As we reported just over a month ago, the Folkestone Invicta Supporters Club was accepted to the Easyfundraising programme.  The purpose of this venture is to raise much needed funds for the Football Club and to keep local football in Folkestone, albeit in the Ryman League, or with the Youth or Disability teams, which are equally important to the local community.

Easyfundraising is such an easy way for supporters, their friends, family and anyone who cares about local football and Folkestone Invicta to raise money. To date we have over 20 people who have signed up to the scheme and have raised nearly £50 for the club so far.

For all of you who shop online, for your household goods, CD's, Dvd's, Books, the following questions and answers will hopefully be of help.

So How do I help the Club?

Its easy! By signing up at http://easyfundraising.org.uk/ fifc

How long does it take?

To register only takes a minute, and no more, just make sure that you choose Folkestone Invicta Football club as your chosen organisation to support.

Does it cost me anything?

No, nothing its free to sign up, and if you already shop online then why not help Folkestone Invicta at not extra cost from purchases you would make anyway?

How does it work?

By logging in to your easyfundraising using your username and password the the system recognises who you are and the fact that you are supporting Folkestone Invicta

Once you have logged in click on the retailer of your choice and shop as you normally would. For each purchase that you make you will generate a ‘ cashback donation' to the Club.

Great give me an example of how it works…

Well for example if shopped online at WH Smith and spent £25, they will donate 3.5% to the club, you will have raise £0.88 at no extra cost to your purchase. If you shop with Amazon, then a donation of 2.5% on the amount you spend is made and so on.

So why do these companies do this?

Well if you buy online then you will already know that prices can be lower than of those in the shops. Retailers overheads are lower, no shop, no sales people etc. Instead retailers are happy to make a donation to good causes like Folkestone Invicta Football Club.

Can I save money?

By using the Easyfundraising website retailers give exclusive ‘internet only' vouchers, special offers and e-vouchers, which are exclusive to the site.

My partner and friends want to sign up too, can they?

Yes the programme is open to anyone, so if your partner or friends want to support the club then by using our unique web address when signing up, then they can also help the club.

Also if you are responsible at work for ordering office supplies or flights or know some one that would be happy to support the club for example then there is a large business services section and funds are earned in the same way by logging as described before.

I have a friend who wants to use easyfundraising for another organisation can the Club earn money for recommending them?

Yes there is a referral scheme in place, if you know of another organisation that needs to raise funds, then by referring them via the clubs unique link http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/referral/24558 the club is paid a ‘lifetime' revenue share of 20% of whatever the other organisation raises. Don't worry it does not affect their totals, they would earn the same as the Club does.

So how does that work?

Well if the club refer another organisation and they raise for example £500 then Invicta would earn £100 for just referring them.

Note: This doesn't mean that you can start sending unsolicited emails, and easyfundraising or Folkestone Invicta will not tolerate this so please do not do this as the club would lose out, by having their account withdrawn from the scheme.

How long is it before my donation is confirmed?

Usually you will receive an email the same day to confirm the donation, however some retailers take longer, Amazon for example may take up to 4-5 days. However in some circumstances it can take up to 30 days.

My donation still hasn't appeared after 30 days what should I do?

If the donation does not appear after this time then contact easyfundraising, and they will investigate the matter on your behalf.

How do I check my balance?

Once you have logged on click on the amount displayed in red in the login box or simply click on ‘My Account” on the top menu bar.

I have a donation showing as reversed what does this mean?

It is likely that you have cancelled your order or rejected it, and the retailer has therefore reversed the donation.

I already have an account with a retailer, is that OK?

If you already have an account with ebay or amazon for example, then its not a problem as long as you access the site via the links on the easyfundraising site.

How does the retailer know who to pay?

Every one that registers is given a unique ID number, so when you access and visit the retailer it tells them you are supporting Folkestone Invicta and that your transaction are to be rewarded.

Easysearch – The new way to surf the web

When you look for something on the web, what do you use? Google? Well by using  Easyseach you can raise further funds for the club by simply surfing the web. For each search the club gets paid 0.5p! The Easy search search engine is in partnership with Yahoo, Bing, which means you will get accurate results everytime. Make http://fifc.easysearch.org.uk/ your home page for when you log on to the net and help Folkestone Invicta raise more funds.

There is a running total on the page which shows what donations have been made for the club, this is updated weekly.

Popular retailers

The following gives you an idea of the online retailers that can be found on Easyfundraising, and how much they donate for every purchase you make. Please check the site to see the full list, there are some 600 retailers.

Each month there are special offers, please check the tab on the the website to see the current special offers.