Dec. 7, 2006
Charles Best drove into Albany this morning with books about “hungry
caterpillars” and “grouchy ladybugs” and the promise of tap dance
shoes, laptop computers and butterflies – to introduce an innovative
program that has captured the imagination of teachers and
average citizens concerned about public education.
DonorsChoose: How it Works:
-
Public school teachers create student project
proposals
at
www.donorschoose.org, by writing a one-page request
and listing the exact resources needed (art
supplies, books, technologies, sports equipment,
musical instruments, field trips, etc.)
-
DonorsChoose volunteers screen each project
proposal before posting it on the website,
verifying that the teacher and project meet
eligibility requirements, and emailing follow-up
questions to the teacher if anything is unclear.
-
Concerned individuals fund the student projects of
their choice,
in whole or in part, and are emailed immediate gift
acknowledgements.
-
Within the following week, DonorsChoose forwards
the donor an "E-thank-you" from the teacher
which notes the date by which the donor can expect
his/her full feedback package.
-
DonorsChoose purchases the materials and ships items
directly to the school
along with a
disposable camera, guidelines for preparing feedback
packages, and a stamped envelope in which to enclose
the feedback.
-
Students experience the project that the donor made
possible.
The teacher
photographs the students participating in the
project and writes an impact letter to the donor.
Students write their own thank-you notes. This
feedback is then mailed to DonorsChoose
headquarters.
-
DonorsChoose develops the photos, compiles the
letter and thank-you notes, and prints an
expenditure report detailing the purchase of student
materials. This feedback is mailed to the
donor(s) who gave $100 or more, or who completed
the funding for a project.
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DonorsChoose, the brainchild of Mr.
Best, a young social studies teacher from the Bronx, selected the
City School District of Albany for a pilot project in Upstate New
York; if it is successful, as it has been in New York City and seven
other states, it will expand to every classroom throughout New York
State early next year.
Since its founding in 2000, DonorsChoose has connected thousands of
ordinary citizens and teachers in an online marketplace (www.donorschoose.org)
where teachers describe educational projects and donors choose
to fund them. To date, donors using this website have funded over
19,000 projects totaling $9.4 million impacting more than 550,000
students.
Mr. Best created the simple, but
powerful, program as the result of realizing that he and his
colleagues were spending hundreds of dollars annually to fund basic
supplies and other creative materials for their students. Every year
teachers spend $1 billion out of their own pockets to buy classroom
supplies.
Mr. Best was in town today to
announce the pilot project with Dr. Eva Joseph, superintendent of
the City School District of Albany; Maria Neira, first vice
president of New York State United Teachers; and Ann Wendth, senior
vice president of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce;
at a press conference at the North Albany Academy. Mr. Best also
delivered 120 books by Eric Carle for a North Albany Academy
kindergarten classroom, the first project funded in Albany through
DonorsChoose. Other projects submitted by Albany teachers and funded
by DonorsChoose include supplies such as tap dance shoes, laptop
computers and butterflies.
“DonorsChoose encourages good ideas and effective teaching by
providing a simple way to fulfill small, teacher-directed needs,”
Mr. Best said, noting that these teacher proposals have a mean cost
of about $400 and they range from between $100-$2,000.
“The City School District of Albany is very excited about being
selected to introduce DonorsChoose in Upstate because this
innovative concept will tap the creativity of our teachers and make
a difference in the classroom for their students. We are delighted
to welcome DonorsChoose to Albany and encourage our teachers to
submit requests,” said Dr. Joseph.
Vice President Neira added: “NYSUT is pleased to
support New York’s teachers and students by helping DonorsChoose
launch here. We hope that many of our members will submit proposals,
and that the public will go to the website and fund them.”
"For the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of
Commerce, this announcement underscores the ability of Albany and
the region to attract innovative programs and cutting-edge
thinking. We are delighted that the Albany City Schools has been
selected for this program, which enhances public education and
student learning – and helps support our outstanding quality of
life,” said Lyn Taylor, president of the Albany-Colonie Chamber.
The DonorsChoose website is easy to
use. Teachers post a one-page proposal online at
www.donorschoose.org for resources such as art supplies, books,
technology, sports equipment, musical instruments and field trips.
Prospective donors then choose where their money will be spent. In
return, the donor receives acknowledgement from the teacher. Donors,
who give $100 or more to a project, or who complete the funding for
a project, will also receive pictures, reports and personal thank
you cards from students and teachers.
“The other aspect of DonorsChoose
that is important to note,” according to Mr. Best, “is the element
of ‘citizen philanthropy,’ which means no matter how small a
contribution, the ordinary citizens who fund these projects are
treated to a level of service normally reserved for established
philanthropists.”
This includes selecting a meaningful project to which 100 percent of
their funds will be applied; full accountability because
DonorsChoose screens every project, purchases the materials
requested and compiles vivid feedback from the donors; and portfolio
management, allowing every donor to see the total impact of their
donations over time.
Last year DonorsChoose was recognized with the “Nonprofit Innovation
Award” by Stanford Business School and Amazon.com. It was recently
named as a 2007 Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist
Award recipient, and has a four-star (out of four stars) rating from
Charity Navigator. The organization currently serves public schools
in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and the San Francisco Bay
Area, as well as Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
