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The following is an excerpt of an email from a DonorsChoose.org donor who shared her story with us. (Posted with permission from the donor.)
...One of the most exciting parts has been indirect feedback I have gotten in a couple of cases on the impact of my donations. [O]n your blog a couple of months ago, one of the staffers recounted an email she got from a South Carolina teacher about how various grants had helped her, including a grant for books for a little girl who was then able to pass all her state exams. I recognized this one as a project I had funded and let the teacher know how rewarding it was to hear about this success.I also saw a repeat proposal from a teacher I funded last year (AP Statistics review books), and in this proposal he recounted how getting funding last year allowed his students to do better than the national average on the exam. I thought, “clearly, another funding opportunity for me for this year” and in fact, I did fund again. I let him know how his recounting in this year's proposal how his students last year had fared influenced my decision to fund again this year. His email below is a good recap of why I think DonorsChoose.org is serving a vital need for teachers, donors and students."I often feel like you do. Are my efforts to help and teach my students going to have a lasting impact? You often have to just have faith and trust. Students sometimes return to school [after graduation] or send letters or email, and it's then that I find it's all worth it. For these same reasons, I just want you to know that your contributions make a difference. When I distribute these books, they often say, "Can we keep these?" "Are these really ours?” “Don't we have to return these later?” Most of them are genuinely touched by your generosity, as I am as well."Amy BernsteinDonorsChoose.org donor
