When your organization members purchase scrip, they're purchasing negotiable gift certificates that are used just like cash. The scrip is issued by the national and local retailers where many of your organization families already shop. These merchants want to support non profit organizations, and in return ask you to support them by shopping with scrip at their stores. Your organization members can use scrip to purchase everyday expenses like food, clothing, and other essentials, and with every purchase, they earn revenue for your organization.
The Great Lakes Scrip center acts on behalf of churches, schools and other non-profit organizations to purchase large amounts of scrip from grocery stores, department stores, and other retailers. Because the scrip is purchased with cash up front, the participating retailers offer a substantial discount. Your organization buys the scrip from Great Lakes Scrip Center at a discount, and re-sells the certificates to your organization members for full face value. The bulk of the discount - from two to fifteen percent or more - is retained by your organization as revenue.
The reason for the effectiveness of scrip is simple: families generate revenue through purchases they would make anyway. Groceries, clothing, toys, gifts, even gasoline can be purchased with scrip. An organization of 150 families easily spends between one and two million dollars per year on food, clothing and other essentials. If these families use scrip for these purchases, they can raise as much as $40,000 to $80,000 per year for their organization --without spending an additional penny.
Families who purchase scrip certificates actively support the retailers who participate in this program. The reason is simple… they know that buying from a scrip participating retailer provides a steady source of revenue for their church, school, or non-profit organization.