Recently, Column Five helped us distill some of the data we’ve collected on our site over the past 12 years. We wanted to share one of three infographics that Column Five helped us create: “Tips for Teachers: Ways to help your classroom project get funded.”Posting a project can be a little daunting – especially if it’s your first time doing so. But, thousands of teachers have been successful in posting projects. There are four main guidelines to help increase the likelihood of getting a project fully funded:
- Give your project a great title and your essay a snazzy first line.
- Keep your project cost less than $400.
- Speak from the heart when writing your essay.
- Check your project essay for spelling and grammar.
Of the nearly 400,000 projects posted since DonorsChoose.org was founded, 70% have been fully funded. If a project costs less than $200, it is 90% likely to be funded. After a single donation is made to a project, it has an 81% likelihood of being funded. Certain projects (such as those involving books, field trips, music and art, and math and science) are more likely to be funded than other projects. Finally, requests from teachers in high-poverty schools receive 85% of the donations that come through DonorsChoose.org.While insightful and helpful, these are just suggestions and statistics. The real innovation comes from the imaginations of teachers and citizen philanthropists who believe in the importance of a great education.View the infographic yourself here!
