 Membership fees cover only about 50% of expenses for the Trent Swim Club. The remaining 50% has to be made up with fundraising ventures. Fundraising is necessary to keep registration fees as low as possible.
Each family has a fundraising commitment based on the level of the swimmer(s) that can be met by using one of the club's fundraising activities or by some other individual means. The fundraising activities are Cheese, Chocolate and Scrip sales and Bingo.
The amount required is determined by the finance committee on a yearly basis. For example this year (2006/2007), each family above AG2 is responsible for raising $600 per year. This is broken down into two earning periods - September to December ($300) and - January to June ($300).
In January, you will receive a notice from the Fundraising Chairperson with your current total amount raised. At this point, if your total falls below the required amount, you will be required to submit the difference by cheque. If your balance is equal to the amount, then no additional funds will be required. Amounts exceeding the required amount will be credited to the next earning period. Balances will be totalled again in June and you will be required to balance your account again at this point. Should you have earned in excess of your fundraising quota, at the end of the year, 75% of the excess funds will go towards your meet fees account for the following swim season. Fundraising excesses are non refundable. The more money you raise, using the fundraising programs, the fewer out of pocket expenses you will incur.
You do not have to participate in fundraising, however each family is responsible for the fundraising commitment - this means you must pay the club the difference between what you have earned in fundraising and your families fundraising commitment.
There are several programs the club runs to help meet your fundraising commitment.
SCRIP
What is “scrip”?
"Scrip" is another name for coupons. The program allows you to purchase coupons or declining balance cards (i.e. gift cards) for various retail outlets (e.g. Loblaws grocery store buying groups, Sobeys buying groups, Canadian Tire, Home Depot, etc.) I have attached a list that outlines the various scrip available for purchase. The list also indicates which retailer offers which type of scrip and the associate discount. There are no minimum order quantities for Loblaws, Sobeys and Canadian Tire, however, we do require a $200 minimum per member for any other retailer due to ordering and shipping restrictions. Each retailer has a % discount associated with it. The discount corresponds to the fundraising value you are awarded towards your fundraising commitment as outlined in the club manual.
For example:
You purchase $100 scrip of Sobeys buying group (these cards can be used at various grocery stores in the Sobeys buying group like Price Chopper, IGA, Foodland, etc). The Sobeys discount is 4%. You pay $100 to purchase the card. The club pays $96. The remaining $4 is credited to your fundraising commitment.
Now you might think that $4 doesn’t seem like much, but let’s look at the big picture. This year there are 40 member families in the club. An average family would purchase approx $200 (or more) worth of groceries each week. So if every family ordered $200 in grocery scrip, times 40 families that would be an order of $8000. At a discount rate of 4% that means the club earns $320. Multiply that times the number of orders placed over the swim season and it all starts to add up to something substantial. And it all happens because you use the program to buy groceries you need to buy anyway (and that is just groceries). Last year the scrip program was the second highest fundraising vehicle for the swim club, second only to Bingo fundraising.
Besides groceries there are a number of other retailers that participate in the program. You can purchase scrip for everything from clothing, gasoline, sporting goods, home renovation/building supplies to movie passes and restaurant gift cards.
You can easily work towards your fundraising commitment just by buying the things you need through the scrip program.
How does it work?
We place the orders according to a predetermined schedule. I have attached a copy of the schedule for the 2007/2008 season. Note the first order date is Friday, October 12. You receive a "packing slip" with your order that details the items contained in the order, the total cost and the amount of discount earned that will be applied to your fundraising account.
The process is fairly simple:
- Members email their orders to scrip@trentswimming.com. All orders must have the following information to be accepted for processing:
· Member # (see attached member list for you member #)
· Retailer name
· Denomination
· Quantity
· Order total
- All orders accepted are processed into a database and summarized for club totals. A confirmation of your order is sent back to you by email.
- The order is placed with the supplier. When we receive the coupons, the orders are sorted and organized for distribution. If there are any discrepancies to the order totals due to back orders or short shipments, an email will be sent to those members effected advising them of their new balance due.
- All the orders are distributed at the pool during the Friday evening practices. All the swim groups practice Friday nights; therefore it is the most convenient time for distribution. All orders MUST be paid for at time of pickup. It is imperative that all orders be picked up on the scheduled distribution date. Since your swimmer has to be at the pool anyway, members can even send payment with their swimmer to receive their order. Due to the issues experienced in prior years with pickup delays, the club is considering implementing late fees charged to members who do not pickup their orders at the scheduled time. Let’s make sure that isn’t necessary and pick up our orders on time!
