A – 025 Can a Head Start program purchase gift certificates for Head Start children with donations/fund raising, etc.?
If the Head Start program itself is conducting a fund raising effort or receives a donation these funds need to be considered as program income and your OHS Regional Office needs to be advised that your program has generated program income. Program income can only be used for purposes consistent with the Head Start grant and, therefore, could not be used, for example, to give Head Start children gift certificates. However, if the fund raising was done by an entity other than the Head Start program; i.e. friends of ABC Head Start, then whatever monies were collected from the fund raising event could be used at the discretion of the entity doing the fund raising including, if so desired, giving Head Start children gift certificates. This entity could also use funds that were donated to it at its own discretion consistent, of course, with any applicable state or local requirements.
