Box Tops for Education

at our school for every 10 box tops a student submits between Nov & first week of Dec they go into a drawing for for a raffle.   WE draw 2-4 names as winners for a winter sled.  (depending on how much money we want to spend) .   Sleds run from $5.00 - $20.00.   Even the cheap ones are good

Great idea!!  Thanks!!

We did the snowball contest last year and we brought in a lot of box tops that way.  It lasted the week back from Thanksgiving break through January.  The classrooms got very competative!

I started a contest that I saw on PTO called Movie Madness. The kids seemed to be enthusiatic. I went to a theatre in our area and asked if they could donate 4 tickets and they did. Since Breaking Dawn and a lot of other family movies are coming out. Maybe you could do this contest. Maybe even a Christmas basket with a sweatshirt of your school logo and other school items. That might be fun for them.

Hi, I had a quick question to ask. I am kinda new at this stuff and was just wondering about the collection sheet for the Webkinz contest. Did you have to make it or did you find it somewhere? This contest sounds really cool and I am thinking about trying it. Did you do indiviual prizes or class room prizes?

Thank you so much for your time,

  Vicki

Contests are a great way to encourage everyone to turn in their Box Tops. I do both student and staff contests. Our staff contests isn't over yet but our October contest brought in $800 in Box Tops. (4th-6th)

I have sent letters to every local business I can think and asked for donations for our contests. If it is a buiness or company that doesn't really have something we can use as a prize, I have asked for a $20 Staples or Walmart gift card that we can use to buy our own prizes. I have received enough responses to fuel our next 4 or 5 contests. I even had a local garage send me $100 to use for prizes.

When I received the donation, I log it on my spread sheet and immediately write a hand written thank you note. I also write a Letter to the Editor mid-way through the year thanking the local businesses by name.

A contest that really gets the kids going is for $25-$50 gift cards to one of the Big Chain grocery stores. They then take their gift cards in and buy a gift card of choice from the Gift Card Kiosk in the store. There are plenty of kid friendly stores to choose from.

I found my collection sheet for Webkinz on the PTO website but if you email me at Laurie 5411 at yahoo dot com I can scan and end you a copy.

Laurie

If you go to the PTO Today website and then go to their file exchange you will find all kinds of Box Tops collection sheets.  If you scroll to I think the second page there is a Webkinz collection page that you can change the name on it and add whatever you might want to add.  This contest was an individual contest, but I think we had 5 Webkinz and awarded the top 5 with a Webkinz.

Would you be able to send me the letter you send out to the businesses? I have one that is semi-effective. I think I need to change it up and it sounds like the one you have works wonders. If you would be able to send it my email is cgrasser at ameritech dot net.

Thank you

I have a copy of a donation letter.  Email me at Laurie5411 at yahoo dot com

Laurie

we are doing a family contest...the top families win a gift card from target and winn-dixie in time for Christmas...working on a third place

You could give some Visa gift cards in variety of amounts depending upon your contest, kids always like a "credit card" which allows them to buy their own gift - WalMart sells in all denominations as does the Dollar General, just a thought

Some of our parents work for companies that have box seats to local sports teams and are willing to donate a pair to a game.   We are in the New York suburbs and have been able to solicite Yankee and Knick tickets [though those are unusable right now].  Also we were once able to get a set of four tickets to a family-friendly Broadway show at one time because a parent was involved somehow.  You should ask your PTA organization for tips on parents who are able to make these sorts of donations.  However, and this is always important, you can't go to the well too often.

I would love to get the copy from this letter as well!!  my email is bandshoosiers at yahoo dot com.

Thanks so much!

Hi.  I'm a first-time Box Tops coordinator for our school.  The principal would like to do a contest where the class who brings in the most Box Tops during a 2-month period would win a movie and pizza in their classroom.  This will be the first contest I've been a part of.  Anybody have any ideas of how I should promote this contest?  Send letters home with the kids?  Do posters in rooms?  Thanks so much for your help!

If your school has a monthly newsletter (either email or in backpacks) put a blurb in there .  Posters in the hallways would be great .  Depending on how many classrooms ... posters there would work as a reminder to the kids .  I would also put on "EVERYTHING"  you do is put your class number / teacher name on everything they send in as I have in the past had many , many bags . envelopes , etc.  end up in the "extra" pile as I had no idea who they belonged to .  Even though I did  ,  amd you will (Smile) , there will be those you will have no clue,  ANYTHING you can do will help promote ... even word of mouth .  I talk labels with anyone and everyone I can , anywhere aand everywhere ...  Have fun and good luck !!  Enjoy !!

Debi

PS :  As with any contest be VERY prepared to collect often and count and bundle as soon as you can because you WILL be busy !!  LOL  

I'd send home a collection sheet advertising the contest on the back.  You could have them include a plug for the contest with the morning announcements if your school does them.  Hang a few posters in the halls and get the teachers to mention the contest everyday in class and add a line promoting the contest on their weekly newsletter if they have one and encourage the kids to help their class win.  The more we promote at our school, the more we seem to collect.  Good luck.  

If you have announcements at your school its always a great thing to have them announce what you want to do during that two months to get the kids excited.

Laurie

Those are great ideas!  Thank you!!

Anna-  Use every method you have every time.  Some people will see it one way, some another.  Some people won't act until they see it 3 or 4 times.  Think of it like Marketing sneakers.  How does Nike do it?  They advertise on TV, radio, magazines, sponsoring sporting events... so, for us, that's newsletters, flyers, posters, speaking at PTA/PTO meetings, sending emails, putting up displays...

Tess

Thanks for the great ideas and tips!!

My shool has never used the collection sheets.  Is this a good way to collect?  Do you only use collection sheets?

Thanks for any help!