MONTREAL, Aug. 28, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - For schools across Canada, the back-to-school season means it's back to fundraising. With that in mind, more and more schools are benefiting from FundScrip, a program that makes it easy for schools to take advantage of the seasonal peak in fundraising activity.
The FundScrip program helps schools raise money by asking parents to pay for everyday purchases (groceries, gas, household items, etc.) with gift cards bought through FundScrip. A percentage of every gift card purchased is allocated to the school's fundraising goal. According to FundScrip data, Canadian schools see an increase of over 180% in funds raised during the fall as compared to the rest of the school year, making the back-to-school period very important for school fundraising.
For Maurine Yeates-Reeve, fundraising coordinator for Sir William Mulock Secondary School in Newmarket, Ontario, which has been using FundScrip since 2009 to raise money to offset fees for their annual school music trips to Europe, FundScrip is the most effective fundraising program. "You can raise 4-5 times the amount of money compared to all the other fundraising methods I've used in the past. With FundScrip, you really do see the money growing over time.
"I am personally tired of always having to buy the box of chocolates myself to make up for the bars that aren't sold, all the books too and so on," continued Maureen. "We are already buying these groceries, pumping this gas, and going to see these movies - we know where our families are shopping - why not earn money for the trip at the same time?"
In Timmins, Ontario, École Catholique Sacré-Coeur raises money for its yearly grade 8 school trip. FundScrip organizer Lynda Huot describes the program in terms of the value it brings to her school's supporters: "You pay $100, you get $100 back [in value on the card at retail]; whereas with the other fundraisers, that isn't necessarily the case. If you buy a bucket of cookie dough for $12.00, you know that it's not really worth $12.00. You don't have to dish out any money; what you give is what you get back; it's easy to order; it comes all prepared in individual envelopes. FundScrip does all the work."
Using gift cards as the core ingredient of your fundraising program provides maximum value to supporters by allowing them to choose from their favorite retailers to make everyday purchases. When using gift cards, supporters can shop and accumulate earnings for their cause while maintaining all the benefits of cash rather than purchasing overpriced products that aren't really needed. Ease-of-use and effectiveness are also high on the list of reasons why Canadian schools are opting to raise money through FundScrip's gift card fundraiser. FundScrip is also very popular with sports teams & clubs, houses of worship, community & cultural groups, and companies raising money for a good cause.
About FundScrip
FundScrip is a Canadian fundraising program that asks supporters of non-profit organizations and groups to pay for everyday purchases (groceries, gas, household items) with gift cards bought through FundScrip. A percentage of the gift cards purchased is then donated to the chosen cause. Supporters can choose from over 170 major retailers across Canada. Visit www.fundscrip.com for more information.
SOURCE: Fundstream Inc.
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