Frequently Asked Questions

Honestly, because of the terms of the agreement, we aren't actually allowed to mention them in certain situations, so we simply avoid mentioning them altogether except for where we're 100% confident that we can. Otherwise, it can be a very clear violation for us to do so; however, we are required to include a disclosure statement on the website, and that is the one of the only direct references we are allowed to make to that truly Amazing company. We know it seems odd, but we didn't make the rules. (For more about those rules, continue reading the FAQ's.)

That's fair. We understand your skepticism. Usually things that seem too good to be true are worth treading lightly around. You are wise to do so.

Yes, there are certain technicalities we must abide by to keep that Amazing company happy. Many of these will seem counter-intuitive, but any violation of them can mean a termination of our agreement, so we are cautious and need you to be as well.

We agree it does sound "sketchy." We don't mention that Amazing company, tell you you can't either, tell you all your links have to stay only on the page we make for you, tell you that you can't say to people: "Hey, help us out by shopping through our links."

Really? Sounds crazy...Believe me, we know. As we've noted elsewhere, we don't make the rules, we just follow them.

Below, we address some of these technicalities and quote from the rules that apply.

1) First and foremost, the focus should always remain on your webpage. Get people to visit your sales page to begin their shopping trip (while staying within the rules, of course) and you can count on a good fundraiser.

2) Don't mention that Amazing company at all in any of your communications.  You won't have to, anyway; it will be crystal clear once people visit your site, but for the same reasons we cannot mention them, you should not either.

Here is the language: "You will not issue any press release or make any other public communication with respect to...your participation in the Program. You will not misrepresent or embellish the relationship between us and you (including by expressing or implying that we support, sponsor, endorse, or contribute to any charity or other cause), or express or imply any relationship or affiliation between us....You must, however, clearly state the following on your site: “[Insert your name] is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to [insert the applicable site name (amazon.com or myhabit.com)].”

3) Don't post, email, or put your special links anywhere. They belong ONLY on the webpage we create for you and cannot be written anywhere else. It is a significant violation of the rules to do so.

Here is the language: "For example, you will not engage in any promotional, marketing, or other advertising activities in any offline manner...any Content, or any Special Link in connection with an offline promotion or in any other offline manner (e.g., in any printed material, mailing, SMS, MMS, email or attachment to email, or other document, or any oral solicitation)."

In addition, it clearly states that "The purpose of the Program is to permit you to advertise Products on your site and to earn advertising fees for Qualifying Purchases."  

"Your site" is the verbiage used throughout.Since Simple School Fundraising is the account holder, we can only put links we create on a site that we have direct control over. Therefore, please do not put your special links elsewhere. (This is why we have to make a web page for you and cannot simply give you the links themselves.)

4) Do NOT give incentive or consideration for people to use your links — even by saying, “Help us by shopping on our site.” Honestly it is not necessary if you think about it; people will already understand that's what they are doing.

Here is the language: "You will not offer any person or entity any consideration or incentive ... for using Special Links..."

Again, we know some of these sound like exactly what you should be doing to increase sales, but 2-4 are direct violations of the agreement and must be avoided.

Put all of your focus on building up traffic to your webpage and all will be well. Thanks for understanding.

NOTE: The policies outlined in the Operating Agreement are subject to change over time. These were the requirements as of the time of this writing. You can verify that these rules are still in place today by reading the OA here.

Here's the bottom line:

Once you sign up and we have your site ready, people in your community can start shopping at an Amazing company (see disclosure statement below) via your webpage's special links.

Every time anyone purchases virtually any item through your link, we will give you a commission of about 3% of the sale. That's all there is to it.

People simply need to visit your webpage and click on your special link before doing their online shopping. There is honestly nothing else to it.

Now, here is a bit more technical detail.

If a shopper goes through one of your special links on the way to that Amazing company, virtually anything he or she purchases within the next 24 hours -- or puts in their cart during that time period and then purchases from the cart within the next 89 days -- will be a "qualifying purchase." We will give you a commission on each of those sales.

From the "qualifying purchases," "qualifying revenues" are generated. “Qualifying Revenues” means amounts that Amazing company receives from` customers’ "Qualifying Purchases," excluding shipping, handling, and gift-wrapping fees, taxes, and service charges, and less any rebates, credit card processing fees, returns, and bad debt.

From this the "advertising fees" are generated and from these qualifying revenues are we able to give you about 3% once they are paid to us. No earnings are final until payment has been made to us by that Amazing company.

Good question. Let me try to clarify.

The vast majority of products sold by that Amazing company do, in fact, qualify for an "advertising fee"; however, they have set caps on certain items like computers ($25 ), and they exclude a small number of other product categories. (Subject to change: see that list here.)

As a result, we simply cannot say that earnings would come from EVERY product sold through your links because that might not be true.

