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DonorsChoose is dedicated to supporting the unique needs of U.S. public school districts — especially regarding transparency, accountability, and student safety.

We’ve released a model PreK–12 Crowdfunding Policy for school boards and district leaders looking to empower teachers who request additional classroom resources through crowdfunding platforms like ours, while maintaining transparency and accountability best practices. This policy was designed with input from the AASA, NSBA, ASBO, and school administrators around the country.

With both a condensed and expanded policy, we hope that school boards and district leaders can use this to inform their existing crowdfunding policy, or implement it directly.

You can find this policy on our District Controls page, where you can also sign up for free, custom reporting, submit principal emails for automatic project notifications, and submit your district technology guidelines.

Read the policy.

Fast Company just released their 2019 list of the world’s most innovative companies and organizations, and we’re so thrilled to share that DonorsChoose is one of them! This honor belongs to the community of teachers and supporters who work every day to make sure every student can get an excellent education.

We celebrated this honor by making it even easier to support innovative teachers. On Thursday, February 28th, we boosted donations to every classroom project on the site. (For example, a $50 donation became a $75 donation, and so on.

As usual, our community came through for teachers in a big way. February 28th was officially one of our community’s top 5 days of all time! Here are the (frankly quite awesome) details.

• All told, over $2 million was donated yesterday alone!
• Over 17,000 classroom projects received support
• Over 28,000 people donated to the projects that inspired them

What do all of those donations look like in action? This support meant that Mr. Andy was able to bring a diverse classroom library to his PreK kiddos. It helped Ms. Paulson bring in a local theater company to help her students learn to think critically about the world. It made sure Ms. Sarmiento was able to create a sensory area for her students with autism. Now picture the impact of these three projects replicated in thousands of classrooms across the country. As usual, our teachers say it best:

My first DonorsChoose project got funded!!! My yearbook students are going to receive a brand new camera for next year!! I’m so grateful for the generosity of others. – Mrs. Anderson

Fast Company’s “Most Innovative” list recognizes organizations who are making “the most profound impact on both industry and culture.” They describe the award as a “road map for the future of innovation,” and that’s exactly what we see in the classroom projects teachers are sharing on our site every day. We’re here to provide a platform for teachers to share exactly what they need to bring learning to life for their students, and for donors across the country to support the ideas they believe in.

Thank you to Fast Company for recognizing the work of our community, and to every one of you for making this possible!

DonorsChoose and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) have partnered to create a toolkit designed to help technology leaders across the country empower their teachers to use DonorsChoose.

In this toolkit, you’ll find:

• Case studies from district CTOs who help teachers leverage DonorsChoose to support school-wide technology priorities
• Information on signing up for free, regular reporting from DonorsChoose
• Steps for submitting your district’s technology guidelines so that we can help your teachers request resources compatible with your existing set up

Learn more about our work with the CoSN, and download the toolkit.

Updated on 12/4/2019

What’s your teaching philosophy? In their DonorsChoose classroom projects, teachers from across the country have shared their north star, their roadmap, the core idea that drives their teaching practice. It’s no surprise that so many teachers mention their teaching philosophy in their classroom projects: Bringing that philosophy to life is a common reason that teachers need materials and experience for their students.

Teaching philosophies take many forms, from focusing on the student’s learning experience to encouraging community service. Here are 11 ways teachers have described their teaching philosophies in their DonorsChoose projects.

Teachers, want to bring your teaching philosophy to life? Get funding for the classroom resources you need most.

Teaching philosophies that focus on the student

“My teaching philosophy is grounded in the idea that students' minds are not empty vessels waiting to be filled. Each one of them brings their own particular brand of genius to my classroom, and my most important job is to discover and empower that genius.” – Ms. D, “iPads for English Language Learners”

"’If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.’ This quote by Ignacio Estrada represents my teaching philosophy. Teaching and education are not one size fits all.” – Ms. Thompson, “The Holocaust ~ Empowering Students Through the Arts”

“A tenet of my teaching philosophy is that failure IS an option; mistakes are an invaluable part of learning. Education often is not linear. It is through the process of recursive inquiry -- observation, exploration, analysis, and evaluation -- that meaningful learning takes place.” – Mr. Bowen, “Young Meteorologists”

“My teaching philosophy is based around the idea of ‘I do, We do, You do.’ This means that the teacher shows the students how to do it, then students do the lesson with the teacher, and then students take what they have learned to work independently.” – Mrs. Ciampaglia, “Stamping Our Way to Success!”

