Donors Choose Offers Easy Grant Money
A Simple-to-Use Website Connects Classrooms and Donors
Jan 24, 2009
Teachers are great at making wish lists. Temptations are everywhere, and the cool materials from exciting catalogs and conference displays are often paid for by teachers, because school budgets are too limited to fund all the extras that can make units dazzling. Donors Choose is a website can change wish lists into inventory lists.
Teacher Instructions for Using Donors Choose
In order to use the site, teachers must create a username account. Creating an account is free and requires some details about location and subjects taught. After a teacher creates an account for Donors Choose, it is simple to write proposals. Everything is a teacher needs is on the site, and the staff is responsive and helpful.
Writing Proposals for Donors Choose
The information needed for proposals is basic. Teachers need to write the need for the project, describe the class that will be using the materials, and then select the materials from the online catalog. It is important to have a clear time-line of need, because the grant may take several months to get funded. It helps to upload a picture that connects to the unit; for example, social studies teachers could upload a picture of globes in their classroom.
Getting Funded by Citizen Philanthropists
Once funded, teachers need to wait patiently. Proposals that are written with a bit of razzle-dazzle may be more effective at attracting donors, but Donors Choose also sends potential donors lists of grants that may interest them. Much of the money comes from Citizen Philanthropists; meaning grass-roots style donors.Often there are promotions to facilitate funding; the Motley Fool likes to fund financial projects, and some states have foundations that automatically match grant money.
After a grant is funded, Donors Choose emails teachers that their grant is awarded. If considerable time has passed, some of the materials might not be available and teachers will have to choose alternate materials, but the catalog is comprehensive and that should not present difficulties.
Obligations After the Materials Arrive
The materials are shipped from the catalog-center, just as though they were ordered through a school purchase. Donors Choose will also send a disposable camera and some paperwork so that classes can document how they used the materials. The camera is returned to Donors Choose, and the class writes thank you notes to the generous donors. Every donor gets a thank you note, whether they donated $20 or $2000. Donors Choose makes this very simple, and it must be done in a timely way.
Donors Choose was started by a teacher, Charles Best, and has an impressive group of supporters, including Stephen Colbert, who issues Donors Choose challenges on his site and is on the board of directors.
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