AASA, DonorsChoose.org Launch Digital Toolkit to Help Teachers, School Leaders Access National Network of Classroom Supporters
Alexandria, Va. – Classrooms are designed to create an oasis of learning for the more than 50 million students heading back to public school buildings. Shrinking budgets, however, are causing more and more teachers to pay for school supplies out of their own pockets.
In response to the growing need to support classrooms across the country, especially those in low-income areas, AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and DonorsChoose.org are pleased to release today a user-friendly, digital pathway designed to help teachers and school district leaders tap into much-needed funding to enhance their schools, and enhance teaching and learning excellence in their communities.
The Back-to-School Crowding Toolkit provides a guide for school district leaders on how they can support their teachers’ needs, advance their district priorities and access a national network of education philanthropists through DonorsChoose.org.
DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit crowdfunding platform that has raised more than $725 million for public schools nationwide. Support has come from more than 3 million individual donors, companies and foundations, which has enabled DonorsChoose.org to send classroom materials—not cash—to teachers while, at the same time, providing unparalleled transparency and accountability to donors and administrators.
“District leaders know better than almost anyone that school system budgets rarely cover everything a school needs,” said Charles Best, founder & CEO, DonorsChoose.org. “Our platform is a force for equity, expanding support for district schools beyond the local community. We are excited to partner with AASA to help our nation’s public school systems thrive in the coming year.”
“Superintendents often say they ‘can’t do it alone.’ Nor can school buildings,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “Online crowdfunding makes it possible for teachers to generate donations beyond their local communities. We are encouraged that 75 percent of the funding raised by DonorsChoose.org goes to schools where half or more of the students are from low-income households.”
How it works:
- Teachers at verified schools request specific items.
- DonorsChoose.org vets each project that teachers post.
- Donors and foundations contribute to these requests.
- DonorsChoose.org orders the items and ships them to the school.
- DonorsChoose.org notifies the school in advance of every shipment.
About DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000 by a Bronx history teacher, DonorsChoose.org has raised over $700 million for America's classrooms. Teachers come to DonorsChoose.org to request the materials and experiences they need most for their classrooms, and donors give to the projects that inspire them. To date, 3.3 million people and partners have funded 1.2 million projects on the site, reaching 29 million students and making DonorsChoose.org the leading platform for supporting U.S. public schools. For more information, visit www.donorschoose.org.