Enrichment FAQ

The K.L. Carver Enrichment Fund is a non-profit corporation dedicated to providing financial support to Carver school through the sale of paper Scrip or participation in eScrip. Set forth below are some frequently asked questions ("FAQs") and answers about the K.L. Carver Enrichment Fund ("Enrichment Fund").

A: Yes. It is non-profit corporation that has qualified for and received tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3).

A: It began in 1985.

A: The entire proceeds of the Scrip sales are used to support specific projects at Carver.

A: Yes. The Enrichment Fund was originally started as a separate tax-exempt IRS Section 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation because at that time PTAs were not allowed to sell Scrip as a fundraiser. It has continued as an increasingly successful fundraising organization whose sole purpose is selling Scrip and donating the proceeds to Carver school.

A: The Enrichment Fund (a) runs the day-to-day Scrip sales operation, (b) promotes the purchase of Scrip to benefit our school, (c) educates the Carver community on how our program works, and (d) provides needed funds to specific projects that directly benefit Carver school.

A: The Enrichment Fund purchases cash gift certificates (called "Scrip") at a 2-10% discount from participating retail merchants and then sells the Scrip to the Carver community at face value. The purchaser of the Scrip gets their full money's worth, while the Enrichment Fund gets the discount from the retail merchant.

A: Participants register their grocery/credit/debit cards for eScrip participation, then an average of 2-5% of purchases made at a registered eScrip retailer is donated to the Enrichment Fund by the retail merchants through the eScrip program.

A: No. This is a completely optional program and participation is voluntary. Many families do participate, and the better we run the Scrip program, the easier it is for families to purchase Scrip.

A: The Enrichment Fund is governed by a Board of Directors. The Directors are elected annually and are chosen from the Carver community. The Board of Directors elects the Officers. The Officers are comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Asst. Treasurer Bookkeeping, Asst. Treasurer Pre-orders, Promotion Coordinator, and Sales Coordinator. The Directors and Officers serve for a one-year term.

A: The Enrichment Fund is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors. In addition to the Carver School Parent Board members, the Principal is a voting member of the Enrichment Fund Board. The PTA President is invited to attend meetings (as a non-voting participant).

A: All are volunteers. We utilize a "working board" team approach to reduce volunteer hour burden, and create meaningful, yet manageable jobs.

A: No. The Enrichment Fund is a separate non-profit corporation from the PTA. In the event that the PTA were to incur certain legal liabilities, the Enrichment Fund, as a separate non-profit would be insulated from that liability. The same is also true if the Enrichment Fund were to incur certain liabilities.

A: Decisions on how raised funds are spent require the input of the Carver community, its teachers, and parents. Historically, all raised funds are discussed for allocation based on the prioritized needs of the school that are developed in the PTA Special Projects Committee meeting, which is held in the spring. The PTA Treasurer heads up the Special Projects Committee, and the Enrichment Fund President sits as a non-voting member on this Committee. The Enrichment Fund President brings the identified needs back to the Enrichment Fund Board, who then votes to commit Enrichment Fund Monies. Funding needs can be discussed and reviewed at other times during the year, as well.

A: During the past 25 years, the Enrichment Fund has provided the following to Carver School