In the last year, teachers spent an average of $687 out of their own pockets to stock their classrooms.1 If you’re one of the many teachers who spends their own money on classroom supplies, DonorsChoose may be a great option.
What is DonorsChoose?
DonorsChoose is a nonprofit organization that connects teachers in need of classroom resources with donors who want to help. Since 2000, DonorsChoose has enabled the funding of more than 2.63 million classroom projects, bringing in more than $1.47 billion in resources to public school classrooms.2
Who is eligible to submit project requests?
Full-time classroom teachers at public (or public charter) schools who spend more than 75% of each workday with students are eligible to submit a project. Other full-time, front-line educators at public schools (nurses, guidance counselors, etc.) are also eligible. Teachers at over 87% of U.S. public schools have created accounts and posted projects with DonorsChoose.2
How does it work?
Visit DonorsChoose.org and select “Get started!” to create a teacher account. Once you’ve signed up, log in to your account and create your project by selecting a vendor, shopping for materials and choosing the items you need. Once your project has been created, you will be guided through the remaining steps to describe your project and explain how it will benefit your students.
What happens after I submit my project?
DonorsChoose volunteers will review your project and post it on the site within a few days. Once it’s posted, donors can visit the site and choose to help fund the project. If your project gets funded, DonorsChoose will order the materials and ship them directly to the school.
How do I get my project funded?
Spread the word! A great way to get your project funded is by sending an email to your students’ parents and posting your project on social media. You may also want to get the community involved by posting it on bulletin boards and windows of local businesses, coffee shops or organizations, such as the PTA.
The good news is 75% of projects reach their funding goal!2 You can choose to keep your project posted for up to four months, although it is not uncommon for projects to get funded within days or even hours of being posted.
Other tips for getting projects funded:
Be strategic. Projects under $600 are more likely to get funded.2 If you have a big idea, consider how you can lower the costs or break it into multiple projects to get what you need.
Get social. Projects with a link to the teacher’s Facebook page almost always get funded. Share your project on social media and ask your friends and family to share it as well. Your local community may surprise you with how excited they are to support your classroom needs.
Let your students shine. Use pictures to showcase your students and your projects. Write about your students in a way that showcases their interests, strengths and aspirations, not just their struggles.
Horace Mann and DonorsChoose
Horace Mann was founded by educators for educators in 1945, and our passion for serving educators has only grown. We understand the unique challenges they face – both in and out of the classroom – and that’s why we’ve been a proud, national sponsor of DonorsChoose since 2010.
Horace Mann and our representatives have donated $7 million in DonorsChoose funding, supporting nearly 30,000 classroom projects and providing learning opportunities to more than 2.7 million students in over 11,000 schools nationwide.
If you have questions or want to learn more about DonorsChoose, contact your Horace Mann representative.
¹blog.donorschoose.org/articles/teacher-in-2023
²DonorsChoose.org
DonorsChoose is not an affiliate of Horace Mann.
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