I like milestones.
Today one was reached: My 50th project on DonorsChoose.org was completed, thanks to the Rogers Family Foundation and a few anonymous donors.
When I found out late this afternoon, on an otherwise tough Monday, I was overjoyed. The Rogers Foundation is extremely respected, especially in Oakland, and its work to promote literacy is inspirational.
Plus, it’s my 50th project!
Over the years, generous friends and strangers have contributed generously to my projects. Now I focus on physical books, but folks in the past have supported a huge variety of classroom supplies, including computers, printers, tablets, document cameras, field trips, Kindles, and e-books.
I haven’t calculated how much all the 50 projects add up to, but it’s easily more than $15,000.
That’s why I firmly believe that if you’re a teacher, you should always have a project up on DonorsChoose.org.
Make the project very small — usually around $100. Books are best because they’re funded fast. Make a small donation, around $5-$10, to get things started. To get your project out there, feel free to connect DonorsChoose.org with Facebook, but don’t ask your friends too often for money. Instead, let strangers take care of things. If you’re patient, they will. My projects typically take about two weeks to fund.
Here are two secrets, especially for overworked teachers: I use the same exact project description, over and over again, and just change the materials I’m requesting. And I always have another project ready, so that there isn’t too much of a gap between finishing one project and starting another.
Sure, DonorsChoose.org is not perfect for everyone. You don’t want to do big projects on it, and some people will be turned off by the large fees. But for things like books, DonorsChoose.org is perfect. With a nice template, you can easily have 15 books delivered every month to your classroom.
Go ahead and take a look at my DonorsChoose.org page and browse the 50 projects that generous donors have funded. Thank you, donors!
This is brilliant and amazing, just like you. Thanks for the advice!
Thanks, Michele. How much does the average teacher spend in a year? About $1,000? Instead of spending money from their own pockets, teachers should always have a DonorsChoose.org project up online!