Discount Cards – Why They Are Essential to Your Fundraising

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Fundraising Projects Chatboard

Discount Cards - Why They Are Essential to Your Fundraising

by Mark South

Jun 21, 2012

If you have never heard of discount cards for use in fundraising, you may be curious as to what they are and how they work. Whether you are trying to raise funds for the school choir, sports team, a community group, the PTA group or for a church group or other non-profit organization, discount cards are an easy, profitable way to do it. For decades there have been common activities and products used to raise money, some very effective and some not so much. Most require a great deal of planning and effort; after years or even decades, the work and doing the "same old thing" can begin to grate on those who participate.

What are discount cards? That's an easy question to answer. The size of a credit card, these valuable little cards offer discounts and savings at merchants in your own local area. Most offer savings at 12 to 15 merchants on the back of the cards; the front is usually printed using your group's logo, name and the expiration date of the card. The consistency of dis...See MoreIf you have never heard of discount cards for use in fundraising, you may be curious as to what they are and how they work. Whether you are trying to raise funds for the school choir, sports team, a community group, the PTA group or for a church group or other non-profit organization, discount cards are an easy, profitable way to do it. For decades there have been common activities and products used to raise money, some very effective and some not so much. Most require a great deal of planning and effort; after years or even decades, the work and doing the "same old thing" can begin to grate on those who participate.

What are discount cards? That's an easy question to answer. The size of a credit card, these valuable little cards offer discounts and savings at merchants in your own local area. Most offer savings at 12 to 15 merchants on the back of the cards; the front is usually printed using your group's logo, name and the expiration date of the card. The consistency of discount cards is like that of a credit card, glossy and durable unlike a cheap, thin paper card. The discounts and savings offered on the cards are good for an entire years, so the user enjoys savings that add up to far more than the $10 spent for the card.

An example of some of the merchants you will usually find on discount cards include Meineke Car Care Center, Waffle House, Sonic, Shoney's, Tire Pros, Jiffy Lube and merchants that are unique to your local area. When customers save $10 off on auto maintenance services, 20% off on family entertainment (movie rentals, bowling, etc.) and 10% off at restaurants, it's easy to see how the savings add up to a substantial amount of money over the course of a year.

Why are discount cards essential to your fundraising efforts? They offer incredible profit margins, unlike most common fundraising items sold today. Their affordable cost and the value they offer the customer make them a smart purchase, particularly in times of a down economy like we are experiencing today. When a customer is offered a $12 container of cookie dough versus a $10 discount card that will save them a bundle on things they would spend money on regardless, it's easy to see which one they will choose.

When your group is tired of all of the bakes sales, car washes, church yard sales, catalog sales and candy bars, discount cards just make good sense. There is practically no planning or work involved prior to receiving the cards, and the company you order from takes care of the grunt work by contacting the merchants in your area to secure their participation. They print up the cards for you, even use the colors you prefer and design a logo for you if your group does not already have one. This is truly the way to go when you want to raise money quickly without going to a lot of work and effort.

Most individuals can easily sell 10 discount cards, so you can see how profitable this can be if you have a large group of people participating. Those who live in large, heavily populated cities will likely see that they can sell far more than 10 cards. The great thing about discount cards is that you can literally take them along and offer them when it is convenient whether you are at work, school, a family get-together, party or even out shopping the mall. Now you know what discount cards are, how they work and how easy they are to sell. What are you waiting for?

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