This document contains general pointers on fundraising for an individual Dojo. Please note wherever possible we would encourage Dojos to see to have expenses such as belts, insurance covered directly by a sponsor. (Details)
Yes! As stated in the CoderDojo Charter, Dojos are entitled to fundraise on the condition that it is made explicit that you do so for your Dojo or as a group of Dojos under a group name (EG Dojos of California). Any inappropriate fundraising is a breach of the CoderDojo Charter.
CoderDojo has been designed to be zero cost or as low cost as possible for all Champions. However we recognise that sometimes a Dojo will encounter a cost that they require money for. Examples of standard costs could include t-shirts, belts for the ninjas, insurance or youth work training for volunteers. The Foundation would at all times encourage a Dojo to first seek in kind sponsorship to cover the cost as money can greatly complicate the organising of a Dojo.
Yes. A Dojo must always be free for attendees. However if a Dojo requires sponsorship for a specific purpose they can ask parents for an optional donation. This should not be done in a manner where parents of attendees who are unable to donate feel excluded. An example is to make the announcement to parents informing them of what the donation is needed for. Then leaving a donation box at the entrance for a Dojo session.
Different jurisdictions have hugely different legislation regarding fundraising. For this reason if you are seeking sponsorship it is imperative that you check your regional legislation regarding fundraising
Some regional examples include. In the USA fundraising is regulated in 39 states requiring a charitable organisations to register with their state before engaging in fundraising activities. More on USA here In Ireland new legislation (coming 2014/2015) will regulate the charity sector including how to fundraise overview available here.
Check the legislation in your region
Assume that accepting donations will have no implication
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