If you are in a public school library, you may have already heard of Donors Choose. It can be a great way to bring materials not otherwise in the budget, or to pay for a special program or set of materials for your students!
“We were started by a history teacher. In 2000, Charles Best, a teacher at a Bronx public high school, wanted his students to read Little House on the Prairie. As he was making photocopies of the one book he could procure, Charles thought about all the money he and his colleagues were spending on books, art supplies, and other materials. And he figured there were people out there who’d want to help — if they could see where their money was going. Charles sketched out a website where teachers could post classroom project requests, and donors could choose the ones they wanted to support. His colleagues posted the first 11 requests. Then it spread. Today, we’re open to every public school in America.
“Our team of 80 has vetted and fulfilled over 600,000 classroom project requests that range from butterfly cocoons, to robotics kits, to Little House on the Prairie. Many of us are former teachers, so our operation feels like a cross between a startup and a schoolhouse. Stop by our offices in New York or San Francisco and you’ll find us working hard, digging into our data, sharing our favorite classroom projects, and Instagramming the happiest thank you notes from students.
When you post a project on DonorsChoose.org, you become part of a trusted 17-year-old network of educators, teachers, donors, foundations, and corporate partners who are all passionate about education. The power of this community has allowed us to make a huge impact.”
Do you want to get started, or see what is possible? Dive in!! You can start on their Teacher signup page. There is no cost to you to post a project; and nearly 75% of projects are funded!
Would you like to have CMLE staff give you a hand in getting started? That’s what we’re here to do! We can come to you, or email some ideas back and forth – whatever works best for you.
Have you already worked with Donors Choose? Tell us about it in the comments! Your experience could really help other members who may be considering this grant work.
And, if you are not asking for money, consider participating as a donor! I love donating to these projects – the kids write you adorable thank you notes after things are funded, and you feel great! This is one of the best gifts I give to family and friends.