2007/2008 SCRIP PROGRAM ORDER & PICKUP SCHEDULE |
|
Order # |
Member
Order
Date |
Member
Pickup
Date |
|
|
|
FRIDAY |
FRIDAY |
|
|
1 |
12-Oct-07 |
19-Oct-07 |
First order of the season! |
|
2 |
2-Nov-07 |
9-Nov-07 |
|
|
3 |
23-Nov-07 |
30-Nov-07 |
|
|
4 |
14-Dec-07 |
21-Dec-07 |
Last order before Christmas! |
|
5 |
4-Jan-08 |
11-Jan-08 |
|
|
6 |
25-Jan-08 |
1-Feb-08 |
|
|
7 |
15-Feb-08 |
22-Feb-08 |
|
|
8 |
7-Mar-08 |
14-Mar-08 |
|
|
9 |
28-Mar-08 |
4-Apr-08 |
|
|
10 |
18-Apr-08 |
25-Apr-08 |
|
|
11 |
9-May-08 |
16-May-08 |
|
|
12 |
30-May-08 |
6-Jun-08 |
|
|
13 |
20-Jun-08 |
27-Jun-08 |
Last order for this season! |
CHEESE
- Empire Cheese is ordered on a 4 week schedule
- The Club receives a 30% discount for the bulk order which is applied directly to your fundraising commitment. For example, if you order $100 worth of cheese, then you will earn $30 towards your fundraising commitment.
- Orders can be e-mailed to the Cheese co-ordinator, or using the online form from the website
- Payment must be made at the time of pick-up. Cheques should be made payable to Trent Swim Club. To aid in the often cumbersome task of financially balancing the cheese orders we ask that all orders be paid by cheque and not cash.
- The estimated order and pick up dates are listed. You will also receive an e mail notification when an order date is approaching. Please ensure that you are available to pick your order up on the assigned dates.
Order Dates
- Sat.Nov.17th (pick up Friday,Nov.23rd)
Sat.Dec.8TH (pick up Friday Dec. 14th)
Sat.Dec.15th (pick up Dec.21st (extra order for all those festive parties!!)
Chocolate
- Orders are placed in the fall with the Chocolate Co-ordinator
- Chocolates, almonds or cookies are purchased at a discounted cost from World's Finest Chocolates, with the discounted amount going towards your fundraising commitment
- Sell the goods to friends and family
- Money received from goods sold is kept by family
- Orders can be placed by e-mail or by placing order form in the Chocolate co-ordinators mailbox at the pool
- Cheques are due at pick up and are payable to Trent Swim Club
- No cancellations once the order has been placed
BINGO
Bingo is our Club's primary fundraising activity and makes up an enormous part of our operating budget. Its' success is crucial in maintaining our fiscal fitness. The TSC occupies the Saturday 'matinee' slot (11:30 - 3:30 pm) at Kawartha Club Bingo on Clonsilla Avenue. Kawartha Club Bingo is one of five pilot projects in the province offering electronic bingo. Major renovations to the building and to staffing have changed our role. Two TSC parents are required at each of our allotted sessions. It is IMPERATIVE that you are at the bingo hall. The hall has adopted a 'three strikes your out' policy. Losing the bingo revenue would increase each swimmers fees by approximately $800.00 per year.
- The penalty for a missed bingo is $250.00.
- At the beginning of September you decide how many Bingos you would like to work. Bingos are valued at $125 each. We need two families for each Bingo and each family would receive a $125 fundraising credit. No family double ups allowed - it creates too great a risk that no one shows up.
- A bingo schedule will be distributed in late September. This will be in hard copy and distributed in each mailbox. The schedule will also be available on our website. Each family will work approximately 2 bingos over the course of the year.
- Families who want to work additional bingos their fundraising obligations would be able to do so if there were Bingos available and would receive meet account credits in the same manner as other fundraising projects (25% to the club, 75% to your meet account)
- Trading of bingo dates is permissible. Individuals are responsible for finding their replacement and informing the bingo captains of BOTH dates, the change. If a traded bingo is missed, the charge will be against the family assigned to work that date.
- You must inform your bingo captain PRIOR to 11:00 am on the day of bingo if you have had an emergency that makes it impossible for you to attend. Failure to do so will result in a $250.00 charge.
- If your child resigns from the TSC after December 15, you are still responsible for your bingo dates during that quarter.
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