Building a classroom environment that supports your teaching philosophy

“My teaching philosophy is that students learn the best when they are in a positive learning environment where they feel welcomed, comfortable, and safe with each other.” – Mrs. Blackwell, “Carpet Time for Sharing and Collaboration”

“My teaching philosophy is to maintain a friendly, supportive classroom so school is a joyful place for everyone to learn. The possibilities are endless when you have the tools you need to learn.” – Mrs. Monahan, “Help Us Fulfill Basic Needs First and Innovation Will Follow!”

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“William Butler Yeats said, ‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.’ This quote is the focus of my teaching philosophy. I think my science classroom comes alive for students because their experience in my room is real, engaging, hands-on and meaningful.” – Mrs. Sherburn, “A GIANT Polymer Periodic Table”

Encouraging service through your teaching philosophy

My favorite quote is, ‘The end of all education should surely be service to others’ by Cesar Chavez. My teaching philosophy revolves around that quote. I am a teacher who inspires and motivates students to be good and caring individuals.” – Mr. Gonzalez, “Unit: Night by Elie Wiesel”

“‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,’ Nelson Mandela once said. This quote is the foundation of my teaching philosophy. The students of today are the leaders of tomorrow.” – Mrs. DeTrolio, “Exploring Environmental Science through Inquiry”

Teaching philosophies focused on creativity

“Second grade at my school is filled with excitement, curiosity, and hands-on learning. My teaching philosophy is driven from the Maya Angelou quote, ‘I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’” – Ms. Marchio, “Classroom Materials for 2nd Graders”

“This quote perfectly sums up my teaching philosophy: ‘It's not just about creativity. It's about the person you're becoming while creating;. I make it my mission every year to raise my students' artistic confidence, grow their skills, and teach them to enjoy the art-making process.” – Mrs. Rensing, “Eager Artists: Raising Art Confidence with Helpful Technology”

What’s your teaching philosophy?

DonorsChoose and the National Association for Secondary School Principals have teamed up to create the Principal Toolkit, designed to help principals across the country empower their teachers and advisors to use DonorsChoose.

In this toolkit, you'll find:

• Case studies from principals and districts who help teachers leverage DonorsChoose to support school-wide goals and priorities
• Four steps you can take to set your teachers and advisors up for success
• Information on signing up for free, regular reporting from DonorsChoose

Learn more about our work with the NASSP, and download the toolkit.

Since 2000, tens of thousands of teachers have used DonorsChoose to get the tools and resources they need to make their classroom ready for blended learning. Adding personalized, digital learning to a traditional classroom often requires new technology, a challenge for schools already struggling with budget cuts.Blending learning is an instructional strategy that uses digital content and teacher-led activities to maximize student success. The goal of blended learning is to provide individualized, self-paced instruction for all students, making it easy for teachers to pull data that informs their weekly instruction; this usually looks like differentiated, small group activities that keep students engaged. To build their blended learning classroom, teachers are requesting iPads, Chromebooks, Kindles, and other mobile technology along with learning software, like Reflex or Study Island. We’ve compiled some of the most popular blended learning tools that our community of experts (teachers, of course!) are using in their classrooms right now.

Chromebooks for Blended Learning

To provide her students with access to online learning resources, Ms. Nguyen requested five Chromebooks, which she now hosts in her small computer lab. Students use the Chromebooks to access interactive software with adaptive technology that challenges them according to their individual growth.

“We will be using these Chromebooks to practice literacy and math skills... in creative, individualized ways.”

Flexible Seating to Personalize the Learning Experience

For her diverse classroom of early learners, Mrs. Linch requested new seating options, which she uses to keep her students focused on the variety of tasks they encounter on a daily basis. We love this project because it highlights an important element of a successful blended learning environment: personalization. Because the learning needs of each student are different, a blended learning classroom should also account for the needs of more active students who find it challenging to sit still even in front of a tablet or computer screen.

“These resources will give my students the chance to move around the room and have comfortable seating to help enhance their learning.”

Headphones to Encourage Independent Learning

To keep every individual student in her classroom of English language learners engaged with their online English, Math, and Science lessons, Ms. Dutcher requested headphones for her blended learning classroom. In this case, headphones allow students to engage in individualized learning, meaning that they are developing their grammar at a pace that meets their specific needs.

“During reading, students go on two great websites that help foster their learning and understanding of reading comprehension.”

Software for Individualized Learning

In order to make her history lessons more relatable, Ms. Kerrissey requested a subscription to Flocabulary, a learning portal that uses hip-hop culture and educational raps to make learning fun for students. Learning software like Flocabulary uses educational gaming, video lessons, and projects to make it easier for students to retain key facts. This blended learning method has been popular for teachers who are looking for ways to get their students excited about each lesson. Ms. Kerrissey says that the catchy content makes learning engaging, empowering, and inspiring for her young historians.

