“Easy Dollars” is a fabulous program that raises money for Valley Drive Preschool when you shop at participating grocery stores, retailers, gas stations, and restaurants. We call it “Easy Dollars” because it is very easy to participate and we raise easy money off of money that you would be spending anyways.
There are four ways to participate:
Grocery Store Cash Back
Harris Teeter and Safeway will donate to our preschool based on how much you spend at their grocery stores while using their savings cards. Just provide your VIC and Safeway Club card numbers to the Easy Dollar Coordinator, who will register and link your cards to VDPS. Then just remember to use your grocery savings cards every time you shop. You can use any payment method you wish and it requires no additional effort or cost!
eScrip Online Shopping Mall
The eScrip Online Mall is a great one-stop shopping place for over 800 stores, including Amazon.com, Old Navy, Pottery Barn Kids, Land of Nod, Apple Store, drugstore.com, Expedia, and Shoebuy. Our school earns a percentage of your online purchases if you simply click through the Online Mall first to get to the participating store’s website.
Anyone can shop at the Online Mall, even friends and grandparents. Any purchases made through the mall will be linked to our school. There is NO enrollment required, NO payment to the school required, and you can pay with ANY credit card or gift card. So spread the word and remember to go through the Online Mall button on the VDPS homepage before doing any online shopping. You will be surprised at how many of your favorite stores participate!
Go to the VDPS home page: www.valleydrive.com
Click the "eScrip Online Mall" button on the top right side of the page
Select "Add" for "Valley Drive Preschool", Hit "Next"
Click "Shop Now"
Select a participating store, and a new window will open
Start shopping!
Gift Card Monthly Purchase Program
Once a month, you will be offered the opportunity to purchase pre-paid gift cards from hundreds of participating grocery stores, retailers, gas stations, and restaurants that want to support local non-profit organizations. The gift cards can be used just like cash at stores or online. VDPS buys the cards at a discount from a company called Great Lakes Scrip Center (www.glscrip.com) and sells them to you at full face value. The school gets to keep the difference and our children reap the benefits! The gift cards never expire, so keep a few in your wallet, in your glovebox, or next to your computer. Purchase some for yourself or use as gifts!
For every gift card that is purchased through this program, VDPS receives a percentage of the cards’ value, ranging from 1.25% to 20%. The amounts may seem small, but they definitely add up over time. Popular participating retailers include Target, Whole Foods, Safeway, Amazon.com, Gitan, Gap/Old Navy, LL Bean, and Lands’ End.
If you're going to be spending money at these retailers anyways, please consider purchasing some Easy Dollar gift cards and raise EASY money for Valley Drive Preschool! Just pay with Easy Dollars instead of cash or credit.
And if you are going to spending the gift cards online, be sure to click through the Online Mall first, as many of the retailers are available through the Mall as well. It’s an easy way to double-up contributions to the school!
Order forms with an abbreviated list of popular retailers will be placed in your child’s cubby bag in the middle of the month. You will also receive an email with the full list of retailers. Orders and checks are due on the last Thursday of every month and should be placed in the “Easy Dollar Orders” mailbox. You will receive your cards about a week later, either in person, or in your child’s cubby bag.
Also, please keep VDPS in mind if you are planning home improvement projects or large furniture purchases. Lowe’s, Home Depot, Crate and Barrel, Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s all participate in the program. We would be happy to consider placing a special order for you.
Gift Card ScripNow! Purchase Program
There are over 20 brands that offer gift cards that can be ordered online at anytime and received within minutes. Buy just what you need exactly when you need it. There is no need to wait for the monthly group order. These “ScripNow!” brands include: Amazon.com, Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic, CVS/pharmacy, iTunes, and Lands’ End. You can purchase for yourself, or send them to someone electronically as an eGift.
Over 50 brands offer cards that can be reloaded online. Purchase the physical gift card once through the monthly group order, then reload online at anytime and the funds will be available approximately the next day. These “Reload” brands include: Whole Foods, Starbucks, Gymboree, AMC Theatres, Exxon, and Mobil.
If you are a frequent shopper of any of these brands, this may be a great option for you. Visit ShopWithScrip.com for more information.
To make purchases online, you will need to take a few steps upfront to setup an account because orders are paid directly from your bank. The process is very simple and is similar to setting up a PayPal account -- the company makes two deposits of several cents into your account, you verify the amounts, then the Easy Dollar coordinator will verify that you are part of our organization. The process takes a few days, but it is very easy. Once you're setup, you can order as much as you want, and whenever you please from the participating brands.
Please contact the Easy Dollar Coordinator with questions or to setup your account.