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February is Black History Month, a time when teachers across the country bring their students resources and lessons that reflect upon the often under-taught and overlooked stories of Black history in America.

To give you a peek into the rich tapestry of learning students are embarking on this month, we’ve collected a few of our favorite projects that focus on and celebrate Black history.

Building Bridges and Breaking Barriers - Celebrating Black History Month

Ms. Bost, a 2nd grade teacher at Barrett Elementary School in Homestead, PA requested a wide set of resources to celebrate Black history through a schoolwide “living museum.” When describing how items like traditional percussion instruments, posters celebrating famous Black Americans, African masks, and more benefited her community, she shared the following.

“With the new artifacts for our Black History Month Museum, we are able to bring diverse individuals together and start conversations regarding what makes each of us special and unique, about culture and heritage, as well as the opposition and obstacles that we had to overcome to get where we are as a society today as well as the work that we still need to accomplish.

By promoting and enriching our Black History Month Living Museum, we are able to bring the whole community together and allow these lessons to be taught in a safe and nurturing environment where administrators, teachers, parents, community stakeholders and children can learn together.

The best part of this whole project is it started with one small idea and continues to grow.”

Oh, the Places You'll Go! : Exploring HBCUs

Ms. Ghebregergish wanted to give her high school students in Saint Paul, NM the chance to visit Historically Black Colleges and Universities before they begin their college application process. She requested funding to bring her students to Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark University, Tuskegee University, Stillman College, and Rust College.

Ms. Ghebregergish shared why this trip was so important to her students.

“As a teacher and advisor at my current school, I am inspired daily by the energy and resilience that I see in my students. I believe that [my students] deserve so much more than they get. Seeing what else is out there for them will help them make their vision for their future much clearer.

My goal is to show my students that they can literally go anywhere they want in this world if they work hard and are given the opportunity.

They will get the opportunity to meet college students and professors, and they will learn the importance of going to a university/college that genuinely values Black history. Students will be learning about the HBCUs through independent research and networking. Students will learn the application requirements of each school. Ultimately, they will become more informed before making the very important decision of where to attend college.”

Afrofuturism: Through the Eyes of Our Youth

Afrofuturism is a concept that marries African diaspora history and culture with technology. Ms. Thomm wanted to give her Chicagan elementary school students the opportunity to represent themselves and their visions for the future through art.

“Our mission within our school is to make sure that our students' voices and stories are seen and heard. Each of our students deserves to use their voice to tell their story in a way.

The items within this DonorsChoose project will support our students in creating work that will be viewed by not only themselves, but the entire school. Students will use these materials to create an Afrofuristic (a movement in the arts featuring futuristic or science fiction themes incorporating elements of Black history and culture) and vibrant self-portrait that will be on display in the hallways.

When students walk through the hallways of our school and see their own faces, it will create a sense of belonging and they will be able to embrace themselves and others around them. My students will be so excited to explore futuristic Black identity through the lens of Afrofuturism and use their radical imagination to showcase themselves permanently in our academic home.”

Honoring Black History in Our Classroom

Having a classroom library filled with diverse characters was fundamental for Ms. Potter as she prepared her 10th grade classroom for Black History Month. She wanted to ensure that her students not only feel represented, but that they know the world is open with possibilities.

“As educators, we aim to inspire young men and women to accomplish great things. We have a diverse student population, yet we have few things in our classroom that represent our student's identity. In an effort to do so, we intend to create a display in our classroom of books focused on the visibility of the Black community through books written by and about Black people.

We intend for every young person that enters our classroom to leave with equitable respect for people and belief in their ability to achieve great things.

By providing these books as resources to our students, we hope to help our students see themselves in our classroom. We want students to feel accepted for who they are and know that they have a place in our school community.”

Here’s to a month and beyond of learning and celebrating our country’s rich history!

