Box Tops Coordinating 101: New Year, New Goals! #Hefty4BoxTops

Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Hefty4BoxTops #CollectiveBias

Holy cow, it's almost August already! Back-to-School displays are popping up everywhere.  I'm starting to come to terms that I will have ALL THREE girls in school this fall.  Granted, Gabby will just be half day in preschool, but I will have 3 hours TO MYSELF.  

We've been collecting Box Tops all summer and the girls have been great about helping me find them in the store.  If I see a box with BONUS Box Tops, I'm always sure to stock up our pantry to help out the school.  Every little bit helps! Right now, Hefty has trash bags with FOUR Box Tops instead of one.  I didn't even have to say a word to the girls and they noticed the extra ones right away.  I've trained them well! We picked up ours at Walmart, but they've also been spotted at Meijer and Target. There's a $1 off coupon on the Box Tops website, but I also found a few in my binder. Keep your eyes peeled for the limited time quad offer-- Hefty is the only waste bag partnering with Box Tops!  They've donated over $3 million for Box Tops for Education as a partner...how fab is that?!

Last school year, I started helping out as a Box Tops Coordinator at the twins' school.  In January, the original coordinator decided it was too much to handle and I was SO excited to help. Since I came in mid-year, things didn't go as smoothly as I planned. This year I'm gonna rock it!  I know that there will be many Box Top newbies parents this fall and I thought a little 101 post would help save you some stress! 

Tip One: Start organized, STAY organized!
You don't have to go out and spend a ton of money, simply get a basket, permanent markers, Hefty zip top bags, envelopes, etc. Start off the year by introducing yourself to all of the teachers. Make sure they have everything they need: something to collect them in, your information if they have any questions and knowledge of what you collect. If you would like to provide each classroom with a cool collecting bin, go for it--I'm sure your Parent Teacher Group could help cover that cost.

I like to collect each month to stay on top of the counting.  Keep a brown bag with each classroom name on them to grab the Box Tops. You can go from classroom to classroom or store something for the teachers to bring into the office, like a plastic bin with the brown bags.  Quarterly contests with a classroom prize will help bring more Box Tops in! You can also have a fun leader board on a school bulletin board by the entrance.

Tip Two: Make the Box Tops website your BFF!
The Box Tops website has SO MUCH information for you to use!  That's how I learned what the heck I am doing--it's all on there for you. There are bonus sheets to print off, tutorials on how to mail the tops in and even exclusive contests for coordinators!  Check frequently to stay on top of information, especially bonus sheets. 

Tip Three: Keep counting simple!
You will get thousands of these tiny Box Tops to count. Keep it simple! I was worried about cutting them perfectly and it really doesn't matter. As long as they aren't EXPIRED, they're counted no matter what. There are many different techniques for counting, but I really love using a two dozen egg carton. Since the Box Tops have to be grouped in 50, I know I can fill up the carton twice, plus add two at the end. I have found snack sized baggies work best for storing, but some people use rubber bands too.

Tip Four: Give the parents as MUCH information as possible!
Keep the families at school up to date about the Box Tops and supply them with as much information as possible. Guide them to the website where they can print coupons and find out which products to look for.  Also, encourage the families to get EVERYONE collecting: aunts/uncles, grandparents, neighbors or community groups. 

I have a fun craft you can share with your school so they can store the Box Tops easily at home: a repurposed milk gallon "basket". This is a great way to get the kids in on the fun, too! They can become scavengers at the grocery store looking for boxes and have fun decorating the milk jug. My girls are dying to paint ours with glitter glue.



Tip Five: Keep up with bonuses!
Like the Hefty bonus Box Tops, there are always many other ones floating around.  Sometimes you can get a 20-50 bonus printed off at the grocery store for purchasing items, other bonus Box Tops can come from online contests or the printable sheets.  Since they're such an easy way to rack up extra dollars, I highly recommend staying updated on what's available and keeping teachers/parents at the school informed.

Make your school's goal known so people can see progress throughout the year!

Do you collect Box Tops? Does your school do something awesome with them? Spill the info!