“Learning should be engaging, empowering, and inspiring!”

While tablets and headphones are the most requested resources for blended learning, there are many other ways that teachers can integrate technology into their lesson plans. After all, who knows students and their unique learning needs better than their teacher? Post a project and get blended learning tools into your classroom this school year.

Get Started

Teachers have always played an important role in supporting their students’ curiosity about the world. The everyday presence of smartphones and internet access has shifted the way that students understand current events. With a world of information now at students’ fingertips, emphasizing media literacy is one key tool that teachers can use to guide students toward the credible and away from the questionable in 2019. Now that over two-thirds of Americans get at least some of their news from social media, it is especially important for students to weed out what is fact and what is fiction. Whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school, media literacy will help your students draw connections between concepts, encourage student-centered learning, and help students recognize how they fit in to our larger society. Check out how some teachers have used DonorsChoose to request materials to teach media literacy in their classrooms.

Media Literacy Brings the World into Your Classroom

Ms. Ramirez chose graphic novels to teach her elementary students about media literacy because they offer both visual and textual information to analyze with an added bonus—her students already love them. Mrs. Ramirez writes that media literacy prepares her students to “process and understand the many messages we receive from our media environment,” which are crucial skills for their success. That’s not all – along with reading March, by Congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis, Ms. Ramirez will also empower her students to make their own graphic novel on a historical topic.

Empower Educated Youth With Media Literacy

In order to keep his high schoolers up-to-date with current events, Mr. Stein requested subscriptions to a news magazine aimed at young adult audiences. Not only does the subscription come with teaching resources, Mr. Stein also requires his students to read, reflect on, and discuss at least one current news article every week. “When my students leave my class at the end of the school year, my goal is for them to be more literate about what's going on in the world which, in turn will increase their capacity to empathize with others,” shared Mr. Stein. He likes that the articles give immediacy to topics that may otherwise feel mundane for his high schoolers.

Teach Students To Analyze Media Literacy

For her early readers, Mrs. Bragdon created a project for a suite of kid-friendly magazines that she’ll use to promote critical thinking and analysis of media information. “I want to teach my students how to analyze information and make sure they have the materials to succeed,” said Mrs. Bragdon. She’s also incorporated flashlights to get her students excited about spotlighting media stories on her classroom reading series, Flashlight Fridays. Mrs. Bragdon is excited to teach media literacy because it will prepare her students to evaluate media information, as opposed to simply retaining it.

Student Engagement Through Media Literacy

Using a hands-on approach, Mr. Purdie integrated media literacy into his ELA lesson plan by creating a project for a classroom computer. Mr. Purdie wanted the computer to enable his middle school mediamakers to create multimedia projects and “participate in media literacy competitions.” He was inspired to do so after hearing many of his students express interest in media broadcasting and tech-related careers. By helping his classroom gain media production know-how, Mr. Purdie hopes to, “foster students’ media literacy skills and cultivate their curiosity for learning.”

Invite Your Students to Be Critical of the Real World

Ms. C opened a project for 23 books on media literacy that would introduce media theories and concepts necessary for filtering through today’s media landscape. As her students prepare to graduate, Ms. C wanted to ensure that her school library had media literacy resources to prepare them for life after high school. “Our students need media literacy education and materials more than ever in order to navigate and evaluate the dynamic, and often uncertain media world they live in,” Ms. C writes.Teachers, want to add media literacy tools to your classroom?

Get Started

Individuals can support teachers and students at donorschoose.org/hurricanes

NEW YORK, October 11, 2018 – DonorsChoose has established a special recovery fund to help Gulf Coast and Southeast teachers and students in classrooms impacted by Hurricane Michael. This follows efforts launched in September to support teachers impacted by Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas. Individuals can visit www.donorschoose.org/hurricanes to select a recovery effort to support, and donations will be used to help teachers at damaged schools gather the supplies they need to rebuild their classrooms, including books; basic materials such as paper, crayons, and pencils; and other recovery resources.

Give Now

“Teachers have a unique set of needs when their schools are damaged by storms like Hurricanes Florence and Michael. We’re standing by ready to help them rebuild their classrooms or equip temporary facilities while the recovery process begins,” said Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose. “We’re so grateful for our donors and corporate and foundation partners who support these recovery efforts. With their help, we can ensure teachers have the resources they need to get students back to learning as quickly as possible.”DonorsChoose.org has previously helped raise over $10 million to help teachers recover after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Superstorm Sandy, tornadoes in Moore, Okla., and Joplin, Mo., and historic flooding in Louisiana in 2016.

