Photo via fashionfairmall.com | Shoppers at Fashion Fair Mall in Fresno this summer have an opportunity to support local schools for the upcoming year in the School Cents program.
Fashion Fair Mall is reviving a school fundraising initiative that could provide thousands of dollars to local schools while promoting community engagement for the 2026-27 school year.
Fashion Fair Mall has launched its School Cents program, allowing participating schools to earn between $500 and $4,000 based on purchases made by families, staff and supporters during the 2026-27 school year.
Applications closed June 5, and only 10 schools will be selected.
Brian Malony, senior marketing manager at Fashion Fair, said the program is part of a broader effort by the mall and parent company Macerich to strengthen ties with surrounding communities.
“This is actually a company-wide effort for us to invest more into our community outreach and get more connected with the families and neighboring areas around us,” Malony said.
Fashion Fair previously operated a similar program, although it ended in 2013. Malony said they had been looking for ways to bring it back as part of its focus on community engagement.
“We’ve been looking forward to getting it back over the last several years,” Malony said.
It is available to all schools in the surrounding Fresno area, including Kerman, Clovis, Selma and more.
The program will officially launch in August and run through March 31, 2027. Participating schools will earn points based on spending at Fashion Fair retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues. Schools with the highest point totals will receive the largest donations, with first place earning $4,000..
A new School Cents mobile app will track receipts and automatically assign points to participating schools. Malony said the app-based system is designed to streamline administration compared to the latest version of the program, which relied on manually collected receipts.
“The school that participates the most and really engages with us the most will receive more points and would theoretically win the competition and receive that first-place prize of $4,000,” he said.
In addition to earning points with purchases, schools will have an opportunity to earn bonus points during special promotions that feature select retailers or mall events.
All participating schools must assign a School Cents coordinator, who can be a staff member, PTA representative or volunteer parent. The coordinator will serve as the main liaison between the school and Fashion Fair, helping communicate updates and encourage participation among families.
While receipt transactions will be mainly handled through the app, Malony said the coordinators can help families who are unable to upload receipts themselves.
Fashion Fair officials say they hope the program becomes a long-term community partnership.
“We’d like to get the momentum moving and keep it going for years to come,” Malony said. “The most difficult point of this is getting it rolling in the first year.”
Malony said the program requires schools to designate a coordinator but otherwise offers a straightforward way to raise money for student programs and activities.
“It’s a fun, engaging way to give back to the community,” he said.