This school year, teachers in America’s classrooms will spend an average of over $700 of their own money to provide their students with pencils, paper, books, art supplies, technology and more to help fuel their learning. It’s no wonder, then, that the #ClearTheList movement — where teachers post their classroom supply needs on social media for donors to support — has fired up once again to help teachers fill their classrooms without emptying their wallets.
DonorsChoose is the largest education crowdfunding platform in the country, and one of the most popular and trusted places for teachers to create their “#ClearTheList”-style requests. Nearly 100,000 teacher requests are currently seeking donors. Unlike most crowdfunding platforms, DonorsChoose is a nonprofit that vets every teacher request and only sends supplies — not cash — to classrooms, so donations to teachers are tax deductible and guaranteed to be spent as the donor intends.
If you’re looking to help teachers this back-to-school season, here are five ways you can help.
Make your donation go farther with a match
Every year, more than 200 companies and foundations partner with DonorsChoose to support classrooms, often by matching donations to individual projects based on various criteria. Look for projects currently eligible for matched donations (including some that offer as much as a 10X match!).
Support your local community
Nearly half of the donors who give on DonorsChoose support classrooms within a few miles of their home. It’s a great way to make an investment in your own neighborhood that will pay dividends for many years to come. You can use the geographic search and map tools to support requests in a specific area, whether it’s the place where you live now, the neighborhood where you grew up, or another place you care about.
Fund your passion
Do you love knitting? Are you an avid gardener, or a budding musician, or a champion of the environment? Was there a book that captured your imagination as a child? When you support a project that matches your interests, hobbies, and passions, you can share your love with the next generation. Use our keyword search to uncover requests from teachers just as passionate about your interests as you are.
Promote equity in education
Racial and socioeconomic inequity remain a challenge for schools to this day. Annually, schools that serve mostly students of color receive $23 billion less in funding than schools mostly attended by White students. DonorsChoose helps our donors address this inequity by spotlighting requests from “Equity Focus Schools”: schools where more than half of students are Black, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander, or multiracial and where more than half of students qualify for free/reduced-price lunch. Search for teacher requests at Equity Focus Schools and learn more about our Equity Focus.
Join the conversation online
Help spread the word by sharing your favorite project on social media using the hashtag #ClearTheList; your message will help others looking for ways to help And while you’re at it, follow us, too; we’re always sharing updates on the latest match offers and funding opportunities on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
More than anything, thank you for your interest in supporting teachers!
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