You shop 750+ brands by purchasing gift cards.
You receive the full value paid while the brand gives a percentage back.
James Bowie High School Band Booster Association sponsors the Raise Right program which provides families an option to individually fundraise towards their student’s Fair Share band expenses. By participating, you can purchase gift cards through the Raise Right website & app, which generates rebates from the participating retailers. 100% of the rebates you earn are distributed back to you (minus a small processing fee that Raise Right withholds to administer the program). You choose how to designate the distribution of your rebates which can be (1) credit to your Bowie Band Fair Share account (e.g., reducing tuition, uniform costs); (2) as a cash back to you; or (3) you can designate the rebates as a charitable contribution to the Bowie Band.
To give you an idea of possible earnings, one student’s family in 2020 was enrolled in the program and they had a grandparent that was also enrolled. They combined their rebate earnings (grandparent signed up for the program & selected the grandchild’s account to accept their earnings) and all those earnings to go towards that student’s account. By doing this, $357.85 was earned which reduced that student’s band expenses by that amount. Another family that same year earned $218.40. Earnings continued in 2021, and several families earned $300+ to reduce their student’s Fair Share costs. All by making purchases of gift cards (for places they regularly shop), earning the rebates and then using those gift cards for their purchases. It’s a few extra steps to do (purchase the gift card & then use it), but after seeing how the earnings can add up, it’s worth a slight bit of extra effort.
For more information or if you have any questions, please contact the Raise Right Coordinator (raiseright@bowieband.org).
For additional information about the program, you can access Raise Right’s website: https://www.raiseright.com/
- Complete the Agreement Form which indicates how you’d like your rebates allocated which include one of the following:
- Credit to your Bowie Band Fair Share account (can be designated between siblings)
- Cash back to you
- Designate the rebates as a charitable contribution to the Bowie Band
- Designate a percentage to Fair Share & a percentage donated to the band
- The enrollment code that is required to sign up for the program isn’t allowed to be publicly posted due to security reasons. Please email the Raise Right coordinator at raiseright@bowieband.org if you did not receive a code in person at a Booster Meeting or via a flyer.
- Sign up online at the Raise Right website https://www.raiseright.com/ & register by “Joining an Existing Program”
- You’ll set up your account, either by attaching your credit card (added processing fees associated with this option) or setting up a bank account to auto draft the payments (much lower processing fee).
- Download the Raise Right app – which is the app associated with this program. This app enables you to purchase electronic gift cards (eGift cards) while you’re at a store & be able to access that eCard immediately in your app’s “wallet”.
- Ordering the gift cards via the Raise Right website or app. eCard purchases are immediately available following purchase via your app’s “Wallet”.
- Using the website or app, you’ll search for a vendor & if they are part of the program, you’ll see the options for the types of gift cards that are being offered (eCard, physical cards, reloadables). It is highly recommended that eCards be the purchases that you mostly utilize since plastic/physical cards must be mailed & incur shipping charges (see below). Plastic/physical cards can also be ordered, especially if there’s a vendor that doesn’t offer the eCard option, but the physical cards must be shipped to your home (if that option is available) but be aware that you will incur a higher shipping & handling and processing fee, which sometimes negate the rebate percentage you earn.
- You can purchase gift cards in advance via the Raise Right website or via their app. eCard purchases will be immediately available via the “wallet” on the website or app, and you pull these eCards up on your smartphone & the business will scan the barcode for your payment. Use these when deciding on a restaurant for dinner or when purchasing supplies for a home improvement project and purchasing the eCard while in line at the store to check out. Whether you purchase spur of the moment or plan in advance, it’s easy to earn rebates, which even the small percentages add up, to help your family with band expenses.
- Look for Raise Right to use for routine shopping: grocery stores, discount retailers, clothes stores, home improvement stores, office supply stores, and gas stations.
- Look for Raise Right to use at places where your family eats or goes for entertainment, such as coffee shops, fast food stores, restaurants, and movie theaters.
- Look for Raise Right to use when you travel: hotels, airlines, cruises, and theme parks.
- Make sure to take advantage of bonus rebates. Raise Right often offers bonus rebates which add 1% to 5% or more to the existing rebate and you can find these specials advertised on the website or app &/or they will be emailed to you if you chose this option when signing up for the program.
- The Raise Right Coordinator calculates rebate distributions twice each school year: Rebates will be earned through 2 payout periods which will align with the Band Booster’s fiscal year and will be in DECEMBER (which will include purchases from June 1 – Nov 30) and JUNE (for purchases from Dec 1 – May 31).
- The rebate calculations are reported to the Band Booster financial team, who ensures that the money transfers to the band for distribution to student’s Fair Share accounts (for those that choose that option); via a cash payout option (which comes via a check mailed to the recipient); or donation to the general Band account.