See more Black history projects

"To teach a love of reading, Corrina Reamer starts by writing. Each fall, she pens a letter to her 11th grade English class at T.C. Williams High School International Academy in northern Virginia. She tells the students who she is and asks for a reply. "I read all of those letters," Reamer said. Over the next few weeks, "I think about it. I come up with three to five books for each kid, and we sit down, face-to-face, to read the jackets." She picks the possibilities from a meticulously curated library of almost 1,000 books she houses on shelves painted turquoise and burnt-orange in her third-floor classroom - a library she paid for through online fundraisers and grants. Reamer estimates she garnered roughly $10,000 over the past three years by soliciting donations on the website DonorsChoose, while $5,000 more came from grants and from an Alexandria parent-teacher group."

Read the full story on sfgate.com

It’s no secret that DonorsChoose puts your classroom wishlist on the radar of millions of potential donors, giving anyone the opportunity to be your classroom supporter.  But did you know we also partner with corporations and foundations throughout the year to help you fund your projects (to the tune of $62 million dollars last year alone!)? One of the keys to DonorsChoose success is mastering these partner funding opportunities.

When you know what funding opportunities are available to you, you’re able to get your ideas front-and-center for our partners—who are some of our most generous donors.  Every year, our team launches exciting campaigns with our partners that can get resources into your classroom at a fraction of their cost.  That means you can focus on connecting your project to your community, and we’ll take the reins on stretching every dollar you raise.

Read on for information, tips and tricks, and expert advice on how to make the most of the two types of partner funding opportunities on DonorsChoose.

Match Offers

A match offer is a way for a corporation or a foundation to match individual donations for projects that meet certain criteria. Your donors can see their donations go further to help you bring your project to life.  Depending on the direction from our partners, matches can range from a 50% boost ($1 match for every $2 a donor gives) to a 10X match! This is the most common funding opportunity available. Match offers can be based on the subject area of a project, a specific geographic location, or the items requested in the project. You can find more details about how matches work here. 

Move fast. ‍

Match offers only last while funds remain, so move quickly to post a qualifying project or fundraise. You can find match offers and all current funding opportunities here.

Get Inspired.

‍When you learn of a new funding opportunity, check out projects by teachers who already have the match. This is a great way to inspire new ideas for your own classroom.

Read the details.

‍Before posting a project to qualify for a specific match offer, read the details to make sure you meet all eligibility criteria.

Let supporters know.

‍Once your project has a match, make sure to mention it to potential supporters. Folks love to know that their donation will be multiplied and have an even bigger impact.

Expert teacher Ellen Peterson has used match offers to fund over 170 projects on our site, and says “People want to get the most bang for their bucks and matches make that happen.”

Classroom Rewards

A Classroom Rewards opportunity is a way for our partners to engage teachers and students with online education resources, and in return, teachers who participate can receive a DonorsChoose gift card reward.  For example, you might be able to unlock a reward by having a group of students complete an online tutorial on coding or financial literacy. 

Classroom Rewards do not require creating a project, but rather using a resource outside of DonorsChoose with your students. You can find out more details about how classroom rewards work here.

Check frequently. ‍

Classroom reward opportunities tend to have a set number of teachers who can participate, so watch for these opportunities. You can find classroom rewards and all current funding opportunities here.

Make the most of flex time.

‍When classroom reward opportunities involve students completing an activity online, using flex time in your classroom is an expert move.

Through match offers, classroom rewards, and other funding opportunities, we’re here to help you get the support you need to bring your project to life. To stay in the know about all funding opportunities, bookmark this page of the latest funding opportunities, be on the lookout for our monthly Teacher Essentials email newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This post was published in July 2017 and was updated in December 2019.

Dave Stuart Jr. is small-town high school teacher who helps educators promote long-term flourishing on DaveStuartJr.com. If you're trying to become both better and saner at the work of teaching, join Dave's free newsletter.

I first learned about DonorsChoose in 2008 when an old college roommate snail-mailed me a clipping from a magazine. Thinking of all the supplies my students and I needed for my middle school classroom in Baltimore, I eagerly went on the site, created an account, and made my first request: "Making Writers Out of Apathy," a $506 project for folders and a few editing pens.

