If you haven’t already heard about Donors Choose then let me fill you in.
We all know that public school budgets are a joke. Donors Choose is a site where teachers can submit directly to a central organization for things which they need which aren’t covered under their budget. These can be things that you wouldn’t think they’d have to do without (pencil sharpeners), or things which can help inspire their classroom (bubbles – I gave to this one today), or relatively inexpensive things that can help expand the students’ horizons (optical mice).
You can choose to give as little as ten dollars toward the overall cost of a project, and the contribution is tax-deductible. If the project you put your money towards isn’t completely funded within four months, you’re given the option of putting your money toward another project and helping someone else. The nice things about this is that you know *exactly* where your money is going. I know I find it gratifying to think of, for example, a child being rewarded for good classroom behavior with a book I helped buy.
Donors Choose is a reputable organization that acts as a clearinghouse for those teachers with the greatest need. They have branches in several states, and are growing. If your state isn’t listed, I hope you’ll consider browsing NC, my home state, to see what’s needed. We’re one of those states that consistently ranks low in education. (Thank God for South Carolina, or we’d be scraping the bottom.)
Even if you choose not to give, I hope you’ll still go browse, as it’s quite enlightening just to see what teachers need and are having to do without. It can open your eyes to the need for greater funding for schools.
Thanks for listening.
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