OUR KIDS WIN! - Better Schools Through Smarter Shopping

frequently asked questions
all general security membership fundraising & rebates

General

Who is OurKidsWin!?
The OurKidsWin! program is operated by EdNets, a Massachusetts technology firm whose sole focus is to improve education by bringing advanced web technology and increased funding to schools. EdNets also provides your schools with their advanced web technologies (web sites) at no out-of-pocket cost to the schools. The schools’ technology systems from EdNets are paid for by the rebates generated by the OurKidsWin! program.

How can I earn rebates for my schools?
By shopping at any of over 600 OurKidsWin! Participating Merchants you earn rebates that benefit your children’s schools/district. There are two ways to earn rebates:

Shop Online: Shop onLine through your School Website using any credit, debit or gift card, and up to 30% of your purchase is rebated to your children’s school/district. Your purchase must originate through the School Website to earn the rebate (i.e. if you go directly to a retailer’s web site, your purchase can not earn a rebate because there is no way to attribute it to you and your chosen schools.)
Shop In-Store: Register your credit/debit cards in your secure OurKidsWin! profile. Then shop at local participating stores and restaurants using a "registered card" to earn rebates. Registered cards enable OurKidsWin! to automatically track and process rebates for your school/district.

What is a Participating Merchant?
A Participating Merchant is a business or service that contracts with OurKidsWin! to participate in the OurKidsWin! Program and that supports education by giving a percentage of your purchases to your children’s schools.

Where do I find a directory of Participating Merchants?
Go to your School Website and find two links on the top right hand corner of each website or click here.

Shop Online: Here you will find a directory of over 500 leading Online Retailers such as the Gap, Old Navy, Amazon, Staples, Target, Wal-Mart, BestBuy, and many more. Click any retailer’s link to do your shopping and earn rebates for your school/district. Note: You do NOT need to register a credit/debit card to earn rebates when shopping online because e-commerce technology is embedded in the web pages to account for purchases and ensure your chosen school(s) receive the rebate.
Shop In-Store: Here you can find a directory of local participating shops and restaurants right in your community. Simply purchase in-store using a "registered card" and earn rebates. OurKidsWin! representatives are adding new Participating Merchants weekly. New Participating Merchants are updated regularly on your school websites for your quick and easy reference.

What percent of my purchase becomes a rebate?
The rebate percentage varies by Participating Merchant and can be found next to each Participating Merchant’s name in the Online Mall and In-Store directory.

Security

Is it safe to register my credit or debit card with OurKidsWin!?
Yes. The information you provide (limited to card number and expiration date only) is NOT enough for anyone to make a charge. It would be like the U.S. Postal Service trying to deliver a letter with just a street number and street name, without knowing the recipient’s name, town, state, or zip code. To use your card number, someone would also need the account name, security code, billing address, and/or account password.

Even still, no one can access your card information. OurKidsWin!’s state-of-the art security systems were designed by renowned experts and use safeguards and techniques comparable to those employed by leading financial institutions. Data is transmitted to, and stored in, secure OurKidsWin! servers in encrypted format (the "s" in the https:// web address denotes a secure connection). OurKidsWin! stores card data in a physically separate location from Members’ personal data. Access to either database requires unique digital keys, which OurKidsWin! stores in a third physically separate database (and which OurKidsWin! changes regularly to maintain high security).

Why does OurKidsWin! need my credit/debit card information?
In order for your purchases to earn money for your schools, there must be a way for OurKidsWin! to identify qualifying transactions. Web purchases that originate from a school’s Online Mall do not require a "registered" card because e-commerce technology embedded in the website tracks transactions. But accounting for in-store purchases at local shops and restaurants can only be done two ways, either automatically with the simple swipe of a "registered" credit/debit card, or manually with paper forms.

When you use a "registered" credit/debit card, OurKidsWin! can identify the transaction and collect the rebate for your schools automatically and immediately without any additional effort from you or the participating business. Alternatively, you would have to

tell the business that you’re an OurKidsWin! Member
manually fill out a form
mail it and your receipt to OurKidsWin!
after which OurKidsWin! would have to invoice the business
wait for a rebate check

Membership

Does it cost anything to become an OurKidsWin! Member?
No. Not today, not in 6 months. Never.

Can anyone register? How do I register?
Yes. Parents, faculty members, extended family, friends, colleagues, neighbors; anyone can be a contributing Member to your children’s schools anywhere in the country. Members located in and around your community can earn rebates both online and at local stores and restaurants. Friends and family in other parts of the country can contribute through Online Shopping.

To register, look for the Join Now! icon (pictured to the right) on your school website or click here. Joining is FREE and EASY and 1-2-3!

Can I register multiple credit/debit cards to one Member?
Yes. You can register any Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit or debit cards.

Can I register one credit/debit card to more than one Member?
A credit or debit card can only be registered to one Member. If family members share credit or debit cards, OurKidsWin! recommends that each parent register at least one card. Regardless of who in the family uses the card, transactions will be captured and rebates will benefit your kids.

Can I add or change a credit/debit card at any time?
Yes. On the OurKidsWin! icon on the homepage of any school website, click Login Now, go to your Member Profile, and change or add credit/debit cards. You can change them at any time.

Can I switch school or district affiliation at any time?
Yes. On the OurKidsWin! icon on the homepage of any school website, click Login Now, go to your Member Profile and follow the simple instructions. A change in affiliation will be effective the first day of the month in which the change is made.

Why do I select a beneficiary school when I enroll as a Member?
Many school districts want to reward the schools based on the rebates they are generating. By selecting a beneficiary school, OurKidsWin! can furnish this data to your school district to use in the distribution of rebates.

What if I have children in more than one school in a district? Can I select more than one school to be the beneficiary school?
Yes. Simply hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard while using your mouse to select each school.

Fundraising & Rebates

Will I lose existing credit card benefits (airline miles, hotel points, etc.)?
No – you KEEP 100% of all card benefits. Card benefits are paid by the card issuer, whereas rebates to your schools are paid by the merchant. So you can enjoy BOTH your card benefits AND help improve your children’s education.

What percentage of a rebate goes to my children’s schools/district?
100% of the rebates are paid to your schools/district, part of which pays for the schools’ web technology; the remaining balance is new funding for your children’s schools/district.

How quickly will my rebates be paid to my children’s schools/district?
OurKidsWin! requires participating merchants to pay rebates due within 30 to 45 days from the last date of the month in which a transaction occurs. Rebates are then transferred to your schools/district quarterly.

Once a transaction is made where exactly does the rebate go?
All rebates are transferred to either to the school/district or the school district’s Education Foundation established for the benefit of the district.

When rebates are paid to an Education Foundation, who makes the decision on how the rebates are used?
An Education Foundation typically has a community-based Board of Directors, who make decisions about use of funds received. The details will be unique to your school/district. Any questions pertaining to the Education Foundation should be directed to your Superintendent of Schools or President of the Education Foundation.

Can I recommend businesses that I’d like to see become Participating Merchants?
Absolutely. Please feel free at any time to send an e-mail with your suggestions to merchants@ourkidswin.com.

Does Member enrollment matter?
Yes. One factor that influences whether a Merchant enrolls in the program is the number of Members. Therefore Greater Membership = More Participating Merchants = More dollars for your children’s schools.