OLR SCHOOL SUPPORT GROUPS
SCRIP
History of SCRIP Programs
Scrip programs had their beginnings in
1988 with a plan to raise desperately needed funds for Petaluma,
California’s St. Vincent High School, that was facing closure due to
financial difficulties. Store gift certificates had been around for a
while, but no one had ever really tried to use them as a way to make
money for nonprofit organizations. Participating in a grocery scrip
program paid off to the tune of $30,000
for St. Vincent, and the
National Scrip Center (NSC), the first and still the largest scrip
broker, was born. As more schools tried to emulate St. Vincent’s
success, the NSC stepped in to facilitate the process.
Since 1988 National Scrip Center and similar
organizations have used the Scrip concept to help schools and other
nonprofits (Catholic, public, and private alike) raise more than $98
million.
Our Lady of Refuge School’s SCRIP Program
Our Lady of
Refuge School uses the Scrip programs operated by Scrip
Advantage and School Pop for
fundraising. How does it work? It
is like buying a gift certificate for yourself.
For example, suppose you purchase a Scrip certificate from the
school office. You take
your certificate to the grocery store, and fill up your basket with
fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, frozen goods, etc.
When you take your basket to the checkout counter, the clerk
scans and bags your purchases, then tells you that you owe the total of
$100. You pay with a
Scrip certificate. Guess
what? You have just donated $5.00 to Our Lady of Refuge School.
The concept is simple. Schools purchase gift
certificates, or scrip, from retailers who belong to
Scrip Advantage and School Pop's networsk.
Retailers include popular grocery chains and companies such as
Arco, Carl’s Jr., Blockbuster
and many more. The school
receives the gift certificates at a discount, which the retailers are
happy to give because they’re guaranteeing themselves customers and
some goodwill advertising.
When parishioners buy Scrip gift certificates at
face value, the difference in price is kept by the school. Parishioners spend the scrip at the retailer, where it’s
worth the full face value. They
haven’t spent an extra dime to help the school, nor have they had to
change stores. It is a
win-win situation for parishioners, the school and the retailer.
If
you would like to know the names of some popular retailers who
participate in the Scrip program at Our Lady of Refuge School,
click on the links below:
|
If
you want more information about the Scrip Program at Our Lady of
Refuge School, contact the Scrip Coordinator:
Shirley
Wilcox
(562) 597-0819
|
LINKS
What’s
the Fuss about Scrip?
Scrip
Advantage
School Pop
EDUCATION MINISTRIES
