What if all you had to do was order a brochure, watch a video or buy that Ford vehicle you’ve been eyeballing to help raise money for the school of your choice? It’s reality – Ford has teamed up with General Mills on Box Tops for Education (BTFE), and is the first automaker to partner on this initiative. BTFE began in 1996, and in the past 15 years, more than 90,000 schools have earned over $400 million, including more than $59 million last school year.

And a two-month program called Ford Drives Box Tops has been launched, with a goal of generating $1 million to support schools throughout the U.S.

It’s super easy to participate: Ford vehicle owners and shoppers can earn and collect Box Tops by either requesting a brochure from the Ford/BTFE website at FordDrivesBoxTops.com, by watching product videos on the website or by purchasing a Ford vehicle at the dealership in October and November.

During the sweepstakes, Ford will provide winners with electronic credits called eBoxTops, which will be automatically credited to the school of their choice. Five 10,000 Box Top prizes worth $1,000 and one 200,000 Box Tops prize worth $20,000 will be given to the BTFE-eligible school of your choosing at the end of the sweepstakes. Schools will be able to use the money how they want.

As schools struggle to find funding, local communities are turning to corporate programs such BTFE and the Ford Drive One 4 UR School program to fill budget gaps. In the first nine months of 2011, Ford has donated $1.8 million to U.S. schools through Drive One 4 UR School, which was developed to help high schools raise money to support their sports and extracurricular activities. Ford and Lincoln dealerships partner with local high schools to conduct test-drive fundraising events. For every valid test-drive completed, Ford donates $20 to the participating high school, up to $6,000. Since the program’s inception in 2007, more than $7 million in funds have been donated to high schools nationwide.