Hello Classers, welcome back.

Last post, we touched on five very simple ways you could show more interest and support in the public education dream. Those were some non-fiscal options that wouldn’t come too much out of pocket. But the reality of today’s world is that things cost money, right? The food we consume costs money, the medication we need to stay healthy has an eligibility deductible, the train we take to work requires a fare… and likewise, the schools we attend need tuition paid, supplies, textbooks, teachers need salaries, and other resources need to be acquired and available to facilitate the learning function.

So in essense, they need money! And lots of it!

And no educational vehicle needs money like the public education system.  In fact, according to IBISWorld, an industry market research database, between 2018-2023 will see continous growth in public school enrollment, while government funding for both primary and secondary public education show an inverse trend.

A lot of money goes into public education, and there are loads of metrics that go into the when, how, and to whom those funds are accessed and allocated. Some of the variables include district, school population size, enrollment size, economic conditions of state/district/community, racial/ethnic disparities, and also to some degree, where that money is spent.

Yet, it never seems to be enough. Public schools are still in debt. Student lunch programs are being eliminated. Teachers often have to dip out of pocket for supplies for their students, engage in fundraisers, exhaust limited resources and other personal investments. Hence came the inspiration for DonorsChoose, a non-profit platform, started by a Bronx teacher,  Charles Best , who wanted his students to be able to read a book- Little House on the Prairie– that was not in the procurement budget of his school. This teacher drew on the experiences of his and his colleagues and thought there must be people out there (like you and me!) who would not only want to help, but be able to see and build efficient and charitable rapport throughout a donation process.

And so, DonorChoose.org was born and has transcended into a massively powerful donation platform of staff and volunteers hosting and promoting thosands of classroom funding projects, vetting a secure and ingenious donation process, and, through dynamic supplier partnerships, procure materials for all verified schools and projects. Their mission is driven by need fulfilment, their value proposition is built on transparency and integrity, and their success definitely shows itself in the numbers.

• 83% of public schools in America have at least one (1) project on DonorsChoose.org.
• They’ve acquired over four million citizen donors (that’s people like us!), corporate donors, and foundation partners.
• Facilatated over 900 million dollars in charitable donations toward classroom funding
• Touched the lives of an immeasurable number of children and education professionals in the public education system.
• Funding allocated in aread such as visual and performing arts, music, and special needs. [source]

Inspired yet? DonorsChoose is doing cool work! And very much needed. What’s the best part? Literally anyone could become involved. Their website is super interactive, user-friendly, and easy to navigate to get you exactly to where you need to be.

So head on over to DonorsChoose and check it out! Read up on their history and impact, their process, meet their team, and most importantly, find out how you can help by either supporting a project, volunteering with DonorsChoose, or becoming a partner.

Next time, we’ll take a look at another monumental fundraising platform, AdoptAClassroom.org.

Sources:

Key External Drivers– IBISWorld Industry Report 6111a- Public Schools in the US [PDF sourced from Baruch Library]

About– DonorsChoose.org

Impact– DonorsChoose.org