Burns Park Bucks
Posted June 5th, 2006 by Steven Norton
in
A place to discuss how to enhance the Burns Park Bucks scrip fundraising prrogram. All ideas welcome!
A place to discuss how to enhance the Burns Park Bucks scrip fundraising prrogram. All ideas welcome!
Comments
Corporate matching on PTO donations
I would like to add Burns Park PTO to my employer’s charity organization list, but cannot seem to find the tax ID and other information handy on the BP PTO website.
I imagine that many of us work at corporations that have a charity donation matching program especially this time of the year, when corporate giving is ramping up as we head toward the year-end holidays. We should absolutely make the information handy for parents to get more corporate dollars into BP PTO funding.
Thoughts/comments?
Cynthia
Matching gift information
That’s a very good point; I think we’re mostly used to thinking in terms of fundraisers, where figuring out matching funds is too confusing. But being able to simply direct contributions via your employer’s form is a great idea. Let’s alert the PTO officers so the information can get out there.
Steve Norton
parent of Jamie (2) and Alida (1)
PTO info tech co-chair
How things stand
First off, let me thank Helen Starman for spearheading this program at Burns Park; Burns Park Bucks has grown to become an important source of revenue for the PTO. As a fundraising program, it is unique in that families pay face value for gift cards or certificates that they can use in full at stores where they shop. The cards are offered to the PTO at a small discount, and that margin provides the revenue to the PTO.
One of the things we’ve tried to do is to encourage broader participation (and larger orders), since the margin the PTO earns on certificates is often quite thin. We built the online ordering system to make it easier for families to place their orders anytime, without having to lay hands on an order form. Just last month, we began an experiment: for the first time, we are able to offer credit card payment for scrip orders.
We’re still waiting to see how that turns out; while many families have taken advantage of this feature, the costs associated with it do reduce the PTO’s revenue. The experiment will be successful if we can accomplish three things: expand participation, increase order volume, and increase orders of scrip from stores that offer larger margins. (Grocery stores, at 5%, offer some of the narrowest margins.)
What does everyone think of the credit card option? How has it changed how you order, or will order next fall? Credit cards notwithstanding, what are some new ideas for increasing participation and orders? Your input could really make a difference for us.
Steve Norton
parent of Jamie (1) and Alida (K)
PTO info tech co-chair
Gift Cards for Family to Family
One way that we could possibly generate more revenue is encouraging families that donate to the Family to Family giving around the holidays to purchase Burns Park Bucks to do so. Maybe even a special order form at that time of the year? This would create a win-win for the school. So many families are so generous at that time of the year. Thank you Helen for being so dedicated to this program!
Gift cards for other charitable donations
Molly, that’s a great idea. Let me tell you a little story about how I have seen this kind of thing happen before.
My son Saul’s great-grandfather and namesake Saul Frank used to do shopping for seniors. He called these women his “old ladies” and he would go to the Giant Eagle in Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh every week and buy their groceries for them and deliver them. He was such a regular customer at the Giant Eagle that the staff and management there got to know him really well.
He would always buy these groceries with scrip that he had purchased through a program that brought back a discount to a program that his wife Alice’s synagogue ran, & thus managed to donate twice, and a not inconsiderable amount because of the volume he did.
I wonder if there’s some way to tie in to Lunches with Love?
Gift Cards for Charitable Donations
Thanks for your story Ed! That sort of thing is just beginning to start at BP – for example, Kathy Sample recommended that next year the fifth graders buy scrip to buy the supplies for their refreshment sale during the Burns Park Players play, the proceeds of which help fund fifth grade graduation. I have seen more and more parents planning ahead and buying teachers gift certificates in December and June. I am not sure that we could do much with Lunches with Love as their food is donated by Food Gatherers . . . but any way that we can encourage the use of scrip for already existing programs would be great!
People's Food Co-op
The PFC has a scrip program –
Co-op Cash Program
PFC offers a limited amount of support to local schools and non-profit organizations through this scrip (grocery voucher) program. PFC sells certificates in $5, $10 and $20 increments at 95% of face value; organizations keep the 5% difference when they sell them at full price.
It would be nice to be part of that program to raise money for Burns Park Elementary, since we’re co-op shoppers and members.
http://www.peoplesfood.coop/outreach.html
Father of Saul (K, Weinmann AM) and Jonathan (1 y/o)
Food Co-op and others
That’s a great idea, especially if there is enough interest (demand) to make it worthwhile. (Background: while we can order scrip for most stores from one place — Great Lakes Scrip — we have to deal with all the local grocery stores individually.)
We are, however, looking for ways to attract more orders by highlighting a wider variety of stores, and PFC could be a great addition. Helen and Lynda — any thoughts?
Steve Norton
parent of Jamie (1) and Alida (K)
PTO info tech co-chair
Food Co-op and others
I think adding any store that our families shop at that sells scrip is a good idea. The only drawback with the smaller stores is that they sometimes have a minimum order that can be hard to reach – I will call and find out the specifics of the co-op program. Thanks for suggesting this!
Helen