Parents and community members can raise money for their local schools just by clipping labels or saving caps from items they already purchase at the grocery store, and by recycling used electronics and printer cartridges. These easy fundraising programs, often referred to as “passive fundraisers,” can raise thousands of dollars for public and private schools as well as parent-teacher organizations, such as a school’s PTA.
Following are some ideas for school fundraising that don’t cost parents an extra dime.
General Mills Box Tops for Education Fundraising for Schools
Probably the easiest and most lucrative passive fundraising option for schools and parent-teacher groups is the General Mills Box Tops for Education program. This national program lets schools collect small, square box tops from General Mills products, which are worth a dime each, and mail the collected box tops to the company twice a year. General Mills will then issue a check equal to the collected amount to the school or parent-teacher group at two times each year. Groups and schools can then use the money for any purpose.
For additional earnings, sign up at the General Mills Box Tops for Education website to print coupons and to earn a percentage of online purchases for your school as well as to participate in sweepstakes and contests.
Kids’ Fundraiser: Campbell’s Labels for Education
By clipping the UPC codes from Campbell’s Soup can labels and the labels of hundreds of other products, you can earn products for the school of your choice. Each UPC is worth at least one point, which the school combines with other points to purchase educational and sports items from a merchandise catalog. Get coupons at the Campbell’s Labels for Education website as well information on earning bonus points. Program perk: Earn extra points for each Labels for Education product purchased while using your grocery shopper card at participating retailers such as Kroger and Safeway.
School Fundraiser: Recycling Printer Cartridges and Cell Phones
Turn those empty printer cartridges and old cell phones into cash for your school through a program that offers cash for certain electronics and empty printer cartridges. One company is Cartridges for Kids, which also offers cash for cameras, iPods, calculators and DVDs. This company also pays the full amount for shipping the items to their Colorado headquarters, a benefit not offered by other passive fundraising programs.
Milk Bottle Cap Fundraiser for Schools
While passive fundraising programs listed above are nationwide, milk bottle cap redemption programs are usually regional in scope. Most of these programs, such as the Swiss Valley Farms Cash for Caps program in eastern Iowa, offer five cents for each cap and require a limit of at least 1,000 caps before they will issue a check to the school. Check your local grocery store for any dairies in your area that have a bottle cap redemption program and make sure your school is signed up.
Remind Parents Regularly About These Easy Fundraisers for Kids’ Schools
Recycling printer cartridges and cell phones and clipping labels and box tops are easy and cost-free ways for parents to raise money for schools and parent-teacher groups. Provide parents with regular reminders to contribute to these programs through the school or PTA’s website, Facebook page, and newsletters. Setting a deadline for submissions gets parents to hand in any box top or labels they have stashed in their cupboards.
Get the Community Involved in School Fundraising
Post flyers in a public space, such as the local public library, advertising your passive fundraising programs. As long as it doesn’t cost them any money and collections spots are plentiful and easily accessible, most community members are happy to help out their local schools by clipping labels and box tops and collecting recyclables and bottle caps.
Judith Zwolak - Judy is a mother of two and a freelance writer living in South Dakota. Raised by notoriously frugal parents, she comes by her family ...
