Fundraising Idea - Need suggestions!

[CouponScout 10]

I am an Eagle Scout (Troop 76 '98) and my wife and I just started a business with grocery coupon books.

 

I'm about to place an ad in Scouting magazine and hopefully online here (not sure where to send suggestions for external sites go) but here's the deal:

 

Scouts would sell coupon books worth $500. Your customers would mail the 50 $10 certificates in to get newspaper coupons of their choice - so they really do get $500 in grocery savings.

 

Scouts sell the books for $29.95. The troop's cost is about $16 per book (working on details) This is a profit for the troop of about $13. A small troop of ten boys, each sells ten nets $1,300. No return trip to deliver anything, and it's a product everyone can use, and it's not like popcorn or cookies - everyone needs to buy groceries!

 

Here's our questions: Should we offer a prize system and cut back on profits, or let troops divvy up the profits to pay scout's summer camp expenses or prizes? We plan to ship the coupons at time of order, and allow 2 weeks before payment is due, sine I understand many trooks can't afford up-fron costs. Is this even a product that troops would be interested in? I know I hated fundraising, and for my toop have sold popcorn, mulch and fertilizer, pointsettas, and wreaths. My brother sells kroger gift certificates for only a 3% profit. Because of these experiences, I would just like to offer a product that 1) everyone can use/needs 2)Minimize scouts' time selling and delivering so they can work on advancement instead 3) Provide a decent markup on the product for the troops.

 

Please post responses or email info@couponclearance.com. I really appreciate all the help I can get.

[CouponScout 10]

I must give credit where it is due. Troop 61 in Moorestown had the mulch/fertilizer fundraiser annually, which at least was an interesting twist on the traditional sales.

[eisely 13]

Not wishing to throw cold water on what could be a very good idea, but you really ought to check with your local council about this before you get too deeply involved. There are guidelines for fund raising, and I am not an expert on these guidelines. But scouting generally wants to avoid appearing to endorse specific commercial activities. Such a coupon book could be construed as out of bounds. Just a thought. Good luck.

[Mike Long 10]

There used to be a fundraiser offered to units in our area that was similar to the one described (The Entertainer coupon book.) I seem to remember that it was council approved too.

 

Definately check with council/national about it but I would think that if national approved of brand name candy sales they wouldn't have an issue with coupon books. A lot of the fundraising ads in Scouter and Boy's Life look pretty darn commercial to me. If they had a problem with them I would think that they would refuse their advertisments.

[CouponScout 10]

Come to think of it, M&M Mars Inc has their fundraiser kits and I may have to make a trip to national before my ad runs to show them the coupon books. And these aren't brand specific...just leftover from millions of Sunday papers.

[sctmom 11]

Also, not trying to throw cold water on your idea but not EVERYONE uses coupons. I do not deal with them, too much trouble. There is a local radio host in my area that is very well known for how to save money, his show is about consumer advice. He will drive 30 miles out of his way to save a penny on a gallon of gas, but he does not recommend using grocery coupons. The cost has to be made up somewhere, and it is! The items are just priced higher. The manufacturers would do better to just lower the prices. Also, my time is valuable. Do I really want to spend 1 hour a week to save $5? Not at this point in my life.

 

Just offering a different view. I would rather buy popcorn and cookies!

 

 

[CouponScout 10]

True-Coupons need to be used intelligently, and generally they encourage you to buy more expensive brands.

 

These books do help with that - you select the brand & product you already buy anyway, and it's already clipped - it should not take you an hour like it does clipping a few out of the Sunday Newspaper.

 

I'm looking into a method from a local mom here who pays almost nothing for her groceries, but gets bulk inserts from the paper. She cuts and sorts, uses local double/triple coupon days, and ends up donating her extra food to charity. With these books, she can get the same coupons without spending hours to clip...

 

But you do have an excellent point. Not everyone uses coupons-I should have said everyone buys groceries! (I have accordingly changed our advertising)

[andrews 10]

I remember reading something that questioned the legality of such clipping services a while back. It was enough that I would be very cautious around the idea.

 

From a quick scan on the internet, all I could find was references to money making schemes involving clipping coupons yourself, but it still would make me concerned.

 

Brad

[Mike Long 10]

We are getting way off track from the original question.

 

In response to the question posted.

 

I avoid prize systems the prizes never seem to make the work worth it. Several times we have had boys work hard for a prize and be disappointed in it (usually due to quality.) Plus without a prize system you cut down on the inventory that you must manage and you no longer have drop-ship worry if you used an outside vendor. Keep it simple.

 

Our troop fundraisers are all built to help scouts pay their way to camp. We get much better participation and results that way.

[CouponScout 10]

We were thinking about prizes, but realized we could offer more in profits to the Scouts, and then let the troops decide how to split it up. Every troop I was involved in put a portion into a scout's account for camping supplies and fees, as you mentioned. This is also an incentive to the parents...

[CouponScout 10]

I just dropped off our ad to National Headquarters. Look for our ad in Scouting magazine, Jan/Feb issue 2002.

 

I found out fromour supplier, who has been printing these books for 25 years, that the books are regarded as a service by the government - the coupons are not sold, just the donation to the group (BSA/GSA troops in this case) printing, advertising, and distribution costs. Therefore, they are perfectly legal.

 

We will not be offering prizes, but we are developing a small application to create a "Troop Bank" to track the individual accounts of scouts in your troop. SMs can authorize deposits and withdrawals based on sales by individual scouts and camp costs, etc. This software will be included free in lieu of a prize system.

 

I do not want to self promote here (so I will not be posting on this thread anymore), but look for our ad in Scouting and online here under Unit Fundraising (if scouter.com will fix their commercial link application soon).

 

If you have furhter questions about our specific program, email me privately at paul@couponclearance.com - we are looking for groups to provide testimonials and critique it in exchange for special rates.

 

Thanks for your help everyone! Happy Trails!