Benefiting from the Net

Angelique Flores

HUNTINGTON BEACH--Two private schools have found fund-raising

profitable on the Internet, thanks to a Web site that works with

e-businesses to donate about 20% of the money it receives for online

purchases.

Huntington Christian and Pegasus schools have each received several

hundred of dollars from o7 SchoolCash.comf7 , a Web site that lists

more than 200 merchants, including Amazon.com and Land’s End.

“So many participate, but only 120 schools receive $250 or more,” said

Elia Esposito, spokeswoman for the site, which has about 7,000 member

schools.

Shoppers use the site to make their purchases online, and about

one-fifth of the purchase price goes to the school of their choice--in

the form of a cash rebate distributed at the end of each semester.

Huntington Christian received $623 for the just-ended school year. The

campus will use the money to start an endowment fund that would help pay

for school projects.

These projects could include anything from computers and play

equipment to scholarships, said Sandi Woest, the school’s bookkeeper.

“It enables us to gain funds from things that people would normally

order. People would be spending the money anyway,” Woest said.

Pegasus School received $394 this year. Officials plan to use the

money to help build a multipurpose activity center, with a theater and

gymnasium, and renovate playgrounds, said Laura Hathaway, the school’s

director.

“This is a unique program, and we’re beginning to see more of it,”

Hathaway said.

Pegasus participates in two other online fund-raising programs: o7

shop2give.comf7 and o7 schoolpop.comf7 . But Hathaway said it has

found o7 SchoolCash.comf7 to be the most profitable.

“It’s an easy way [for people] to help the school that doesn’t cost

them anything,” Hathaway said. “This is free money which we would’ve

never had.”

Merchants participating in the site include Avon, etoys.com, JCPenney,

Lands’ End, L.L. Bean, pets.com, Sharper Image, Starbucks, Tower Records

and ToysRUs.

The o7 SchoolCash.comf7 program, which started in July 1999, is

open to all schools, public and private. Almost every school in the U.S.

is listed in its database.

FYI:

To participate in the Internet fund-raising program, each school must

officially activate its account by calling (800) 688-6252 or filling out

the o7 SchoolCash.comf7 registration form.