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One of the biggest problems with people needing to sell wrapping paper or candles or candy is that it requires you to go out and harass your friends for money.  Some of the more successful fundraisers at our school are more passive fundraisers including scrip and e-scrip.

There are many companies that sell scrip--essentially gift cards--these days.  The company acts as a clearinghouse and has all forms of gift cards available for purchase.  The school starts with a small investment, or can do it all by pre-order.  The nice thing about having a small "stockpile" is that you capture parents needing last-minute gifts.  How the programs work is fairly simple.  The gift cards are sold at face value to parents ($25 gift card to Starbucks costs $25), but the school gets to keep a percentage.  The percentages vary with each company: sometimes as high as 20% but often in the range of 5-10%.  Certainly a few cents here and there can't help a school if only purchased for gifts, but here's where scrip can transform into a major fundraiser at a school: you start buying it for everything. A fillup at the gas station is $50, but you just gave the school $1.50 for something you had to do anyway.  If you buy $100 of groceries a week, that can be $2 or more a week for your school.  That $1000 hotel stay over the summer netted your school $120 and you did nothing but take your yearly vacation.  And the list goes on.  Our school uses Great Lakes Scrip Center, but I know there are many companies across the country.

Escrip is similar, but it requires connecting your supermarket loyalty card or your credit card to the account.  More can be found at escrip.com.

Our school only started using scrip last year, and it's quickly becoming a major portion of our fundraising.

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Parent Replies to "Passive Fundraising"

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md2mom
md2mom October 21, 2009
Re: Passive Fundraising
My children's school participates in the scrip program and it is really an easy and hassle-free way to make money for the school. You just purchase gift cards to use at stores you already shop in (grocery, for instance) and you pay the face amount that the card is worth, so essentially it doesn't cost you anything. If you only bought cards to spend for your groceries, that can really add up! At our school, you can come in on certain days and buy the cards directly or send a check in with your child and a form indicating which cards you would like to buy and then we fill the order and send it back home with your child so you never have to even come in the school! We also do special super order forms (especially before Christmas) where you can order cards from stores that are not offered in the regular everyday list. These are good to buy to give to people as presents.

Another tip is that you can buy a card for your grocery store from the scrip program and then use that card to buy a card to a store which is not covered in the scrip program. That way you get a card for a store that you want and help the school at the same time.

Of course, it helps to get others to buy the gift cards too but even if only school families buy them, it can really add up and you aren't hassling your friends and coworkers with buying expensive silly stuff! And it doesn't cost you ANYTHING extra!
motodaddy
motodaddy October 21, 2009
Re: Passive Fundraising
These are great discussions and ideas for fundraising and I hope to contribute to the positive direction of finding better solutions for our schools with as little interference as possible.

But am I the only one who thinks that companies are trying to boost sales with as little commitment as possible?

Let me get this straight... I am expected to sign up for services, give up privacy information, interfere with school lessons, take away family time, carry around another plastic card, plus hassle friends, family and neighbors to sell these?

I feel like a fool. I know like I can come up with a better idea than going around like I work for Starbucks on commission. Or consignment in this case.

Parents and PTA has to look at this as a business and not a fundraiser. We have to embrace methods being used by sustainable businesses and embrace them.

How many subscription services do we have each month? What is one more that goes to your school?

If every September, parents can commit to $30 a month that can be over $64,000 in 9 months for a ten classroom school.

No plastic, no hassle, and rewards are immediate. Has anyone had success with this in schools? I know it works with software subscription services.
tydiwave
tydiwave November 7, 2008
Re: Passive Fundraising Green Fundraising
Our school just started a fundraiser with a paper recycling company. ABITIBI is a MI. company, that has a bright green and yellow dumpster in our parking lot for paper. They empty it regularly. I'm not sure what we get from it, but it is a green fundraiser.
stitchmom
stitchmom October 23, 2008
Re: Effective Fundraising
I am involved with many area schools and have had wonderful results from designng and selling spirit wear. The kids love the creative designs as well as taking pride in their school. If interested contact me at Charisse@nasinc.biz
MagnetMom
MagnetMom October 18, 2008
Re: Passive Fundraising
Wine,

I can't speak for other states, but California has been in a slow decline for 30 years after the passage of Prop 13. Essentially long-time home owners' property taxes do not go up--which is great for homeowners, but less money has been going to the schools for years. I'm not in support of dismantling Prop 13, but I understand there is limited money coming in. There are plenty of things I'd like to see cut, but being in a fairly liberal state, it's not likely that cuts to social services would be welcomed by California voters.

And at our school, escrip is different than scrip. Escrip is attached to either credit cards or grocery store rewards cards and a percentage goes directly to the school. Scrip is just gift cards, where the school keeps a percentage of the face value for selling them. Virtually all parents who grocery shop or visit stores can use scrip, because they're just gift cards--I purchased cards to cover two hotel rooms for a youth tournament last summer and my daughter's school earned $120 on the sale.

Anonymous
Anonymous October 18, 2008
Re: Passive Fundraising
I'm back..lol Why as tax payers/parents always have to have fundraisers to get what we pay for in the first place? Perhaps the Budget needs some trimming. Just my thought.
Anonymous
Anonymous October 18, 2008
Re: Passive Fundraising
Awesome Magnetmom, I have a question. Is it always the same parents who purchase these items? Who in general are the people at school who participate in escrip.com?
debrasuefitzge
debrasuefitzge October 14, 2008
Re: Passive Fundraising
my daughter has the fundraisers where you sell stuff like wrapping paper and alot of other stuff and its expensive and people dont want to buy these things they say i can get it at doller store cheaper. they need something for fundraisers alittle less expensive and that people want to buy.
Eco-Mom
Eco-Mom October 13, 2008
Re: Passive Fundraising
Hi, Magnet Mom.

Have you tried a Green Fundraising event?

I ask because I’m an environmentally-conscious mom and I head the Community Activities Committee for my daughter’s school. To all parents and school administrators: if you’re looking for a fresh, new fundraising idea, think Green Fundraising! We recently held a Green Fundraising Event and it was a huge success!! We raised over $8K for the school. I found that people were so much more willing to participate because we were selling only green products.

There are a few online companies that can help you with your event and where you can buy the eco-products. We used Mother Earth Fundraising to purchase all of our green fundraising products and I’d highly recommend them. Great customer service and their eco-products are all 100% environmentally friendly materials.

Here’s their website if you’re curious: www.motherearthfundraising.com/

If anyone else has held green fundraisers, I’d love to hear your stories too.

Anyway, hope this helps and stay GREEN!

Lori Lavin
Enviro-Mom
Wilmington, MA
CorinneGregory
CorinneGregory August 16, 2008
Re: Passive Fundraising
A challenge with Scrip and eScrip is that, as a general rule, it's still limited to people that are directy involved with the school. And, it only works if you're going to patronize those particular vendors participating in the scrip/eScrip program.

To really make the biggest dollars, you need to get access to "OPM" -- other people's money. When you open up your fundraising to a broader base of potential supporters (think friends, corporate sponsors, alumni, etc) and offer items to them that make your school money, THAT's te way to make real money for your school without burning out the same set of parents or neighbors.

This is one reason auctions continue to be big draws and big moneymakers, if done properly. Even in this period of econmic challenge, well-run benefit auctions for schools and other not-for-profits continue to make increasing dollars. Yes, it can be a lot of work, but what successful fundraiser isn't a lot of work?

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