DonorsChoose.org

Who doesn’t like free stuff?

What the heck is it?

• Helps public school teachers create and post projects and gather donations to fund them

• Very legitimate, endorsed by celebrities (Stephen Colbert, Oprah, Adam Lambert)

• Pretty much ANYTHING is possible from instruments to tech, field trips, sky’s the limit

• ANYONE ANYWHERE can fund (or microfund)

Ok, sign me up!

• Create a profile• DC finds your school, very easy vetting process• Automatically links your schools free/reduced

lunch (poverty) info• Automatically links you by state, county,

district etc. so people can find your school

Where’s the Free Stuff?• Create a project• What do you need???• TIP: Catchy titles! (corny seems encouraged!)• Go Shopping! (WWBW, BestBuy and more)• TIP: keep it small (esp. at first) $100 minimum!• Break it up, if you can…• RATIONALIZE IT!!!

– College readiness– Technology?– 21st Century Skills– Use techno-babble, edu-babble, buzz words– PERSONALIZE IT!!!

MAKE IT RAIN!

• TIP: fund it your self ($5 even) to “seed” it, friends & family– DC seems to like to promote projects that have multiple

small donations– Success begets success, DC likes people that have

funded projects, but likes first-timers too!• FACEBOOK (if you are into it…)• PATIENCE! (last-minute donations happen!)• MATCHES!!!!!!• Respond sincerely to donors

AFTER THE DONATIONS

• Get the goods– DC and verification

• THANK-YOU PACKAGE– Pictures (upload)– Thank-You notes– Letters

• Cautionary tales…. Or not…– (on procrastination…)– Administrators– Colleagues (emails… jealousy?)

• Who owns it…• Value added