Popcorn Fundraising

Please follow links or listed contacts for more information. 
What: Help raise money for the Pack! Sell Popcorn!
When: Fall Campaign: October thru December 31, 2020
Where: Your neighborhood, your Scouts' Trails End Online Store
Contact: Matthew Anderson, Popcorn Kernel - popcorn@pack-275.com (202-277-5077)

IMPORTANT NOTE - there is A LOT of info here, please, please read it all! 

Key Documents/Links
Popcorn sales are an excellent opportunity for your scout to gain self-confidence, learn about sales, and help the Pack! We are also promoting a donation page alternative in case people wish to support scouts but not buy popcorn.

Pack 275 finances our activities through two main forms of funding: the Annual Registration Fee and Trails End Popcorn Sales. The annual registration fee is spent primarily on Scouts BSA annual re-chartering (~ $5000) while Popcorn sale commissions subsidize a number of our Pack activities, such as:
  • Pinewood Derby
  • Blue and Gold Banquet
  • Campouts
  • Barbecues
  • Uniforms, shirts badges, etc.

How Popcorn Sales Will Work (This Year)
We are doing contactless, on-line sales ONLY this year. Trails End helps scouts set up their Online Popcorn Store that handles ALL popcorn selection, sales AND delivery to the buyers desired address.  See our step-by-step guide further below for details.

Selling (thru December 31st)
Scouts will get an invite to set-up their online store (or update it if they made last year) then they just share the link to the site with their Trails End Scout ID and get the credit for any sales made it!  Note: We have a contactless door-to-door flyer promotional flyer option families can use if they are comfortable with it. (see details below)

This years campaign ends December 31st, Trails End will close online stores on that date. 

Delivery
Trails End handles ALL popcorn delivery of online sales. Shipping is free for all sales over $30 and begins as soon as orders are submitted. Delivery within 7-10 business days are typical but not guaranteed.

Commissions
We get the following for all popcorn sold by our scouts:
  • 31% Base Commission
  • 2% if our Popcorn Kernel attends a training seminar (we usually do!)
  • 1% or more for growth over previous year sale (depends on growth)

Scout Incentives
Scouts can earn Amazon Gift Cards sales rewards with values based on their total popcorn sales. This year the Pack is matching that promotion with any donations also made with the Scouts ID during the fundraising campaign. (see details below)

One More Thing!
Our Pack also has one more perk: The highest selling scout in each Den gets to throw a Pie in the Face of the Pack leader of their choice during a pack meeting!!  (live and on-line  - aligned to safety guidelines)    

The 2020 Popcorn & Donation Drive Guide
Key Date: The Sales and Donation period ends on 12/31/20

Step 1 - Setup!
  • Accept the invitation sent by the Popcorn Kernel to the Trails End website to get a “Scout ID” number and setup your store. This is the code that buyers will use to give the scout “credit’ for the online popcorn sales and direct donations. The amount of Amazon gift card prize dollars are listed on this Trails End Prize Sheet.
  • NOTE: Scouts who created online stores last year may only need to update their online store/profile info. 
Step 2 - Share and Pitch!
  • Scouts provide relatives and friends with their Scout ID, Trails-end.com link, and instructions to make their purchases. All sales over $30 have no shipping costs.
  • Scouts should share the the link and ID as often and to as many people as they can. The more you share, the better the sales potential!
Step 3 - Sales Expectations (Door-to-Door Flyer option)
  • If the family is comfortable with safety guidelines - each scout is expected to deliver at at least one hundred  Popcorn Fundraiser Flyers (provided by the Pack) promoting the fundraiser and their Popcorn store to the doors of their neighbors of choice. The flyers have a space to left and right sides  for the scout to place an included label with their Scout ID. This way they can get Amazon gift card points for sales and donations that result.

To Get and Distribute Flyers
  • Step A – Stake your flyer territory!
    SIGNUP HERE in the  Flyer Delivery Log to enter street(s) and house numbers scouts plan to deliver flyers in their neighborhood.
  • Step B – Pickup Flyers 
    Wait for Popcorn Kernels confirmation email instructions to pickup the flyers and Scout ID labels you signed up for. (a contact-less porch pickup bag of flyers, Scout ID labels,  and roll of blue painters tape to hang flyers on door-knobs)
  • Step C – Label, Fold and Deliver!
    • Label: ​Scouts will place two Scout ID labels on each flyer - 1st one on the left for online sales, 2nd on the right for direct donations.
    • Fold: Then fold the flyer in thirds - with the top third showing the Pack 275 and Cub Scout Banner graphics.
    • Deliver: Scouts then can hang a flyer on the front door of each house using strips of the blue painters tape so they don't have to touch door handles or knobs. (ALL Scouts should wear uniform, masks and consider gloves or sanitize hands regularly) 
Step 4 – Check your Fundraiser Standing
Scouts can CHECK HERE to see how their Sales and Donations are doing until ....

The Campaign Ends
A final tally will be assessed in January at a Pack meeting and the top selling scouts will be recognized. Each scout will received two Amazon Gift cards. One will for Online Popcorn Sales and the other for Direct Donations.

Miscellaneous: Trails End App & Sales Support
There is now a Trails End Mobile App that can help Scouts (and you) track their popcorn sales (in normal times, also help them sell, deliver and even take credit cards payments - with no fees! -when scouts sell door to door).

Questions or problems?
Please, contact our Popcorn Kernel if you have any questions or haven't received needed info by our October Pack meeting so your Scout can start selling as soon as possible!​
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Contact: Matthew Anderson, Popcorn Kernel - popcorn@pack-275.com (202-277-5077)