A green fundraising coupon book: myGreenSpark

L.A.-area schools have a new green fundraising tool. Kids raising money can get the first green coupon book for Southern California -- dubbed myGreenSpark redemption book -- and help support green companies while fundraising for their school.

There's a coupon for everyone in myGreenSpark, which covers everything from healthful activities and gear to apparel and gifts to eco-tourism. Businesses got free listings -- so all sorts of companies, big and small, decided to throw in a coupon. As a result, the companies and products represented really run the gamut, from coupons for 10% off an Eco-Me home kit to $500 off solar pool heating from All Valley Solar.

MyGreenSpark is a whopping 570 pages long, listing 150 businesses and 270 coupons. No, not all those green businesses are local; while many green businesses are based in L.A. or Orange County, the majority of the listings are Web-based. Why? "There aren't "Green" stores in every neighborhood," says Don Caronna, one-half of the husband and wife team that created myGreenSpark, "so we ended up with half the coupons in the book being Web-based. We found that most green entrepreneurs can't afford storefronts."

Cost for the book: $30, half of which goes to the the fundraising organization. Schools can register here to get their own fundraisers going. So far, Green Ambassadors, an environmental education program of Environmental Charter High School, is using myGreenSpark to raise funds for its programs. Support it by buying the coupon book via this link.

Enviro-coupon clippers can also buy the coupon book outside of a fundraiser. At least $10 of that purchase will go to the ecoScholarship Fund, which will go toward scholarships for students pursuing environmental careers.

Not all the companies listed in myGreenSpark are all that green. Arbonne, many of whose products have parabens in them, has several coupons in the book, for example. Still, most coupons are for very green products -- and a couple are appropriate for Valentine's Day! A coupon for 15% off Organic Bouquet is in the book (note: Not all Organic Bouquet's flowers are organic, although all are VeriFlora certified), as well as a coupon for a free, $25-worth of flowers if you sign up for organic produce delivery from L.O.V.E.

In fact, myGreenSpark can serve as a green directory of sorts for green businesses. And if you want an actual green directory, you can use the coupon for $4 off the new L.A. version of Greenopia.

Image courtesy of myGreenSpark