How Do You Start A SCRIP Program?

Want to start a SCRIP program?

Like many non-profits, you would really like to raise more money for your organization.  SCRIP programs offer a simple, yet effective means to raise some critical dollars for many not for profits.  But how do you start a SCRIP program?

First, you need to find a SCRIP clearinghouse, like Great Lakes Scrip and enroll in their program.  Once an organization is enrolled (in GL Scrip, for example), they can order online or call an 800 number.  Since participating companies and GL Scrip, make their money on the margin, orgs must pay by "cash" - ACH transfer or by check with ACH being the quickest way to pay and have the Scrip shipped.  Once paid for, Scrip can be sent by Fedex ground or even overnight.

Once you receive the Scrip, you will then be able to sell it to your constituents.  What you paid and what you sell the Scrip for will be your profit.

What Is Great Lakes Scrip?

Great Lakes Scrip, also known as GLSC, is a clearinghouse of sorts for non-profits to purchase Scrip, or gift cards, from GLSC at a substantial discount and selling the gift cards at face value, keeping the difference between the face value and discounted cost.  It is a win-win for both retailers and not for profits.

Great Lakes Scrip was founded by Carol Burgess and Carol Smith in 1994.  In that time, they have sold over $6,000,000,000 in Scrip with a net profit of $300,000,000 for non-profits.

Free Soy Joy Bars at CVS

CVS has Soy Joy bars (Limit 5) Free after ECB this week. Enjoy them or not, they are free and you can either eat them or donate them!

Ebay Bucks

Currently Ebay is running a rewards promotion for the summer through August 14, 2008. They will give you 3% back into your Paypal account for all of your purchase during that time frame. They have even made it better for the time between June 20 and June 29, where they will give 6% back. The program is called Ebay Bucks.

I usually purchase gift cards through Ebay, so this gives me extra incentive. Couple these rewards with the cash back I get through Extrabux and then my rewards credit card, it adds up to quite a bit of money.

FREE Oral B Cross Action Power Tootbrush

This week at Walgreens you can purchase an Oral B Cross Action Power toothbrush FREE after Register Rewards catalina coupon. Unlike CVS Extra Care Bucks, the $5.50 is not pretax, but will be applied after the sales tax has been calculated for the item that your purchase.

In today's coupons is a coupon for Buy One Get One Free for Oral B Cross Action Power toothbrushes, so you can get two toothbrushes for $5.50 plus the sales tax on both toothbrushes, plus you will get a catalina coupon good for $5.50 towards your next purchase at Walgreens.

You cannot get cash back for these catalina coupons so your next purchase needs to be more than $5.50.

Cash Back Program: Extrabux

Along with the Upromise program I look at several other sites when shopping online to make sure that I am getting the maximum amount of cash back when I shop online. Another site that I use is Extrabux.

Extrabux is a nice program that has many of the same shops as other Cash Back Programs, but also includes many smaller sites that are not included in the other sites. For the most part, though, I use Extrabux for shopping on Ebay. Unlike other Cash Back Programs that give you a percentage of your purchase (usually 1%) on Ebay, Extrabux gives you 45% of the profit that Ebay makes from the sale. Thus, just as Ebay's profit is larger on smaller ticket items, so will your profit be.

For example, I often purchase CVS gift cards on Ebay using Extrabux as my shopping portal. Since I usually purchase them in $25 increments, the profit percentage for Ebay is higher than if I purchased the gift cards in $100 increments. So, I purchase a $25 CVS gift card on Ebay for $22 (a 12% savings), going through Extrabux (usually around 4% or 5%) and pay with my credit card through Paypal (around 1% or 2%). After all is said and done, I have purchased a CVS gift card at a 17% to 19% discount.

Even better, right now Ebay is giving you 3% back on purchases through August 14, 2008. That would make the above scenario 20% to 22%.

For larger purchases the cash back earned through Extrabux is 2%.

Update: CVS June Free After Extra Care Bucks Items

The limit for the three Free After Care Bucks Items at CVS in June is actually 3 and not the 2 that is stated in the June catalog.