Businesses Contribute to Local School Programs
OpenFence.net is a community access website that delivers community contributed content in a single weekly email. The service is free for residents. Retailers promote their businesses by offering a smart coupon delivered via the weekly email. For each 6 month period retailers are asked to make a small contribution ($50 suggested) to the elementary school of their choice (100% of proceeds go to the elementary school). You can support your community, local businesses and schools with one simple step: sign up for OpenFence
FAQ
1) Can any retail business advertise a coupon?
OpenFence has final editorial oversite for any offer placed on the system. Offers made by retailers must have a specific value that the consumer will understand as valuable and desirable.
- The program is currently operating in San Leandro, Castro Valley and Oakland (coming soon to Berkeley and Alameda)
- The advertiser can direct their contribution to any elementary school.
2) What is expected of the participating school (are there costs)?
There is nothing expected of the schools.
3) How does a business contribute to a particular school?
The advertiser will make a check out directly to the school of their choice. Once a month OpenFence mails the checks to the designated schools with a cover letter encouraging the school to communicate to their community that these businesses have chosen to support the school.
4) As a school parent how can I help?
School parents can help in a number of simple but important ways;
- Support local retailers that display the OpenFence Thank you card at their cash register.
- Talk to your family and friends about OpenFence and sign them up on our Sign-up a Friend page. Remember, that you'll be introducing your friends and family to a great source of discount coupons from the area's most popular retailers
- "Clip" and use the coupons. Retailers need to know that their advertising dollars are working for them
- If you personally know retail owners ask them if they would be willing to support your school by advertising on the system.
- Help populate our calendar of local events
5) You mention "smart coupon", why smart?
Once a consumer has clipped a coupon from a particular retailer they will not be able to clip a coupon again from that retailer until a predetermined wait period has passed. The wait period between coupon clippings is chosen by the retailer and can be set to 30, 60, 90, 120 days. By disallowing repeat redemptions of coupons the retailer can make a generous offer and not worry about people taking advantage of them by trying to redeem the coupon more than one time.
6) How to best educate our school community?
We have created a PDF that lays out a few strategies focused on educating school communities. Like so many education opportunities in life they really start to stick after you've learned them a number of times. With that in mind, these education strategies succeed best by implementing them with a steady and persistent approach. Additionally, we can supply the school with a box of 500 promo cards and a small clear plastic card stand that can be place in the office area. (ask us)