advisory Committee will consist of:
      1. Superintendent
      2. Board Chair
      3. Associate Superintendent, Business and Finance
      4. Communications Coordinator
   3. The Superintendent is responsible for organizing the Naming Advisory Committee.
   4. The Naming Advisory Committee is responsible for vetting all nominations in a timely manner.
      1. The nomination and its relevance within the Three-Year Education Plan of the Division will also be considered.
      2. A crucial factor in determining whether or not the nomination is approved will be if it supports the Division’s overall mission and goals regardless of the financial contribution.
   5. The Superintendent is responsible for making a recommendation to the Board based on the criteria.
3. Naming of a Building:
   1. Nominations for naming a building (or significant and identifiable part of a building) shall be forwarded to the Naming Advisory Committee.
   2. Criteria:
      1. For buildings, segments of buildings and other facilities names by function or location, criteria of naming will generally include consistency with ongoing use.
   3. The Division will consider the naming of a building in recognition of a corporation as a benefactor when that corporation:
      1. Provides not less than 50% of the capital cost of the building; or
      2. Supports the Division, staff or other schools with donations of $10 million or above.
4. Naming of a gymnasiums, classrooms, walks, gardens, gates, and other similar structures:
   1. Nominations may be considered for naming parts of buildings or outdoor areas on receiving an application worth at a minimum of $500,000.
   2. Nominations for naming part of a building or outdoor area in honour of a person will also be considered when that person has given distinguished service to the Fort McMurray Public School Division or the school/community that merits recognition.
   3. Other facilities and projects may be recommended for naming after consultation with the Superintendent.
5. Naming rights will normally remain in place for a period of no longer than ten years.
6. Where donations are less than the amount specified above, the Division may acknowledge the donors by means of a “commemorative plaque” or “donor acknowledgement board”.
7. Protocols
   1. Facilities will not normally be named to honour person(s) who have no formal connections with education and/or the Division unless they are substantial benefactors.
   2. Commemorative plaques and/or “donor acknowledgement board” will be used to recognize endowments in appropriate locations. 
   3. The style of plaque(s)/board and name, will be determined by the Division.
   4. When the nomination involves the use of a deceased person’s name, Board approval is contingent on the agreement of that person’s next of kin.
   5. In the event that the flow of funds agreed to ceases before the agreed to time, the Superintendent may recommend to the Board that the use of the benefactor’s name for a building, etc. be discontinued.
   6. If an individual or organization, after whom a facility has been named, comes into disrepute in the opinion of the Division, the Superintendent may recommend to the Executive Team and then to the Board that the use of the name be discontinued.
   7. The Superintendent may approve generic names for facilities until such times as a nomination for naming is submitted through the procedures outlined in this Administrative Procedure.
8. Recognition
   1. Category A:
      1. Funding will be acquired from industry/business and individual partners on an annual, bi-annual or 3 year term basis with an annual report being provided for how money is being spent and the results achieved.
      2. Contributions:
         Diamond – will be for donations of $50,000.00 or more.
   2. Category B:
      1. Funding will be acquired from industry, business, individual partners on an annual, bi-annual, or 3 year term basis and with an annual report being provided on how money is spent and the results achieved.
      2. Contributions:
         Platinum Donor - donations of $50,000 or more
         Gold Donor – donations from $25,000 - $49, 999 plus per year
         Silver Donor – donations from $10,000 - $24,999 per year
         Bronze Donor – donations from $1,000 - $9,999 per year
         Sponsor– donations from $250 to $999 per year
   3. Category C:
      Endowment Fund – Future idea for the Division, e.g. “Friends of Fort McMurray Public School Division”.
9. Recognition for Contributions:
   1. Each year donors from Category A and B (and may include C) will be invited to a recognition event, in their honour, to recognize their donations and support for the Division.  Representatives from Executive, Board, and Partnership Stakeholder Groups will be in attendance and will also plan the event in collaboration with the Partnership Facilitator and the Communications Coordinator.
   2. Categories A and B:
      All donors in both categories A and B will have the choice of a tax receipt and/or their logo being showcased in a desired location of the Division and/or School.
   3. Category C will follow guidelines for charitable receipt status.