Due to severe budget cuts across the country, schools are struggling to provide teachers with funds and resources that undoubtedly help students succeed academically. It’s sad to hear that many schools don’t even have basic supplies such as paper, pencils, erasers, etc. Teachers often spend as much as $500 from their own pockets to pay for some of these classroom supplies.
How can we continue to raise our standards in education if schools can’t even afford supplying students with basic necessities, books, technology, and supplemental resources that are critical in helping them succeed? What can we do as teachers? Well, teachers must look elsewhere to find resources and funds that would help their students and schools. There are many grants out there, but what’s the easiest and fastest way in getting the word out that you need help?
There are many online non-profit organizations that can help you, but here are three that I have found. They may be good starting points, especially for those who have never written grants before. These three organizations are very similar, but there are some slight differences between them. I summarized some of the highlights for each one.
DonorsChoose.org
DonorsChoose.org was chosen as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things 2010. It is a great online charity site for teachers who have great project ideas, but don’t have the resources to make it happen. All you have to do is select items that you need for your project through the site’s shopping catalog, and write a short description of your project to inspire donors to donate to you.
Once you have reached your required funding amount, the organization will deliver the materials to your class. The only thing you are required to do for them is to take some photos of your project taking place, send a thank-you note to the donors, and submit a cost report showing how your funds were spent. It’s that simple.
The only drawback I found is that this organization currently is unable to support private or parochial schools. It serves only public schools in the United States. You also need to be a full-time teacher spending at least 75% of the time working directly with students.
iLoveSchools.com
iLoveSchools.com is another charity site that matches your needs with donors in your community and across the country. Unlike DonorsChoose.org, it serves all types of teachers who work for nonprofit, public or private, pre-K-12th grade schools and programs. You can register as an educator, or select a representative from your school or district to be the central contact person. That means, your principal or superintendent can register. However, schools and districts are limited to one account.
Another difference is that your request does not have to be project-based. In other words, this site allows you to build a wish list of items and supplies that you would like to have in your classroom. Donors will then come to this site, and select the person and items they would like to fund. This site also provides donors the option to donate new or used materials rather than cash.
Adoptaclassroom.org
Adoptaclassroom.org is very similar to the last two sites. Unlike the other two, however, donors do not choose projects or items from the wish list. Instead, they simply go online, and select the classroom they would like to adopt with a minimum donation of $25. The donation is then transferred to the teacher’s “e-wallet” account, and the teacher can use the funds to purchase only items from a network of online vendors affiliated with the organization.
The more funds they receive, the more materials and supplies they can purchase. Donors may visit the classroom, chaperone field trips, and support other activities that the teacher may have. In this case, donors are matched up with a classroom of their choice. The great part about it is that donors can adopt as many classrooms as they want.
So, if you are a teacher who are in need of classroom supplies and resources, and don’t have a lot of time, these are some great sites to begin posting your needs. A few clicks can lead to donors that could make a huge difference, not only in your teaching, but also your students’ achievements. You will never know what you are going to get until you try.
If you are interested in any or all of these organizations, please check out their websites for more information.
Julie Tang - I was an elementary school teacher and currently, I am a mentor consultant for beginning teachers. I enjoy writing pieces that would help ...
