Since its beginning in 2004 Glen Mar’s “Extreme Fundraising” opportunities have shared the common theme of generating “free money” while not costing participants anything extra. Over the years many individual programs have comprised the Extreme Fundraising program. What remains is the most lucrative program of them all – the Gift Card Program.
Gift Card Sales Surpass $5.2 Million!
When the Gift Card Program began in 2007, no one could have predicted how successful it would become. What was known is that it was very easy, and because more than 650 families have since used the program, it has been widely accepted. Although COVID has changed some shopping patterns, everyone still shops, which is a perfect opportunity to use the Gift Card Program.
Why Use Gift Cards?
To date the Gift Card Program has generated over $250,000 – for FREE! That is because you only spend what you would normally would. A $100 Giant card costs you $100, but the church paid $96 for that card, a $4 discount/profit. There are gift cards available for dozens of merchants. The percentage each card generates varies and ranges between 1% and 20%, with the average being 5%. Now that restaurants are popular once again, please keep in mind that most restaurants provide a rebate between 8-13%.
How does this benefit the church?
When you buy a gift card, 50% of the rebate/profit supports the Mission Ministry Support Fund, and you can designate one of twelve ministries to receive the other 50%. Two important beneficiaries are the over 100 mission trip scholarship recipients (valued at over $23,000!) and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) which has received an extra $34,000 for disaster relief around the world. Several dozen additional ministries have also received support from the Mission Ministry Support Fund, including the Pastor’s Emergency Fund, the Early Learning Center, Music Ministries, Children’s Ministries, the Walk/Journey to Bethlehem, Relay for Life, the Day of Service, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and ministry partners such as the Hurley Development Corp. in Hurley, Virginia, and Ames Memorial UMC in Baltimore. However, the biggest user of the gift card program remains Glen Mar itself, having purchased over $480,000 in gift cards, and by doing so reducing ministry expenses by over $24,000!
How to Buy Gift Cards
Please stop at the gift card table on Sundays to buy cards on-the-spot or to order cards that can be picked up at the church the following Sunday. Another option is to print gift cards at home from the RaiseRight website. If you are not yet registered as a Glen Mar supporter, please contact us via email for details.
See a PDF of our Gift Card Ministry – 2023 order sheet with a listing of all available cards.
Remember – it’s easy and it’s free!
