By Kate
Thursday,
Sep 11, 2008 at 1:15pm
Are we one of the best? Honestly, in my day-to-day work at DonorsChoose.org, I don’t spend a lot of time wondering. Rather, I do my best to give my best, so that classrooms get the best, and donors feel the best. (I guess it’s no coincidence that our founder Charles’ last name is Best?)
Still, it’s nice to be reminded that we are among the best. Recently, the Catalogue for Philanthropy sent us this stamp:
The Catalogue for Philanthropy identifies well-performing smaller nonprofits that make a difference. They publicize those they’ve vetted through their annual Catalogue, in the hopes to help these small and effective organizations get additional funding.
Back in 2004/2005, the Catalogue identified us as an organization with great potential and promise. Since then, as an organization, we’ve doubled the number of resources going into public school classrooms every year.
Maybe the Catalogue for Philanthropy can give me some advice on my stock investing? :)
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By Kate
Monday,
Sep 8, 2008 at 3:32pm
Baltimore elementary teachers, time to perk up your ears! The Wright Family Foundation is pioneering our Double Your Impact technology in Baltimore City. What does this mean? The Wright Family foundation has offered to match 50% of the funding for Baltimore City, high poverty, pre-K through fifth grade classroom projects posted on DonorsChoose.org. In less than a month, donors have responded in droves, funding 49 projects to the tune of over $11,000.
And donors, it’s the “Wright” time to give, too – check out Baltimore City projects eligible for this match here.
Thanks, Wright Family Foundation, for bringing the “Wright” stuff to Baltimore City elementary classrooms!
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By Kate
Wednesday,
Aug 6, 2008 at 12:36pm
In June, Ernst & Young LLP challenged their leaders in a new way. Not content to just be auditors and business advisers to some of the world’s most powerful companies, or consistently being rated a “best place to work” by publications ranging from Fortune to Working Mother Magazine, they thought up yet another way to distinguish themselves as out of the box thinkers!
At the Mid-Atlantic Partner, Principal, Executive Director and Director’s (PPEDD) meeting, Ernst & Young challenged their PPEDDs from its Baltimore, Greater Washington, Philadelphia and Richmond offices to support DonorsChoose.org in their respective communities through its first-ever School Is Cool Challenge, which pitted the four locations against each other in a friendly competition for a great cause. The three-day challenge has already benefited nearly 2,000 students. All this leads up to their “Cares Day” in September, where all Mid-Atlantic Ernst & Young personnel have the opportunity to do hands-on service in local public schools, as well as local parks, the USO, YMCAs and a host of other deserving not-for-profit agencies.
So who won the first stage of the challenge? Don’t let the numbers fool you: the Baltimore office’s four donors comprised 20% of their PPEDDs, solidly earning bragging rights. What will happen in the months ahead as the challenge gets rolled out to entire offices? Check back in at the School is Cool Challenge to keep tabs on them!
On a personal level, as a former Ernst & Young employee, it was delightful for me to work with them on such an innovative, creative partnership.
Thanks, Ernst & Young, for caring about schools, and being cool!
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By Kate
Wednesday,
Jun 25, 2008 at 4:58pm
…For awards, and we’ve got another one to report here at DonorsChoose.org. On June 2nd, DonorsChoose.org was named a ComputerWorld Honors Laureate and Finalist. What does this mean? DonorsChoose.org was recognized as an organization whose “use of information technology has been especially noteworthy for originality of conception, breadth of vision and significance to society.”
Thanks to our friends at Sapient, who nominated us for this award, we were selected to be one of about 200 Laureates, and were granted a further honor, designated as one of five finalists in the non-profit sector. The big day on June 2nd included an awards ceremony, honoring and medaling all 200 laureates, and it finished with a beautiful gala at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington DC, where finalists and award winners were announced. I was on site, dining with our Sapient promoters and some fellow laureates, and I was pleasantly surprised to be called on stage to collect DonorsChoose.org’s finalist award. Here I am, beribboned, and awarded:
I can safely say we’re excited to keep using technology for good!
For more information on the ComputerWorld Honors Program, click here.
-Kate, Deputy Director, Atlantic Region
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By Kate
Tuesday,
Jun 24, 2008 at 11:22am
On April 24, 2008, more than 700 education supporters filled the Washington DC Convention Center to attend School Night, an annual event hosted by Fight For Children. Fight For Children is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure all children in the nation’s capital have opportunities to learn, grow and succeed.
By redeeming their DonorsChoose.org Giving Cards, School Night guests helped to fill Washington DC classrooms with math comprehension games, technology to improve literacy, multimedia art centers, and more.
School Night guests redeemed these Giving Cards at six computer kiosks connected to the Internet, allowing guests to directly fund DC classroom projects, right then, right there.
You can read more about the event in the Washington Post article, as well as at Fight For Children’s website. Thanks, Fight For Children, for including and incorporating DonorsChoose.org into School Night in such a cool way!
