Pulaski County board hears vendor pitch for Givebacks platform to centralize parent-organization oversight and fundraising

Givebacks, a vendor that supports parent-organization compliance and fundraising, demonstrated its platform to the Pulaski County School Board on Feb. 10 and outlined how the district could centralize registration, approval workflows and payment processing for booster clubs and parent groups.

The vendor’s representative said the product can hold annual registration forms (Form 990, financials, proof of insurance), run approval workflows for fundraisers, and operate a point-of-sale/store and ticketing module while preserving separate bank accounts for independent 501(c)(3) organizations. “Everything in the system is user date and time stamps, so a really tight audit trail,” the presenter said during the demonstration.

Why it matters: The district has recently adopted rules requiring more transparency from outside parent organizations. Board members asked whether Givebacks would help the district meet those rules and whether booster groups could continue to fundraise effectively while using the platform. The vendor said districts typically pay school-level licenses (the company’s model includes per-school licensing and a district license) and that most outside organizations then pay transaction fees for fundraising activity.

Board members pressed the presenter on costs and whether the vendor’s tools would replace existing systems. The presenter gave a range of pricing examples: the platform’s store and point-of-sale transactions were described as 3.95% plus $0.59 per transaction, while more sophisticated crowdfund/athon-style models can be handled with either a 2.9% base fee (with donor tips to cover software) or a higher software fee. The vendor also described an implementation package with upfront and first‑year support options and said parent organizations receive a license at no additional charge under the district contract.

District staff and the vendor described typical rollout approaches: begin with the annual-registration/compliance module to collect required documents, then add fundraising and payment modules over time. The presenter said some districts require organizations to use the platform; others strongly encourage it until adoption becomes organic. “When the school board and superintendent get behind something and the messaging is really coming from the top down… it’s a lot more successful,” the presenter said.

Board reaction and next steps: Board members asked whether booster clubs would be required immediately; staff said the district has discussed a phased timeline and that, in committee meetings, July 1 was identified as a likely effective date for operational requirements. No procurement vote or contract award occurred at the meeting; the board signaled interest in further cost details and implementation planning.

Ending: District staff said they would circulate the vendor’s detailed pricing and implementation materials to the board for follow-up and that legal/procurement review would proceed before any contract decision.