Frequently Asked Questions
Tip Top Holiday Shop

1. WHAT IS A SCHOOL HOLIDAY SHOP FUNDRAISER?

A school holiday shop fundraiser is an in-school event where students can shop for affordable gifts for family, friends, teachers, and pets during the holiday season. Tip Top Holiday Shop supplies the gifts, displays, signage, shopping materials, and support your PTA, PTO, or school needs to run a smooth and memorable event.

2. HOW DOES TIP TOP HOLIDAY SHOP WORK?

Tip Top ships a ready-to-run holiday shop directly to your school. Your volunteers set up the shop, students shop during school hours, and your school keeps the profit from the items sold. After your event, you return any unsold items using the return shipping process provided by Tip Top.

3. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HOST A HOLIDAY SHOP?

There is no upfront cost to host a Tip Top Holiday Shop. Your school only pays for the gifts students purchase. You also choose your profit percentage, so your school can raise funds while keeping prices affordable for students and families.  Tip Top also covers all processing fees which include credit, debit, and ACH. There are no hidden costs passed to your school.

4. WHAT TYPES OF GIFTS ARE INCLUDED?

Our holiday shops include a wide variety of affordable gifts for students to buy for parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, teachers, and pets. Items may include toys, ornaments, jewelry, accessories, keepsakes, novelty gifts, and other student-friendly options. Prices typically range from $1 to $18 so more students can participate.

5. DO YOU OFFER FREE SHIPPING AND RETURNS?

Yes. Tip Top provides free shipping to your school and free return shipping for unsold items using the return process included with your shop.

6. HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD WE BOOK?

We recommend reserving your holiday shop as early as possible so your school can secure preferred dates, especially for late November and December. Many schools book months ahead of the holiday season.

7. DO YOU PROVIDE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS?

Yes. Tip Top provides promotional materials to help your school share the event with families. Materials may include flyers, posters, digital graphics, and other resources your PTA, PTO, or school can use in newsletters, social media, and school communication.

8. HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS WILL WE NEED?

Most schools find that 3 to 5 volunteers per shift works well. Volunteers usually help students choose gifts, manage checkout, restock displays, and keep the shop organized.

9. WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE DURING OUR EVENT?

Your school will have a Tip Top Holiday Shop contact available to help before, during, and after your shop. We are here to answer questions, help with planning, and support your volunteers throughout the process.

10. WHAT IS THE VOLUNTEER VAULT?

The Volunteer Vault is Tip Top Holiday Shop’s post-season rewards program for schools that complete a Tip Top Holiday Shop. After your shop ends and closeout is complete, your school earns Bars that can be used to select rewards from the Volunteer Vault.

11. WHAT ARE BARS?

Bars are the Volunteer Vault currency your school earns after your holiday shop season ends. Bars are used to select rewards from the Volunteer Vault during the open window.

12. HOW DOES OUR SCHOOL EARN BARS?

Your school earns Bars based on total shop sales. Every dollar sold during your Tip Top Holiday Shop helps your school earn Bars for the Volunteer Vault.

13. ARE BARS BASED ON OUR PROFIT PERCENTAGE?

No. Bars are based on total shop sales, not your profit percentage and not invoiced totals. This helps support schools that choose a lower profit percentage to keep prices more affordable for students and families.

14. CAN OUR SCHOOL STILL EARN BARS IF WE CHOOSE 0% OR 10% PROFIT?

Yes. Affordability matters. Many schools choose to lower their profit percentage so prices stay low for students and families. The Volunteer Vault is designed to support those schools too. You earn Bars from total shop sales, so you can keep prices lower and still earn rewards that support your volunteer team and your school community.

15. WHEN CAN OUR SCHOOL USE BARS?

The Volunteer Vault is open May 1 - June 1 each year. Once your shop season is complete and closeout has been approved, Tip Top will confirm your Bars total and your school can select rewards during the Vault open window.

16. DO BARS EXPIRE?

Bars can carry over from year to year if they are not used, or if only part of the total is used. Bars can be redeemed during the Volunteer Vault open window as long as your school stays active. Host a Tip Top Holiday Shop each season and every Bar carries over, year after year. If your school skips a season, the Vault resets and banked Bars are forfeited.

17. WHAT KINDS OF REWARDS ARE IN THE VOLUNTEER VAULT?

Volunteer Vault rewards may include useful items for schools, volunteers, teachers, students, and school community events. Examples may include coffee makers, popcorn machines, utility wagons, projectors, classroom tools, event items, and other school-friendly rewards. Items may vary by season, availability, and Bars earned.

18. WHO CHOOSES THE VOLUNTEER VAULT REWARD?

Vault selections should be submitted by an authorized school representative, such as the PTA or PTO president, treasurer, holiday shop chair, or designated school contact.

19. CAN BARS BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER SCHOOL?

No. Bars are earned by the school that completes the Tip Top Holiday Shop and cannot be transferred to another school.

20. WHAT HAPPENS IF A VOLUNTEER VAULT ITEM IS UNAVAILABLE?

Vault items may vary by season and availability. If a selected item is unavailable, Tip Top may offer a comparable replacement or help your school choose another available reward.

21. HOW DO WE SIGN UP FOR TIP TOP HOLIDAY SHOP?

Fill out our sign-up or contact form with your school name, district name, contact information, and preferred holiday shop timeframe. A Tip Top Holiday Shop team member will follow up with details and next steps.