About DonorsChoose

DonorsChoose is the leading platform for giving to public schools. Teachers across America use the site to create projects requesting resources their students need, and donors give to the projects that inspire them. Since its founding by a Bronx teacher in 2000, more than 3 million people and partners have given $740 million to projects reaching 30 million students. Unique among crowdfunding platforms, the DonorsChoose team vets each project request and ships resources directly to the school. Every donor receives photos of their project in action, thank-yous from the classroom, and a cost report showing how every dollar was spent. DonorsChoose was the first charity to make the top 10 on Fast Company’s list of the Most Innovative Companies in the World.

"Asset-framing is defining people by their aspirations and their contributions, then acknowledging the challenges that often extend beyond them, and investing in them for their continued benefit to society.” —Trabian Shorters | Founding CEO, BMe & DonorsChoose Board Member

Empowering Teachers and Students

At DonorsChoose, we aim to support teachers seeking additional classroom resources to help their students thrive. In doing so, we hope to uplift communities and give teachers the opportunity to show the public what makes their students special.

We encourage teachers to talk about their students in the most positive light, focusing on what makes them unique, what their passions and goals are, where their strengths lie — instead of focussing on what students lack. Not only does this ensure that students and their families would feel proud of how they’re being portrayed, but it also gives our community of donors insight into what’s possible with their support.

Describing Students' Strengths

Teachers have the opportunity to share what makes their students special in the essays describing their request. When we talk about project request essays that use asset-framing, we mean three things:

• Students are defined by their strengths and aspirations, such as what they want to be when they grow up.
• Students are framed as having agency; students are active participants in their learning and lives.
• There may be some mention of the students’ difficult personal circumstances, but students are defined first and foremost by their goals, achievements, and character rather than their struggles.

Moving the Needle on Asset-Framing

To encourage teachers to use asset-framing in their project essays, we made some adjustments to the prompts that help teachers write their project requests. Teachers  see:

Teachers are encouraged to read example essays as inspiration. We’ve recently updated these examples to ensure they all implement asset-framing.

The Impact

Since we’ve started encouraging teachers to take this positive approach, we’ve seen a 27% increase in the number of teachers using asset-framing in their project essays.

Questions? Contact us!

Kirk Smiley | Principal Director, Advocacy and Public Partnerships

‍ksmiley@donorschoose.org | 317-403-9233

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, we take trust and accountability seriously. We screen every project created and photo submitted to ensure teachers demonstrate how the requested resources will improve student learning and that student safety and privacy is protected.

Teachers-as-Screeners

Our team of 250 “Teachers-as-Screeners” (TAS) volunteers look at every classroom request before it’s posted to our site. These volunteers are experienced DonorsChoose teacher-users and are given in-depth training on the elements of an eligible project.TAS volunteers are supported by our staff, who offer guidance, provide feedback, and use their expertise make final decisions when needed. With the support of our team, volunteers aim to review every project within three days of submission so that teachers can take advantage of time-sensitive funding offers.

Eligibility

When we review projects, we first determine whether or not the project is eligible for DonorsChoose.

Educator Eligibility

To create a project on DonorsChoose, teachers must:

• Be employed full-time by a US public school or district
• Be a “front-line” educator (classroom teacher, librarian, guidance counselor, etc.)
• Work with students at least 75% of their time

Project Eligibility

All DonorsChoose projects must meet the following criteria:

• All requested resources must be used by students or provide a student experience Projects requesting Professional Development resources must show how the resources will help enhance their students’ experience
• The request must be appropriate to a teacher’s school (e.g., if a school can only service PC devices, teachers should not request Apple products)
• The project cannot foster discrimination or proselytize a religious or political viewpoint
• Cost of labor, capital improvements to the school or grounds, vehicle purchases, salaries, or royalty/rental fees may not be requested
• We encourage teachers to submit projects that can be carried out at anytime during the school year, as it can take anywhere from four minutes to four months for a project to be fully funded

Essay Screening

Along with evaluating each project’s overall eligibility, our screeners review project essays with an eye for the following:

• Resource description. Teachers should describe the exact resources they’re requesting and how students will use them.
• Student experience description. Teachers should describe how students will benefit from the resources, if funded.
• Privacy. Project descriptions may not include student names (first or last), full school names (initials and abbreviations are acceptable), room numbers, or social media handles and accounts.

If project essays do not meet these requirements, our screeners will send the project back to the teacher for editing before it’s posted to our site.

Photo Screening

The classroom photos that teachers submit along with their project are screened closely to ensure student privacy and safety is protected. We look for a few things:

• Identifying materials. Photos may not show identifying information, like a student’s name or a room number.
• Student prominence. A student’s face may not take up more than one-quarter of the photo.
• Content. Photos may not include clip art, and student faces may not be censored by emojis, graphics, or blurring.

