Click the play button above to watch the video
Quick Links: Raise Funds | The iplug Concept | Transferable Plug Points | Potential Returns | What's the downside? | Signing up
iplug offers a really simple, no-fuss method for schools to raise funds
No outlay is required, no personnel time necessary (apart from a couple of minutes to sign up) and there is literally no downside
Just add your name to the list of schools already registered as Plug Points Recipients and inform your parents/caregivers of your actions
Use iplug to raise general funds or to fundraise for a specific project
Either the school as a whole entity can join, or a specific allied branch – such as a sports team or a language class – or both if you wish
The potential for funding is huge, without any necessary input from the school authorities
Raise Funds
It almost seems too good to be true. With iplug you can raise funds for your school...
...without having to do anything!
No sausage sizzles, no raffle tickets or chocolate to sell, no begging for volunteers.
No serious administration load either!
And the money comes with absolutely NO STRINGS!
Spend it on whatever you want!
Imagine a steady source of cash for general funds, projects, sports equipment, class trips... anything.
The iplug Concept
How can we do this?
The true potential of iplug, and what it means for New Zealanders in general and schools in particular, is best explained by looking at the concept. This is laid out in more detail elsewhere (here) but for the elevator presentation on what iplug is all about, here it is;
New Zealanders give feedback (Plugs) to the businesses they use
iplug presents businesses back to New Zealanders ranked by the Plugs they've received (their Plug Rating)
Potential customers see a business' Plugs and their Plug Rating before choosing to use them
To encourage Plugging (giving feedback), iplug awards the Plugger one Plug Point for every Plug made
Plug Points are worth at least 25 cents and can be up to a dollar if redeemed for goods
Plug Points are transferable – to other Pluggers or to schools (or charities)
Your school can sign up as a Plug Point Recipient and collect Plug Points from your parents/caregivers and supporters
Plug Points can be redeemed for cash (for schools one Plug Point = 50 cents)
Transferable Plug Points
The key to your school's involvement in iplug is the fact that unlike almost every other Rewards scheme in the country, iplug Plug Points are TRANSFERABLE.
That means that anyone who earns Plug Points is free to GIFT them to any other Plugger...
...or they can Gift them to a school or charity.
Which is where you come in.
Who qualifies to receive funds from iplug?
Ostensibly anyone can receive cash from iplug. A Plugger can redeem 100 Plug Points for $25 cash whenever they like.
But schools (and charities) can redeem Plug Points in any quantity (not limited to multiples of 100) and will receive 50 cents a Plug Point. That means 100 Plug Points are worth $50.
Any educational body can be classed as a 'School' on iplug. These include private daycare institutions, kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, polytechnics, universities and apprentice training organisations.
If you want to sign up as a school (Plug Point Recipient), but are not sure of your status, you can contact us here.
Asking for Plug Points
Once you have signed up as a Plug Points Recipient, simply advise your students, parents and caregivers of this fact through the medium of your newsletter. Then ask them for Plug Points.
You can do this for a specific project, a singular cause or just for general funds.
Case Study:
If your school has 500 students, the chances are that you have a conservative catchment of at least 1000 adults (parents, guardians, caregivers, adult siblings, grandparents etc.)
If you put a paragraph or two in your newsletter asking for Plug Points anything could happen.
If all 1000 potetial supporters signed up and made ONE plug in the next month (or if half of them made TWO, or a Quarter of them made ONE per week) and they GIFTED those Plugs to your school, then you have just earned $500.
Multiple Projects
There's no reason why a school cannot have more than one Plug Points Recipient registration with iplug.
Each registration (account) requires a separate email address, but if different people are in charge of the individual projects, that's not generally an issue.
For example, if the school had a general registration set up (SMITH_STREET_HIGH), and a language class wished to raise funds for an overseas trip, the teacher or fundraising coordinator of that class could register a separate Plug Point Recipient account under the name of the class (SMITH_STREET_JAPANESE_TRIP).
The trip organisers can now ask the parents and supporters of the students to 'Please Plug for us?'
The same school could then have an account for the Netball A team, another for the First XV and maybe even one for an appeal for a student injured at sport.
The main thing is that the supporters know who they are supporting, and how they can do it (we take care of this second).
PLEASE NOTE
A business DOES NOT have to be listed on iplug before your supporters can Plug it.
ANY business can receive a Plug – if it's not currently listed, they can make an Orphan Plug. Click here for more on Orphans
Potential returns
A typical New Zealander, in the course of their daily routine, will interact with anywhere between 10 and 50 businesses a week. Bearing in mind that not all businesses will deserve a Plug, and that a Plugger cannot Plug the same business more often than once a month, it's not unreasonable for a Plugger to sit down once a week and make at least 5 Plugs.
This would take them no more than fifteen minutes online, and would earn them 5 Plug Points. Potentially they could earn 20 Plug Points a month or 240 a year.
The Plugger would then have the option of what to do with his/her Plug Points. They may choose not to give ALL of them to your school, but if a campaign were in progress that asked for Plug Points for a specific goal, you might get half of them. Who knows... you might even get them all.
If 300 committed school supporters each gave you 100 Plug Points in a calendar year, that amounts to $15,000 from iplug!
And what have you done to get this? Other than a little nagging in the newsletter, not much. And what has this cost your parents and caregivers? Nothing.
in fact, going on the above figures, these Pluggers still have 140 Plug Points left over to either give to their favourite charity, spend in the iplug Shop or turn into $25 cash for themselves! (To see the options for Pluggers, click here)
What's the downside?
We like to think there isn't any.
Sure, if we were asking you to support a specific commercial business at the expense of others, perhaps you'd baulk. Or if joining iplug meant supporting a political party or a controversial product, we could understand your reluctance to do so.
But none of that is true.
iplug is a consumer tool for New Zealanders and a means for good businesses to get ahead. There are no losers (apart from shoddy business practices or poor customer service).
We're sure you will do your due diligence to ensure that your school isn't allying itself to something that could hurt its exemplary reputation, so...
...what are you waiting for?
Signing up
To get your school's name on the database of Plug Points Recipients – and allow Pluggers to Gift their Plug Points to you – begin by clicking a Register link on any page (or here).
You will then see this;
Click the link in this box to take you to the School/Charity sign up page.
Then follow the instructions in the wizard.
Bank Account Number
iplug Plug Point funds are only deposited into a bank account. We do not send out cheques or hand out cash.
When you join you will be asked for your school's bank account number. If you're reluctant to enter that in a web page (it will be encrypted), you can send us a deposit slip or use another method to get the number to us.
You will ultimately have to furnish proof that this is your number anyway. We will contact you within 10 business days to organise the receipt of a deposit slip and/or some official documentation (letterhead etc.) that proves we are dealing with an official of your school.
Timing
As soon as you finish the sign-up procedure (three minutes?) your school will be on the database available to Pluggers. You can begin receiving Gifted Plug Points immediately.
But you will be unable to redeem your Plug Points for funding until we have verified your bank account (up to 10 business days).
If you have any questions about iplug, fundraising or your particular situation, contact us here.
For information on Plugging, the benefits of Listing Your Business, Finding a Business to use or Getting Rewards with iplug, click on one of the following links...