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By Kate
Friday,
May 9, 2008 at 2:00pm
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
We wanted to share an email from Dr. Andres Alonso, the Chief Executive Officer of the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS), encouraging the Baltimore community to visit www.DonorsChoose.org, learn about public education needs, and appreciate local teachers by supporting their projects.
And WE appreciate Dr. Alonso and his staff for helping us get the word out about the ways we’re trying to support Baltimore classrooms! Thanks, Baltimore!
You can learn more about the Baltimore City Public School System here, and you can find Baltimore City classroom projects to support here.
Here is the text of Dr. Alonso’s email to BCPSS community partners:
May 6, 2008
Dear Friends of City Schools.
Great teachers make great schools. Please join me this week, during Teacher Appreciation Week, as we celebrate all of our teachers throughout city schools.
Letting teachers know how much they mean to us is important. This year, I am going to ask you to go beyond what you normally do to show your appreciation, and financially support the work of one of our many great teachers in Baltimore City. (Click here to learn more about how you can do this at DonorsChoose.org.)
I’d like to tell you about one great teacher in particular, Kristin Covaleskie, a fourth-grade teacher at Northwood Elementary School. Today, Ms. Covaleskie was named Baltimore City’s 2008 Teacher of the Year, because every day she is contributing mightily to our effort to build an entire system of great schools.
An elementary teacher in the city since 1996, Ms. Covaleskie pushes her students to excel academically. She also develops in them the desire and skills to advocate for their communities. You’ve heard me say this before: at great schools students don’t just read, write, do math and perform well on tests; they also develop a broad body of knowledge that will carry them through life, and the skills to make the most of that knowledge. They learn to think, discover, question. For more than a decade, Ms. Covaleskie has pushed her students to do just that. She has used her classroom to provide a solid foundation for her students to be successful in school and in their communities. She cultivates in them respect for one another, and instills in them the importance of contributing to, and participating in a greater good. Day in and day out she helps shape the lives of her students and we are proud to claim her as our own.
I am asking you to go a little out of your way this week to let Ms. Covaleskie and all of our teachers know how very much we value their daily contributions to the education and lives of our students. Through Baltimore City schools’ partnership with DonorsChoose.org (www.DonorsChoose.org), people who care about our schools have funded 370 classroom projects so far this year. Another 266 projects are still waiting for help.
Here’s how it works: Teachers request specific materials and/or experiences their students need to learn. You choose to fund one of these classroom projects—any amount helps. A teacher feels supported and valued, and our students benefit and succeed.
Your support today is one way you can help our great kids get the great schools they deserve right now.
Sincerely,
Andrés A. Alonso, Ed. D
Chief Executive Officer
Baltimore City Public School System
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By Kate
Friday,
Feb 22, 2008 at 10:49pm
Richmond International Raceway officials announced today that they will be making a monthly donation to a different classroom in need in its community of the Greater Richmond Metropolitan Area. Working through DonorsChoose.org, Richmond International Raceway will fund various classroom projects throughout the school year.
Richmond International Raceway begins its campaign to further enhance local public school classrooms by funding the “Building Vocabulary That Lasts a Lifetime” project at Glen Lea Elementary School in Henrico County. The project will benefit a third-grade classroom of students who have demonstrated a desire to increase their vocabulary. Each student will be provided with their own personal vocabulary tool kit to further develop their vocabularies.
“We are so excited to team up with DonorsChoose.org to assist local public school classrooms in the Greater Richmond Metropolitan Area,” said track president Doug Fritz. “For many years we have provided financial and personal aide to various schools throughout Henrico County, our neighboring counties and the City of Richmond. With our pledge to contribute to classroom projects on a monthly basis, we look forward to helping teachers and their students in need, right here in our community.”
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By Kate
Thursday,
Sep 27, 2007 at 4:35pm
I’m a DonorsChoose.org employee, newly on staff. After my first few weeks of telling other people in the community (and my friends, and my family, and several unsuspecting strangers on the metro, a lady in the grocery line, random elevator-sharers, and the guy with the corner beverage cart where I buy gum) about how awesome DonorsChoose.org is, I realized no one had asked me if I’d actually funded a school project myself.
About that time, Katie B. sent me a link to the cutest Dr. Seuss project, with only $6 left to be fully funded. Now, I should note that I am a total sucker for all things book, including quirkily written children’s literature (which she may or may not have known and may or may not have been exploiting for DonorsChoose.org’s gain). And $6? I mean, that’s less than a sandwich at Cosi! That’s 1.5 lattes! A Belgian at RFD! A nosebleed seat to a Nationals game at RFK! That’s not much. So, with a few clicks, I funded my first project.
It would be fine if it stopped there. But then, yesterday, I was doing “research” on Washington DC projects, and imagine my delight – another Dr. Seuss project? Yes, please. Click. Then, a music field trip for kids from Southeast DC with only 15 more days left to fund? Well, yes! Click.
And while a Belgian at RFD is pretty tasty, I’d have to say getting an email from these teachers is a thrill of a different kind.
I can’t wait to get my feedback packages from the students!!!
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