We provide teachers with guidelines on taking safe classroom photos. If a photograph is unsafe or ineligible, our screeners will immediately return the project to the teacher; we won’t review the rest of the project until they provide an eligible image. Additionally, we ask all teachers to have parents sign permission slips before submitting photos of students.

Asset-Framing

We strongly encourage teachers to use “asset-framing” language in their project essays —  emphasizing students’ strengths, goals, and dreams instead of the things they may personally lack or the challenges they face. Learn more.

Questions? Contact Us!

Kirk Smiley | Principal Director, Advocacy and Public Partnerships

‍ksmiley@donorschoose.org | 317-403-9233

Need classroom resources, but tired of reaching into your wallet to pay for them? Look no further! DonorsChoose is the free, non-profit platform for teachers to request materials for their classroom. Teachers create a classroom project (affectionately known by our teachers as "the shortest, easiest grant you'll ever write") and citizen donors give any amount to the project that inspires them. Since DonorsChoose was founded by a Bronx history teacher in 2000, this unique community of teachers, donors, and corporate and foundation partners have brought over $700 million to public schools across the country.

Here's everything you need to know to get started and bring this funding to your classroom:

In this step-by-step video, you'll go from DonorsChoose novice to awesome classroom project creator! Whether you need new books, musical instruments, a trip to the local science museum, or something else entirely, you can receive it through DonorsChoose. Ready to create your first project? Get started today.

At DonorsChoose, we’ve helped hundreds of schools recover after natural disasters. Here’s what we do when we know a disaster is on its way and likely to damage schools.

1. Fundraise. We know that it can take days or even weeks for teachers to return to their classrooms and assess their needs, but fundraising is most effective when national attention is focused on the impacted region. We start reaching out to citizen donors, foundations, and corporate partners right away to build a fund for affected teachers to tap into once they’ve identified their needs.
2. Teacher outreach. We monitor news and social media, talk to districts and state leaders, and verify reports of damage to build a list if impacted schools. We then reach out  teachers and administrators in affected schools to learn how we can help.
3. Fulfilling projects. Once teachers assess the damage, they create projects requesting the resources their classroom and students need. Because we’ve already raised the funds for these projects, we instantly begin fulfilling the requests. Our team coordinates with teachers and administrators on the ground to ensure we’re sending resources at the right time and to the right location.

"DonorsChoose was a great resource for teachers to reach out to other people that may be able to assist. The turnaround time for the projects was quick, and teachers were able to use those resources faster than what the district provided." —Principal Guajardo, Mitchell Elementary, Houston ISD

Where we've helped

Here are some of the areas we’ve helped teachers and students get back on their feet.

Tornadoes in Joplin, MO, 2011

Over 260 classrooms in Joplin, Missouri were destroyed by a tornado on May 20, 2011. Joplin teachers worked tirelessly to restock their classrooms with the things they lost, and donors around the country came together to help.

Superstorm Sandy, 2012

On October 29, 2012, hundreds of classrooms along the east coast were flooded, leveled, or damaged by Superstorm Sandy. The DonorsChoose community came to the rescue, donating funds to replace classroom furniture, first aid kits, technology, musical instruments, and books.

Tornadoes in Moore, OK, 2013

When an EF-5 tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma in 2013, 140 teachers lost their classrooms. Three of our staff members were on the ground helping teachers assess their needs, and contributions from our generous community of individuals and corporate partners helped us fund over 450 classroom projects.

Louisiana Flooding, 2016

In August 2016, Louisiana was devastated by historic flooding. Hundreds of classrooms were damaged, and several schools were completely destroyed. Individual donors along with our corporate partners like AT&T, Horace Mann, and Staples, brought more than 700 classroom recovery projects to life.

Hurricanes Harvey & Irma, 2017

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma flooded schools across Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. Through a combination of grants from partners like the Rebuild Texas Fund and individual donations, our community has given more than $9 million towards Harvey and Irma disaster recovery projects from hundreds schools, and continues to support the many schools on the long road to recovery.

“After experiencing the horrible effects of Hurricane Harvey, our faculty and staff have been able to put the pieces back together. We are truly thankful for all of the support from this awesome organization." —Tyla Thomas, Principal, Refugio Elementary School

Right now, we’re raising funds for schools in the southeast who have sustained damage from Hurricane Florence. Charity Navigator, the charity watchdog organization, has recommended DonorsChoose as a way to help after the storm because of our dedication to transparency and accountability.‍

See our Hurricane Florence recovery efforts so far.