Donors Choose is a fantastic way to get STEM materials that are under $1,000 for your classroom, and right now through December is the perfect time for submitting your projects. As the year comes to a close, there are individuals and companies around the country that are looking for charities to support for tax purposes. Many of these donors are supportive of teachers and willing to help and pitch in funds. When I was teaching, I made the most of this organization, and received over $5,000 in educational kits, technology tools, and supplies.
The key to receiving funding for your project is letting people know about your request and how they can contribute. Share the link to your project and its details to everyone you can. Post it on your Facebook page, Twitter account, and Instagram account. Send out emails to your parents as well as friends and family. Send out fliers to businesses in your community and place posters throughout your school so that others can see your project and help you fulfill your needs.
Donors Choose also has posts ‘surprise’ funding days when all projects that meet certain criteria (and in one case ALL the projects) are magically funded. Sometimes, they give a heads up via email to let you know that something big is going to happen. Take advantage of these opportunities to post a project and see what funding might come your way. Occasionally, we post these DonorsChoose opportunities in our Facebook Community.
We can help you with that DonorsChoose project. Jen Moless is our DonorsChoose Ambassador and mentor for the STEAM Café. If you are new to DonorsChoose.org or not sure how to get your projects funded, you can check out the video we made below or you can contact Jen at molessj@sfusd.edu. Teresa Green (the author of this blog and our newest STEM Café mentor) can also help you with suggestions on project ideas and more! Please reach out if you need any guidance, we are more than happy to support our community of teachers!
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