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Many La Crosse area schools have turned to clipping box tops, collecting milk caps, tallying receipts and saving soup labels to fund those student extras that times of tight budgets have taken away.

“We call them painless fundraisers,” said Cindy Beach, president of the Parent, Teacher and Student Organization at Eagle Bluff Elementary School in Onalaska, Wis. “It doesn’t take the parents any time or effort.”

Dick Riniker photo

Eagle Bluff has earned more than $2,000 collecting milk caps and box tops. The money bought jump ropes, balls, computer speakers and brought in guest speakers, Beach said.

“You always have to have some extra money for extra things,” she said. “These are easy ways to get cash that work really well.”

Collection containers are placed near school entrances and offices, and the program often is monitored by a parent volunteer.

Community members are welcome — and encouraged — to donate, said Nancy Matchett, principal of Hamilton Elementary and SOTA I schools.

The donations have allowed Matchett’s schools to purchase yearbooks for children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford one, among other items.

SOTA I students are working to raise enough money through collections to buy new computers for their classrooms.

Logan Middle School has offset field trip costs and bought school supplies for students in need with the estimated $500 they take in annually, said Sue Peterson, Community Learning Center director.

“I think the challenge we have is in homes with multiple kids, there are multiple schools that are asking to redeem Campbell’s Soup labels, box tops and milk tops,” Peterson said. “When there are elementary kids asking and middle school kids asking, it becomes a little more of a challenge for the (upper level buildings).”

More than $50,000 was contributed to La Crosse area schools and nonprofit organizations from August 2007 to August 2008 through Festival Foods receipt program, said Dave Skogen, who owns the grocery stores in La Crosse and Onalaska. Community groups are able to receive back 1 percent of all receipts they collect. Quillin’s contributed $116,000 during the past three years through a similar program.

The program was started, Skogen said, to limit the number of requests for contributions the stores receive each year.

“That didn’t work,” he said. “People still come in.”

What local schools collect

Box Tops for Education, found on General Mills products as well as Ziploc, Kleenex and Huggies, pay schools 10 cents a box top — but watch out, because they have an expiration date. Schools can earn up to $20,000 from parents, grandparents, staff and community members who clip the pieces.

Campbell’s Labels for Education allow schools to shop from the company’s catalog for computers, software, sports equipment, musical instruments, library books and even a minivan.

Our Family Labels for Learning are worth 5 cents each.

Kemps’ Nickels for Schools milk tops pay schools 5 cents a cap, up to $10,000 annually.

Land O Lakes Save Five for Schools caps on gallons of milk, orange juice or chocolate milk are worth a nickel each with a maximum of $10,000 per school year.

Kwik Trip Milk Moola and Donut Dough offer schools a way to earn 5 cents for every cap and bag top they submit and 10 cents for every tan Glazers price oval. There is no maximum.

Grocery receipts from Festival Foods and Quillin’s allow schools to collect 1 percent cash back. But, again, there is an expiration date that needs to be watched.

Tyson Project A+ pays schools 24 cents for labels collected. The maximum number of labels a school can redeem in one year is 50,000.

Source: Company Web sites and representatives

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