Parents in West Seattle hardly have to lift and finger to raise money for their schools through the national fundraising program Electronic Scrip Incorporated, better known as eScrip.

While fundraisers usually conjure up images of messy car washes or traveling door-to-door to solicit your neighbors, eScrip has given families an opportunity to raise money for their school or organization by simply doing what they do everyday - shopping.

With eScrip, families register a debit card, credit card, or store rewards card. When they use it to make purchases at participating stores, like Safeway or Whole Foods, a percentage of their purchase is donated to their child's school or organization. The amount donated varies for each merchant but typically ranges from 3 percent to 17 percent.

"We saw a need for an electronic process that made it easier for schools, families and merchants involved," said Joanne Remillard, executive vice president of eScrip.

The eScrip program also has an online mall where participating families can make purchases that benefit their school. Online merchants are able to give back a higher percentage, Nordstrom donates 6 percent and Petco gives back 5.4 percent of each online purchase.

There is no fee for families to register their cards in the program, and extended family members can contribute to a child's education from anywhere in the United States.

"All people have to do is sign up. It's very transparent," said Juan Velasquez, eScrip coordinator at Our Lady of Guadalupe School. "They're giving money it just doesn't feel like it."

Since eScrip's inception in 1999 the program has raised over $200 million. There are currently more than 50,000 organizations in the program and 2.7 million families around the country.

Holy Rosary School began using the program in 2005. While they raised just $437 that first year, the school earned $8,437 in 2007.

One reason the program has been successful at Holy Rosary is that parents and students have encouraged their extended family members to register their cards to benefit the school. They have even held drives where students ask their neighbors for their Safeway Club Card numbers.

"The whole idea that we're not asking people for money, it just happens for them," said Sandra Rottler, eScrip coordinator at Holy Rosary School.

Our Lady Guadalupe has also benefited from using eScrip. The school raised $5,795 in 2007. It has used the funds to help keep tuition prices down and to provide scholarships for families in need.

Merchants can benefit from the program as much as schools and families by developing customer loyalty and brand recognition.

Safeway has been a major eScrip contributor, having donated over $30 million to schools around the country.

EScrip also benefits from the program and receives 15 percent of each donation to schools.

While some local grocers do not donate through eScrip, stores like the Morgan Street Thriftway and Admiral's Metropolitan Market will donate 1 percent of each transaction to schools if receipts are processed in a timely manner.