STILL NOT SURE?
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Program
What is Back Our Team?
Back Our Team is a travel-based fundraising program powered by Guest Smiles. Instead of selling products or asking for donations, your community books travel they're already planning — and a portion of every booking comes back to support your team. No extra cost to the traveler, no products to sell, no cash to collect.
How does the school actually make money from this?
When someone books travel through your team's branded link or promo code, Guest Smiles earns a commission from the hotel or property. Guest Smiles then shares 50% of those commissions directly with your school. The traveler pays nothing extra — the commission comes from the supplier side of the booking, just like it does on any major travel site.
Is this a legitimate program? How do I know this is real?
Yes. Back Our Team is powered by Guest Smiles, an established online booking platform offering hotels and short-term rentals. The program operates like any affiliate travel model — the same type used by major credit card rewards programs, corporate travel desks, and travel agencies. Your school receives a tracking dashboard and quarterly payout reports.
Does our school have to pay anything to participate?
No. There is no cost to join or participate. Back Our Team provides campaign setup, a branded booking page for your school, digital marketing assets, and a dedicated Partner Success Manager — all at no charge to the school or athletic department.
Booking & Travel
What kinds of travel can be booked through this program?
Both hotels and short-term rentals are available. The hotel inventory includes every property available on Priceline.com — one of the largest hotel booking platforms in the world — so your community has access to a massive selection of properties across the country and internationally. Short-term rentals (vacation homes, cabins, beach houses, etc.) are also bookable through Guest Smiles.
Are the prices the same as booking directly with the hotel or on another site?
Yes. The prices available through Guest Smiles are the same as booking directly with the hotel or through other major travel sites. You are not paying a premium to support the team — your trip costs exactly what it would cost anywhere else, and the team still benefits.
Can I use this for business travel, not just personal vacations?
Absolutely. Business travel is actually one of the highest-earning categories for the program. If parents, family members, or community supporters travel for work, booking through the team link means every business trip supports the school. The $5,000 Playbook shows that just two regular business travelers can generate $2,000–$2,500 for your team in a single school year.
Can grandparents and extended family participate even if they don't live locally?
Yes — and this is one of the biggest advantages of the program. Because booking happens online through a shared link, anyone anywhere in the country can use the team's promo code. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, alumni, and community supporters all qualify. The link works from any device, any location.
Does the traveler need to create an account to book?
No account is required to book travel through your team's branded page. The booking process is straightforward and designed to be as simple as using any other travel site.
Hotel Points & Rewards
Will I still earn hotel loyalty points when I book through Guest Smiles?
Points are available, but they are not awarded automatically. If you want to earn loyalty points for your stay, you will need to visit the hotel's front desk upon check-in and request that your stay be credited to your loyalty account. Simply provide your loyalty program number to the front desk agent. This is a standard process for third-party bookings and the hotel can apply the points manually.
Does booking through Guest Smiles affect my loyalty status or membership?
Your loyalty membership and status are not affected by how you book. You remain a member of the hotel's program regardless. The only step you need to take is requesting the points at the front desk — they will not post automatically to your account.
Funds & Payouts
How much money can our team realistically raise?
The $5,000 Playbook outlines a realistic path to $5,000 per school year with a relatively small network. That includes just 2 business travelers, 6 families booking personal vacations and weekend getaways, and 3 sets of grandparents booking travel. The more your community shares and uses the link, the more the total grows. There is no cap on earnings.
When does the school receive the money?
Back Our Team sends funds to the school on a quarterly basis. A detailed report is provided showing the total travel booked per team code so your school's accountant can track and reconcile the income. Funds are distributed through the school's existing accounting process.
Who receives and manages the funds at the school?
The school's accountant or designated financial administrator receives and distributes the funds. Back Our Team provides the payout and a corresponding report — how the funds are allocated internally (to a specific team, booster club, or athletic department) is determined by your school.
Is there a minimum booking amount or threshold before the school earns anything?
No minimum threshold. Every completed booking through your team's link or promo code contributes to your school's earnings, and those earnings accumulate and are paid out quarterly.
Participation & Promotion
What does the school or coach actually have to do?
The main responsibilities are launching the program with your families and students, sharing the team's promo code and branded link consistently through official school channels, and encouraging ongoing participation throughout the year — especially before major travel windows like holidays, spring break, and summer. Back Our Team handles the setup, tracking, and payouts. The school's role is promotion, not administration.
How do we share the program with our community?
Back Our Team provides a full set of school-branded digital marketing assets and communication scripts. These can be shared through social media, team meetings, school events, scoreboard displays, and parent communication apps like Remind or GroupMe. The program is 100% digital — no in-person selling, no door-to-door efforts, and no event management required.
What if our team already has other fundraisers running? Will this compete with them?
Back Our Team is designed to complement existing fundraisers, not compete with them. Because it is based on travel families are already booking — not asking for donations or selling products — it does not create donor fatigue or overlap with local business sponsorships. It runs passively in the background alongside whatever your current fundraising calendar looks like.
What happens if someone books travel but then cancels their trip?
Commissions are based on completed, non-refunded bookings. If a booking is cancelled and refunded, the commission associated with that booking would not count toward the school's earnings. Standard travel booking and cancellation policies apply.
Book It Forward
You're Already Traveling—Now It Helps Our Teams
From family vacations to work trips, your booking supports Smyrna High School's athletes and programs at no extra cost to you or your family.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD
Know Someone Planning a Trip?
Share this page with grandparents, friends, and alumni.
When they book travel, they help support Smyrna High School — no matter where they live.
Back Our Team is a Travel That Gives Back platform Powered by Guest Smiles
Back Our Team is built on the Guest Smiles travel platform, providing secure bookings, trusted travel partners, and transparent tracking from every reservation. The same technology used to power professional vacation rental and travel experiences ensures that every trip is handled reliably, and every contribution back to the team is accounted for clearly. This isn’t a fundraiser add-on—it’s a proven travel platform designed to make supporting your school simple, safe, and dependable.
SUPPORT THE BULLDOGS!
© Copyright 2026 GuestSmiles-All rights reserved.