Also, we cannot specify that we can give you 3% of total sales because, that too might not be exactly true. What we are able to give you from sales through your links actually depends on the number and types (or categories) of products which earn "qualifying revenues" from "qualifying sales." (see the FAQ item "How does this work?")

What we can guarantee is that will give you about 3% on all eligible sales. In fact, our goal will be to give you a minimum of 3%, but because of the way earnings are calculated it is possible that the "advertising fees" earned through your links will be less.

Anything less than 3% will likely be a very unusual case and will be accompanied by a full explanation, including reports showing all transactions that have been generated through your links in the affected time period.

Of course, you will get these reports quarterly (or upon request) anyway.

The content of your page may change from time to time, but it will always contain your special link on any and every sales link from that page. Also, your special link will be prominently placed on the page.  At this time, we expect to include basic contact information about your school/group and (appropriate) advertisements of any specials being run by that Amazing company. Your page will also include the required disclosure statement that you see at the bottom of this page.

We will never include any advertisements for any other company. It will truly be a simple sales page to help you generate commissions by alerting your community of specials and discounts being offered by that Amazing company.

Due to the ability for people to return purchases, "advertising fees" (as they call them) on sales are not final until 60 days after a purchase is made. Therefore, the earnings we give you run about three months in arrears: 60 days for returns and the remaining time for the next pay period to arrive.

As a result, our policy is to provide quarterly reports. We will send you quarterly contributions once we have received payment for all qualifying purchases made through your special links.

Note: Any advertising fees generated through your links are not considered final until actually paid to us by that Amazing company.

Schools/groups that can provide us with email addresses for members of their community will see the biggest benefit and largest revenues. If you can provide us with that information, we will regularly --  but not obnoxiously -- reach out to your community members to remind them of your webpage and the offers that exist there. Most people will be willing to shop via your page, but they will simply forget over time. We will send them monthly reminders and occasional notifications of specials being run, nothing too obtrusive. You have our promise that we will never sell your list or use that information for any purpose other than to increase traffic to your webpage, nowhere else. See our privacy policy for more information.

Really, the only thing you have to do for this entire fundraiser is encourage people in your community to visit your webpage. The focus needs to be on getting people to visit the page. That's it. Use whatever means you have available: emails, letters home, post a link to your page on your school's website, phone messages home, social media postings, newspaper press releases -- whatever means you have of communicating to your community, you should use and use often. People need reminders.  (Again, we are happy to help with that if you are able to provide us email addresses.)

But the bottom line is that you want to focus attention on the webpage we create for you and remember to follow any and all restrictions we all have to follow when communicating with your school community. (See FAQ: Tell me more about these rules.)

Absolutely, not only can you...you should!

That is the first thing we encourage you to do.  Then, let everyone in your community know your webpage is out there.  Send everyone the link to the webpage we create for you.

What you cannot do is add your special link itself to your school website. We wouldn't mind ourselves, actually, but it is a violation of that Amazing company's operating agreement to do so. Again, we know that seems counter-intuitive, but those are the rules we are obligated to work under. If you have not already, please read the FAQ item: "Tell me more about these rules"

Always let your focus be on bringing traffic to the page we create for you and everything else will take care of itself.

Good question.

Publix is a good example. They have their "Publix Partners" program in which "all purchases at Publix [with a few exceptions] of will help earn money for your school." They go on to say that for "every $37,500 spent cumulatively by your school's participants, Publix will award your school $250."

Well, $250 is about .0067%.  That's not a lot, but generous of Publix, nonetheless.

Compare that to our program:

If your community spends $37,500 through your special links, you should receive a check for about $1125. Not much of a comparison, is it?

Yes, we can. We can build a school-specific store for your school that we link to from your primary webpage.  You can also link directly to it from your school's website. See this example store. This store can have all the school supplies or books your teachers require for their classes or just be a general products that regularly need to be purchased for school. Contact us to find out more about this. There would be a one-time set up fee of $250, but imagine sending most of your school's sales through your own store instead of sending the business elsewhere.

If you need to end your relationship with us, send an email to both  jim@simpleschoolfundraising.com and john@simpleschoolfundraising.com. We will acknowledge your request to end the agreement and will proceed to remove your webpage from the site. Your email will mark the termination of our agreement.

We will send your payments as normally scheduled with your final payment coming about 3 months after you contact us about closing your account (remember there is a 60+ day window for returns before a purchase is final).

The day after you notify us of your need to discontinue our relationship any and all qualifying sales made through your special links from that point forward will no longer be given to you.

Similarly, if we have reason to terminate our agreement with you, you will be notified and all earnings through your special links will stop the day after notification.

To summarize in plain English, if either you or Simple School Fundraising (SSF) ends the agreement between us, you will be given all you are entitled to up through the day of notification, but any/all qualifying purchases made afterward become property of SSF.