Suffice it to say, the project expired without full funding. So how did I get over that first speed bump to ultimately have 47 projects completed? Here are the lessons that initial project taught me:

My classroom isn't the center of the universe.

This sounds harsh, but I think when I wrote that first project I was writing with a couple of assumptions:

• I assumed that people would just magically want to donate to my class, just because, you know, it was us! I mean, c'mon — my students are amazing!
• I assumed people would "get" my title, whereas in hindsight, it came off as pessimistic and confusing.

Looking back, I expected way too much out of potential donors — who are just as busy as I am — and didn't do enough to make donating to my class exciting and accessible. For future requests, I used my project to warmly invite potential donors into my classroom and see all of the amazing work we were doing... and how they could help. For example, one of the essays I’m most proud of is A World Class Library for World History Students.  

Write projects with this in mind: "What would I want to see as a potential donor?"

Going back to the title of that initial project, you can see that, really, I was speaking to teachers, not potential donors. Anyone who has taught middle school English knows that apathy can be a real and overwhelming reality for students and is often the number-one obstacle to a student growing in our classroom. However, I don't think that the average person outside of teaching knows that in the same way; what they do know is that classroom sometimes need basic supplies (like the ones I was asking for) and that helping kids become able writers is an important thing.

By putting myself in a potential donor's shoes, I can do a good job of communicating the essence of a project quickly and effectively. That way, they don't need to understand the inner depths of a teacher's struggle in order to get excited about putting some money toward new writing folders. For example, the title of one of my later projects, World History Students + Bill Bryson = History Love, is clear and tailored specifically to catch the eye of a potential donor who may not have set foot inside a classroom for years.

Break projects down.

If there's a single thing that has given me the greatest breakthroughs in writing successful DonorsChoose projects, it's this: break big projects down. At this point, I’ve been a DonorsChoose teacher for nine years, and what I have noticed in that time is that projects that are within $100 of completion are much more likely to receive random "I've-never-seen-this-donor-before" funding than projects with more than $100 left. A big reason for that, I think, is that donors like to support projects that they know are going to reach full funding.

If I could to go back in time and try to get all of those funding for all of those folders again, I would break it down into several $100-$200 projects, with eye-catching titles such as "Spelling Folders for the Win!" or "Keeping Things Straight: Reading and Writing Folders".

Sure, it would have been great if my kids had received those folders back in 2008. But I’m ultimately thankful that "Making Writers Out of Apathy" didn't receive funding because of the many lessons it taught me... and the many subsequent, successful projects those lessons helped me create down the line.

“DonorChoose is an online crowdfunding source. Most fundraising for schools involves just the students, their parents, relatives, and friends—the fundraising effort rarely moves outside the community. At DonorsChoose, 74 percent of the funding for classroom projects comes from outside the school’s social network. The pool of donors comes from all over the world, including large, multimillion-dollar companies such as Google, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc., the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Staples Inc. DonorsChoose partners with large corporations to either fund or match donations for projects. By going outside of the school’s social network, Simo’s teachers have gotten many of the resources they need, including Chromebooks.“

Read the full story on nassp.org

"Often times, working families have a hard time making ends meet. "I went through this, I understand the need," said Kristan Nigro, a kindergarten teacher at Schorr Elementary who started a "giving closet." There's food items in the pantry and toiletries like toothbrushes, soap, laundry detergent and contact solution. Kids can discreetly get what they need throughout the day and get back to learning. Kids and their parents can also use the giving closet after school. Nigro uses DonorsChoose.org to help fund the giving closet, "There should never be any embarrassment, we're a community. We rise together and fall together."

Watch the full report on fox5vegas.com

Email is the #1 most effective tool you can use to fund your DonorsChoose request. Asking for donations from the people you know can seem daunting at first, so we’ve broken the process down into six easy steps. Here’s all the information you need to advocate for your students and reach your project goal.

1. Brainstorm your list.

Decide who to email by answering these three questions:

         Who cares about me? Make a list of the friends and family members who would be curious about the awesome stuff you’re doing in your classroom. Your dad? Your cousins? Old college friends? Your running group? Write ‘em all down.

