Box Tops for Education: Give Generously Without Spending a Cent

If you are anything like me, the end of the month rolls around and you'd love to contribute money to your favorite charity, but inevitably an unexpected medical bill or unforeseen circumstance takes precedence. Here is a way to donate money to education without ever actually handing over a cent.

If you've ever paid attention to your groceries, you may have noticed a tab on the top that reads "Box Tops for Education." Did you know that for every top you tear off, the school of your choice is awarded 10 cents for funding? You don't even have to purchase special brands to make a contribution.

Inevitably, you have Betty Crocker, Green Giant, Hamburger Helper, General Mills, Cottonelle, Ziploc, Hefty, Pillsbury, Progresso, Totinos, Gold Medal Products, Old El Paso, or Kotex already in your house, which are only a handful of the participating brands.

Box Tops for Education was established in 1996 by General Mills when they first packaged their popular cereal brands like Cheerios, Total, and Lucky Charms to help service California's public school system. It should be noted that this program now extends all throughout the United States. By 1999, over $25,000,000 had been donated to schools.

In 2006 when Box Tops for Education celebrated their ten-year anniversary, over 90,000 schools had benefited from over $175,000,000 that had been raised through the program. This year, 2007, Box Tops for Education has been credited with donating over $200,000,000 since it was launched just eleven years ago.

To help support this incredible cause, take a look at your groceries next time as you are unloading. To help remind me, I keep a Ziploc hooked to my refrigerator and tear off the lids before I recycle the boxes. As my Ziplocs fill, I bring the bag to an area school that participates in the program. You can find participating schools by going to the Box Tops for Education website.

If your school does not participate, I strongly encourage you to suggest your school get involved. All accredited schools, public or private, K-8 in the United States are eligible. United States military schools and home school organizations with more than 15 members are also eligible to participate in this program.

By donating Box Tops to an area school, or mailing them in, the schools Box Top Volunteer will mail the collected Box Tops in periodically to the organization. Twice a year, Box Tops for Education will send your school a check, which can be used for anything ranging from computers, books, to new playground equipment. Each school can earn up to $60,000 per year

In addition to clipping Box Tops, this organization has partnered with over 60 online retailers that have agreed to help support this noble cause. Stores like Old Navy, JC Penny, HSN, Sears, Sharper Image, Avon, Babygap, Barnes and Noble, Staples, Target, and many others donate anywhere from 1% to 30% of your purchase to the school of your choice. To use the online feature, you must start at the Box Tops Marketplace in order for your school to be credited for your purchase.

A third way you can help support this noble cause is by using the Box Tops for Education book club. Participating schools will send order forms home with kids periodically of popular children's stories. For each dollar spent, Box Tops for Education will give the equivalent of one Box Top, or 10 cents for each dollar spent.

To see if your school is a participant, go to the Box Tops for Education website. Not only can you print off the extensive list of participating products and peruse the online stores that will donate a portion of your spending to charity, but you can also look up family oriented stories and tasty recipes of participating products.

I was first introduced to this incredible program because my mother is a teacher. After moving away from home, I simply forgot about Box Tops until one day I happened to see it as I threw away a box of popcorn. In one week, I collected 5 Box Tops off products I already had in my pantry!

Child or no child, find a school that will benefit from your contribution, and take 5 minutes to send in or drop off your Box Tops. This is a good way to give something that will cost you nothing more than you have already spent!