DonorsChoose was founded by a Bronx schoolteacher in 2000 because he believed every public school student should have the tools they need to succeed. We continue to strive toward this goal today, and — with our equity focus — empower donors to give where it’s needed most. This includes supporting Black teachers and their students.
However, we know this work doesn’t stop with us! That’s why we’re shouting out some amazing organizations that do essential work to uplift Black teachers and kids all year long. Which are your favorites to support?
Black Girls Code
We love STEM, and Black Girls Code is working to make sure every student has access to the curriculum and skills needed for learning pathways in tech, providing training, resources, and support to Black girls and gender nonconforming youth of color.
Equal Justice Initiative
When you think of Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) you may think of the incredibly powerful work they do in the criminal justice system. However, EJI also has a Public Education program dedicated to providing educational media, lesson plans, and beyond to close the racial and economic gap to support the teaching of our country’s full history.
Center for Black Educator Development
The Center for Black Educator Development works to increase the number of Black teachers so that Black and other disenfranchised students can reap the full benefits of a quality public education. Fun fact: DonorsChoose worked with their founder Sharif El-Mekki to launch the largest survey ever centering male teachers of color.
The Black Teacher Project
As the name suggests, the Black Teacher Project is focused on supporting and retaining Black educators in schools across the U.S. They believe the more Black educators there are in school the more students will benefit in big ways — a fact we know to be true through data and our own work at DonorsChoose. We’re personal fans of their motto, “Every student deserves a Black teacher.”
The Education Trust
The Education Trust is working for an education system where every kid, regardless of their background or how much money their family has, has the same shot at success. The Education Trust uses the power of research to push for education equity and to break down unfair barriers in schools and colleges. We have to say, that’s a pretty cool mission.
Learning for Justice
Learning for Justice was founded by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a means to address inequities in education. Explore their site to find loads of resources (training, workshops, you name it!) to empower teachers, make schools more equitable, and address oppression head on.
NAACP
As one of America's oldest (founded in 1909!) and largest civil rights organizations, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People fights for political, educational, social, and economic equality for all, particularly Black Americans. While every aspect of the NAACP’s work is vital, we recommend getting to know their Educational Innovation work especially.
National Society of Black Engineers
Another STEM-forward organization we admire, the National Society of Black Engineers is student-led and works to eliminate systemic inequities in education for the field of engineering (as you might have guessed from the name). NSBE provides awesome resources for both pre-collegiate and collegiate students who are interested in achieving Black engineer excellence.
National Urban League
While the National Urban League has a much broader mission to promote economic empowerment and equity for all Black people and other underserved communities in the country, part of this organization’s work to achieve this goal is programs that help close gaps in education specifically. In fact, the National Urban League has a ton of signature projects focused on supporting students of color that are worth checking out out.
Race Forward
Race Forward has been around for over 40 years working to dismantle structural racism through collective community power. What caught the attention of our team at DonorsChoose especially is their Honest Education Action & Leadership work. This is a collaborative effort with students, parents, educators, and school board members to provide resources that help build public education that reflects the best of who we are and who we can be.
Rethinking Schools
Founded by public school teachers, education activists, and community members, Rethinking Schools is a leading publisher for social justice education materials, including a grassroots magazine that features issues in social and racial justice in education. This is such a solid resource for educators and educational supporters alike to help close the equity gap in learning.
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
TMCF is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community — and they also provide tremendous support for the country’s K-12 system. One particular program worthy of a shout out is their Teacher Quality and Retention program that helps to support aspiring, pre-service, and new teachers from publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominately Black Institutions.
UNCF
Through student scholarships, providing financial support to HBCUs, and serving as the nation’s leading advocates for minority education and community engagement, UNCF is dedicated to increasing the total annual number of Black college graduates — a mission they’ve been succeeding at for nearly seven decades now.
Word In Black
Word in Black is a collaboration of 10 leading Black publishers. Their vision? Be the most trusted news and information source for, about, and by Black people. Their reporting on educational equity in K-12 in particular is something we cannot recommend highly enough.
Black Lives Matter at School
National Black Lives Matter at School strives for racial justice in education for Black youth, educators, and all youth of color. To do so, they advocate for mental health support, increases in Black teaching staff, ending police presence in schools, and mandating Black history and ethnic studies.
100 Black Men of America, Inc
This organization is all about mentorship; it’s one of America’s top Black-led mentoring organizations, in fact! Supplying resources and learning tools that young people need to feel empowered in their education and their futures, 100 Black Men of America also have chapters across the country to better address needs specific to communities — an approach we love to see at DonorsChoose.
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Of course, these are only some of the many organizations supporting Black educators and students and striving for equity in our education system. We hope you found a few of your favorite organizations on this list or found a new organization to check out.
DonorsChoose is the leading nonprofit classroom funding site for public school teachers. You can learn more about our innovative classroom funding model or find a classroom near you to support.
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