         Who cares about my school? Supporting a project close to home may appeal to people who don’t know you or your students very well. Write down local businesses, community members, and former students who might be invested in your school and want to support your community.

         Who cares about my students? Add your students’ parents and guardians to the list as well. If this group’s resources are very limited, you can still involve them without asking for donations. (More on that later.)

2. Keep it personal.

Send individualized emails to the people on your list. Cut-and-paste certain elements of your note, but tailor each one to your recipients, their unique interests, and their relationship with you.

Let your supporters know you’ve posted a project, explain why you thought they'd want to know, share a couple of details about your students, and highlight the impact your project will have on their lives. No need to write a formal essay; a few sentences will do!

3. Create urgency.

Potential donors are more likely to contribute when time is of the essence. The easiest way to utilize urgency is if you have matching donations (for example, if it's a special match day, if you have a match code, or if you have a match offer.) If your project qualifies for matching donations, make sure you let your donors know.  

If you don’t have a matched donations, you can still give supporters a nudge to donate early: “My goal is to get five contributions in this first week. Please help if you can.”

4. Keep your request short, sweet, and clear.

Once you’ve explained a bit about your project and created urgency, ask for support. Ask clearly and simply, and don’t forget to include your project link to make donating easy. Here are a few example asks to get you started: “Click on the link below to contribute to our classroom!” “Please donate. Every little bit truly makes a big difference.”

If you want to involve parents and guardians but know their resources are limited, you can simply ask them to share the project link. "Most parents are willing [to spread the word]," says teacher Michelle Ramos, "because it's quick, easy, free, and effective."

5. Embrace the (r)email.

After that first email to each potential donor, make sure to send at least one reminder email (aka remail). There are lots of great moments to send a remail. Pick your favorite:

         Is your match code going to expire tomorrow? Remail.
         Are you halfway to your goal? Remail.
         Has your project been up for two weeks without much action? Remail.

6. Say thanks.  

One of the most important elements of email fundraising is actually the easiest: the gratitude email. Each time you get a donation, respond to the notification email you receive from us with a thank you note to your donor. This makes people feel great about their contribution, encourages them to give to your future projects, and shows potential supporters how much you’ll value their support.

Want more email advice? Get tips from a fellow fundraiser.

Just can’t find the words? Use a template.

Already sent your emails? Explore other fundraising techniques.

“The first time it happened, DonorsChoose founder Charles Best was shocked. It was 2010, and a woman called his company saying that she was having a little bit of trouble making a donation to the site, a crowdfunding platform that helps teachers across the country fund classroom necessities and educational projects. Best called her back himself, “and I figured I would just be helping her troubleshoot a $10 donation,” he says,” but then a curious thing happened: She asked how many classroom projects there were from the state of California, and how much it would cost to fund them all.“

Read the full story on fastcompany.com

“A total of 30 school districts now belong to the District Partnership Program of DonorsChoose, a platform that helps districts and teachers crowdfund for school supplies and other resources. The program, launched a few months ago, provides support for teachers who use the crowdfunding program, ensures safety and security of donations, and aligns with each district’s strategic priorities, according to DonorsChoose."

Read the full story on EducationDive.com

“WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) -We often push students to use their imagination; however, that creativity comes with a cost. Kindergarten teacher Megan Halford says she never has enough art supplies. So, she went to the Donors Choose a website and requested things like a simple block of wood that keeps markers fresh and tools so she can work with students in small groups. Donors Choose is making it possible for schools like Lamar Elementary to begin introducing coding, robotics, and VR to kindergarten students.“

Watch the full story on NewsChannel6Now.com

No time of year inspires more generosity than the holidays. 

Last December alone, DonorsChoose supporters contributed $18 million to classroom projects on the site. And the giving season isn’t unique to DonorsChoose; 30% of all nonprofit giving in the United States happens during the holidays!

When you share about the work you’re doing in your classroom, folks are more likely to hop in and help this time of year. Here are some tips to harness the power of the giving season to help bring your classroom dreams to life!

