We are in the process of closing our books for September and totaling the rewards program offered to groups in late July.  To be considered, the group coordinator needed to commit to sharing your communication plan with Simplified SCRIP.  Thank you to our coordinators that participated in the challenge and earned free gift cards!

Watch for a similar incentive program in the coming months!  We want to help make your program a success!

Here’s a summary of our current promotions:

1. Personal Rewards 8/1-12/31/08: Your participants can earn free gift cards based on their individual purchases.
2. Remind your members and participants to review our website!  Take advantage of our featured merchants and earn higher percentage donations from different merchants every week.
3. Coordinator Challenge:  Some coordinators earned a $25 gift card 8/20-8/31 when their group had $1000 or more in sales.  Notification on 9/15 if you met the challenge!
4. During October, YOU can help your group or classroom teacher earn an additional $25!  Visit the Coordinator Sign-in:  Poster Flyer-Forms section of the website for more details.

Question of the Month:  What is Cash Back or Fee Reduction?

Simplified SCRIP is a simple fundraising program that can be used by any organization.  We promote balancing your budget by purchasing gift cards rather than using cash / checks.  A great way to teach the value of a dollar by purchasing cards you normally use AND provide a donation to a good cause at the same time.

As people place orders they accumulate donations.  Simplified SCRIP tracks all purchases and donations earned through the use of an earnings tracking system.  Because of this, we can then help coordinators create and provide a report to their organization based on member participation. Items tracked include customer name, total amount purchased, donations earned, and optional fields for teacher, grade and student.  Organizations can use this report to verify participation in the program. 

Organizations may choose to use donations as a form of payment toward fees or tuition.   The earnings report helps them maintain a record to allow accounts to be credited or checks to be issued.  A portion of their donations raised can be used to discount the overall costs incurred.  This type of program is referred to as Cash Back or Fee Reduction.  Our staff at Simplified SCRIP can help organizations understand the options available.

Tip:  Fundraising in our struggling economy!

These challenging times call for innovative ways to continue supporting the organizations that mean the most to your family.  Whether it be a school, church group, athletic club, music, dance and the arts, it is growing more difficult to approach members to ask for their hard earned dollar.

Try this new way to share information on the program:

What if there was a program that supported community efforts by working with merchants to guarantee sales and from those purchases, each merchant donated back to the individuals buying their gift cards?  The answer:  Simplified SCRIP

Did you go to the grocery today?  Did you fill your car up with gas?  Did you splurge on a morning coffee or afternoon lunch?  Have the kids outgrown their new school clothes already?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you can make these purchases and raise money for your organization at the same time.  If you are not participating in our Simplified SCRIP program you are throwing money out the window.

Consider using this statement or modifying it for your next organizational newsletter!