Anyone Involved in a Scrip Program?

[ChefBeckyD]

My neighbor across the street is in charge of the Scrip program for the school system here, and she asked me to be the PC lady for the program.

I am offering 5% of regular sales, and 15% for fundraisers (so, even if it only makes it to a 10% level, I am still only out 5% from my pocket).

Next Monday evening, they are having a Scrip Night, where people come pick up orders and place orders...and she has said it would be great to have there some catalogs (I'm thinking Mini Cats.) along with a flyer about the services I offer.

This is a whole new ballgame for me, as my only child is 4, and I have never been involved in the school system here, and I am just looking for some wisdom and success stories, and ideas for making it work from some of you who may be pros at this!


(oh - and from what I can gather, Scrip is a program for fundraising for the schools - so parents are given info on businesses who participate, and then when they order or buy from those businesses, a percentage of the sale goes into a fundraising account for their child. It helps to pay for extra-curricular activites.)

 

[JAE]

Yes, I buy TRIP (our name rather than SCRIP). When you told me about it, I started thinking about how it could work.

Would you sell actual PC gift certificates? Or, would you sell your own certificates?

When I buy TRIP, I pay the week ahead (two weeks ahead in summer) and order from certain stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohls, different restaurants, gas stations, etc. I get a coupon or gift card for the exact amount that I purchased. Whatever predetermined percentage goes into my school account. The school takes out a tiny bit from my account (from what I've earned) to pay for the service.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Well, according to my neighbor - my name w/ email, website, and phone # would be published in a newsletter that goes out to all of the parents. They have 3-ply voucher forms, and when they order from me, they fill it out, and one goes to me, and one goes to the Scrip person. Then, once a month, I give the Scrip program a check for the amount I've said I'll donate.
She said they have 2 different types of Scrip - one is a national Scrip (like you are describing) and the other is for local businesses. So, mine doesn't have to be gift cards - it can be any purchase. That's why it would be good to have my info there Monday night, because that is when people are coming to place and pick up orders. When people start ordering from me, I can also bring my orders there on a Monday night for pick-up.

 

[JAE]

How do you get money? You don't have to donate until you get an order, right? Is the order placed on the 3-ply voucher and they leave money that you get later?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

How do you get money? You don't have to donate until you get an order, right? Is the order placed on the 3-ply voucher and they leave money that you get later?

They pay me when they order, and then I just write a check for 5% of the sales from those orders. They wouldn't be ordering at the Scrip night - they would contact me personally to order. I would just have ordering info available at the Scrip Nights.

 

[JAE]

Hmmm... So, how does the school know that you are actually "paying up"? Not that you wouldn't give what you said you'd give, but this is very confusing to me. Can they order off of a show or does it have to be individual orders?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Because of the form that gets filled out. We fill it out when they place the order, and the person placing the order gives me a copy and the Scrip person a copy - so they know how much I've done in sales. And since the Scrip person is my neighbor, it will be really easy for me to pay her!Oh - and it has to be an individual order, as the host of a show, or as the host of a fundraiser.

 

[JAE]

So really, people just have a form with them and bring it to you for an order if/when they place one. You don't get any money until you get commission from an order. TRIP is definitely different then SCRIP. I may still ask my school about it. I liked the idea of getting money and knowing people would be ordering or they'd be out the money. BUT as a "customer" of TRIP, I like the way your SCRIP thing works better - not paying until actually using. That's why I don't do TRIP because I don't want to buy a Burger King card thinking I may use it sometime, or Old Navy or Kohls, etc.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

So really, people just have a form with them and bring it to you for an order if/when they place one. You don't get any money until you get commission from an order. TRIP is definitely different then SCRIP. I may still ask my school about it. I liked the idea of getting money and knowing people would be ordering or they'd be out the money. BUT as a "customer" of TRIP, I like the way your SCRIP thing works better - not paying until actually using. That's why I don't do TRIP because I don't want to buy a Burger King card thinking I may use it sometime, or Old Navy or Kohls, etc.

Yeah, it basically works just like a PC fundraiser, only the money is coming from me, and not PC. (Unless they want to do a fundraiser show!) Suzanne (neighbor) said that I could set the date for payment - so I could tell her that I will make payment on the 8th and the 22nd...so they get paid when I get paid. Then I would just tally up my slips from orders, and write a check for that amount.