Word-of-mouth is your most powerful tool.

The holiday season is all about gatherings, whether it’s a party, volunteer meeting, family get-together, or a trip to the grocery store. When folks ask how things are going this year, let them know what you have planned. For example, is your cousin asking about your students over dinner? Share your goals for the year, including your current project.

Give an end-of-year update.

The holidays are a natural time to reach out and share updates from the past year, particularly with people in your life who haven’t heard from you in a while. Tell a great student anecdote, gush about the new instruments you scored for the band, or let them know about the classroom library you hope to expand this year. Whether it’s in a Facebook post, an Instagram story, or your handwritten holiday notes, don’t forget to share the amazing work you do with your students.

Print and share.

During this time of giving, make it easy for people to find your project and get in a festive, charitable mood. We have some great printable materials like flyers that you can post on community bulletin boards and business cards you can give out at events.

Often the biggest hurdle for people who want to help others during the holiday season is finding an opportunity. Let your supporters know how they can make a tangible difference for your students.

It’s an exciting new day at DonorsChoose! We just released our new visual identity, with a fresh take on everything from our logo and font to our color palette and illustration style.

We’ve all been fans of the orange chair over the past 7 years, but here’s a sneak peek behind the scenes and why it was time for our org’s look and feel to evolve.

We were fortunate to collaborate with the social impact designers at Hyperakt on our new look, and they helped us outline some pretty big design hurdles. Namely:

• The color orange is a really hard primary color to work with. On a white background, it looks great. On black, suddenly we’re a Halloween party. On any other color...blech.
• Our old logo was R E A L L Y   W   I   D   E. That makes it hard to read, which is why so many people call us “Donors Choice” or the grammatically befuddling “Donor’s Choose.” It also doesn’t work well alongside our partner logos, and when we’re working with some of the most respected brands in the world, we want to bring our A-game.
• Our beloved chair is nostalgic, but that style of desk doesn’t exist in many classrooms today. And, of the tens of thousands of things we send to classrooms every day, that desk is not one of them. 
• Where’s the motion? Where’s the emotion? Where are the people? There’s so much more to DonorsChoose than a single chair or color, and we wanted the core elements of our identity to say more.

So what does it all mean?

Logo

Our new logo is a wordmark. It’s bold, and it takes the form of basic shapes, evoking building blocks that form the foundation of a great education. 

Color Palette

The best classrooms are bold, vibrant places, and that’s reflected in our color palette. Our new primary blue is the merger of the blue lines and magenta margin line of a piece of notebook paper, symbolizing the work that students do under the guidance of their teachers. With a full-color palette, our website and all of our emails, social media images, and print materials work together with a consistent look and feel. 

Illustrations

We no longer represent DonorsChoose with just one icon – the chair. Now, we have “The Tapestry”: a growing collection of the many pieces, parts, and experiences of our thriving community. The single color wireframe tapestry represents the ideas teachers have; a blueprint for a quality education; a wish waiting to be fulfilled. The full color tapestry is about potential realized; the magic that happens when donors help teachers bring education to life. 

We now have a way to represent all of the people who are a part of the DonorsChoose community! Like the rest of our illustrations, our people are created from basic building block shapes and reflect the diversity of our supporters and the students and teachers we support. Our human figure illustrations are always in action — just like our community. 

Design Playground

We didn’t think it would be any fun if we put in all this work and kept it to ourselves! Our teachers and donors are some of the most creative people around and love to shout their favorite projects from the rooftops… or at least from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. So we made it easy for people to play with all of these assets on our new Design Playground, where you can personalize and customize your favorite images to share on social media, print a flier, or wallpaper your phones and desktops. (We’ve also got some new swag if you prefer to wear your DonorsChoose pride!)

We hope you’re just as excited as we are about the new look and feel of DonorsChoose. After all, YOU were the inspiration for a new visual identity that better reflected the dynamic group of educators and supporters who help bring learning to life on our site every day. Tell us what you think!

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