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  1. #1
    happy2bamom is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Default calling all Box Top coordinators

    Just wondering what you do to make your program successful? What types of incentives, how do you encourage involvement?

    I'm also wondering what type of money your school makes. I feel like our school could do better. We have just under 1000 students (k thru 5) and we made $3500 this year. How much did your school make?

    TIA
    Kelli
    Proud mama to Biggy & Redball

  2. #2
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    I think that's pretty good. Our school has about 600 students, maybe about 350 families. We average about $550 a year. I don't offer any incentives. We just post a few times reminding people to turn in their box tops.

  3. #3
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    The coordinator this year has really dropped the ball, but last year, the class with the most collected got a pizza party.
    SAHM to Pete and Repeat my "Irish Twins" - DD 12/06 and DS 11/07

    Never argue with an idiot. He'll bring you down to his level, then beat you with experience.

  4. #4
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    rachelh is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Not a coordinator but DD's school does a pizza party or class trip for the class that brings in the most box-tops. During meet the teacher night, they give out small manila envelopes (maybe 4 x 6??) with the a sticker label of the box-tops logo and school logo on the front and two magnetic strips on the back so you can hang it on your fridge. They collect the box-tops twice a year - once before winter break and once at the end of the year. I have no idea how much they make from it but they are definitely organized about it.
    DD1 6/9/06
    DD2 3/19/10

  5. #5
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    I became coordinator a year ago, and we increased funds from about $250 to $550 for a K-4 school of about 250 students. You can compare your school to others in your district by going to www.btfe.com, click Progress, compare your school. We earn the second most of the six elementary schools in our district, but of the 15ish elementary schools in the district that surrounds us, about four earn $2,000 or more.

    What seems to work:
    1) Ziploc collection bags with a Boxtops sticker on it (use generic bags for cheaper), including putting bags in teacher mailboxes. Avery labels is a partner and has Box Tops templates, although I think I made my own.

    2) Cultivating relationships with some of the people who turn in a lot of labels. For instance, I try to make a point to personally thank the teachers who turn in a lot, or at school-wide events, I seek out the parents who turn in a lot. I wrote personal thank you notes in the fall to everyone who turned Box Tops (it was supposed to be only the ones who turned in over 50, but then I thought leaving anyone out would be counter productive. I don't know how effective this was, but two or three people raved about getting the handwritten notes, so I might consider doing it again only the fall, to build the relationship for the year.)

    3) School-wide announcement of class that turns in the most. Kids do seem to like hearing their class named.

    4) Pizza party for class that turns in the most Box Tops and for class with highest percent participation (highest % of the class turning in Box tops, regardless of number). I got half of the pizzas donated (by one of those families I cultivated a relationship with), because the overhead costs of the program can become high when such a low amount is being earned. I think the participation incentive is important, since very few families turn in Box Tops, but some teachers "cheat" by filling out sheets with 2-10 Box Tops for each student in the class. It kind of defeats the purpose of providing motivation for kids to start participating who currently are not.

    The person who was the organizer before me gave a class pizza prize and an individual prize. For ever 10 Box tops a child turned in, she put that child's name once in a jar and then pulled a name. That child won like a $10 Toys r Us gift certificate. I stopped doing that because I wanted to push the participation angle; not sure which approach has been better.

    But, I will tell you the hidden secret of the Box Tops program. Try to figure out how to push the Box Tops Marketplace, because then you earn a % of whatever people buy online without you doing any work at all. It is so much more time-efficient than counting, trimming, pasting, and mailing every single Box Top. The Box Tops Marketplace is a pass-through site, like ebates, but the rebate goes to your school Box Top account. We've had a dozen or so people figure out this Marketplace on their own, which is way more than any other school in the area, but still piddly compared to what it could be. Unfortunately, I can;t find out who those 12 people are, because I'd like to talk to them about how they found out about it and how to better promote it. But I think it's key to increasing funds raised without needing more and more volunteer effort to count and sort Box Tops.
    Last edited by american_mama; 05-01-2012 at 11:27 PM.
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  6. #6
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    So far this year, we've done $2260 approximately. I'm not a coordinator, just on the PFO.

    Early on, the PFO sent reminders home with parents about the Boxtop program, and also educated parents on what the money goes toward. For me, that's when it started making me collect them--when I knew that the school has NO budget money for paper. Every piece of paper in our school is paid for with boxtop money. So, instead of having to bring in reams of paper at the beginning of the year and again at Christmas/New Year time, I just bring in LOTS of boxtops. My coworkers also save them for me, as does our pastor's family, so I think I've donated about $50 in boxtops for the school at this point.

    Personally, I never donated before because I had no idea why I should, or what it would go towards. Now that I know, I'm pretty dedicated about it
    --Mimi
    Mom to Lala (2004), Bonus Mom to Big Sis 1 (1991) and Big Sis 2 (1992)
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  7. #7
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    I don't clip boxtops, but my DD brings home a monthly themed sheet that has space to glue 10 boxtops.

    I get that if I sent 10 boxtops that would equal $1 and if every kid did that every month that would really add up. But I'm just not going to pay that close attention to my garbage to clip little pieces off it and then store the little pieces of garbage in a drawer and then send them to school with DD.

    If they asked me to send a dollar bill each month or invited me to send 10 dimes to school I would absolutely do that. But I don't pay close enough attention to which brands qualify for boxtops and I really think the whole thing is a little silly so I don't care to participate in this fundraising program.

    Though I do agree with the PP who stated that it's important to let parents know how much is raised and how that money is used. But STILL, I really prefer to just send money.

  8. #8
    Tondi G is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Our school did a Tops for Pops month ... whichever class brings in the most box tops during the month gets a popsicle party!

  9. #9
    bigsis is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    My kids' school has about 600 kids and they usually collect about $2000 per year.

    Like the PPs, they usually have contests 2-3 times a year. They divide the lower grades K-2nd and 3rd-5th. The most number of boxtops in each class gets a pizza party/popsicle party/water balloon party.

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