Each Box Top for Education is worth 10 cents to the school that redeems it. These savings add up significantly if the school gets high participation rates. For example, if 500 students at an elementary school bring in 20 box tops apiece per year, the school earns $1,000. As of 2011, the program has earned schools more than $300 million since 1996, according to the Box Tops for Education website.
The main way for parents and community members to participate is to cut the Box Tops for Education labels off participating products and either mail these to schools or send them to the school with children. Contact a school to find out if it participates. Interested people can also set up an account at the Box Tops for Education website and earn eBoxTops for schools by making purchases online at participating retailers. These rewards range from one to 10 box tops per $10 spent.
A wide variety of products sold in supermarkets and other retailers have Box Tops for Education on them. Some major brands that often have the Box Tops coupons on them include Betty Crocker, General Mills, Green Giant, Pillsbury, Land O Lakes, Yoplait, Welch's, Avery, Ziploc, Kleenex, Scott, Hefty and Brita. Not all products in each of these brands will have the Box Tops, so look for the small label on the packaging before purchasing.
The Labels for Education program is similar to Box Tops for Education, although it is an entirely different program. In Labels for Education, consumers clip the product bar code and the nearby "Labels for Education" logo from participating products. Find these labels on some products from Campbell's, Bic, Pop Secret, Post, V8, Prego and Pepperidge Farm. Schools exchange the Labels for Education points for athletic, academic and arts merchandise. Not all schools collect both Box Tops for Education and Labels for Education, so check with the school before sending in any labels.