Teachers use crowdfunding like DonorsChoose to finance special projects. How does it work?

Teachers play a crucial role in shaping the future, yet many face the challenge of limited resources in their classrooms.

In a time when educators are facing retention challenges and supply shortages, many teachers have turned to crowdfunding websites like DonorsChoose to finance unique educational opportunities that support students outside of regular classroom funding.

What is DonorsChoose?

Founded in 2000 by Charles Best, DonorsChoose is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving teachers and their students nationwide.

Similar to GoFundMe, the web-based platform is specifically for teachers to build donation campaigns to fulfill their classroom needs, ranging from basic supplies to innovative project materials or field trips.

"They need the donations to supplement and pay for the things that you don't see on a generic budget and the ones we can't account for," said Mary Mélon-Tully, president and CEO of the OKCPS Foundation.

"The issues these educators face before the children get there and what it takes the kids to be able to show up is more than anyone gets credit for," Mélon-Tully said.

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Or in the case of a Midwest City teacher, donations can purchase healthy snacks for students so they can start class ready to learn.

"Many of our students do not eat breakfast before school and arrive late," Mr. Edwards writes in the campaign. "I selected snacks to give my students brain food to help them have the fuel they will need to focus in our classroom."

Teachers can share their campaigns on social media, or donors can scroll through the site to choose campaigns. An average of 81% of all projects are fully funded.

According to DonorsChoose statistics, teachers across the country spend an average of $500 of their own money each year to support their students' learning. For teachers in high-poverty school districts, this burden is even greater.

How does DonorsChoose work?

DonorsChoose also has a simple and accountable process.

• Teachers create projects on the site, then DonorsChoose vets the project before making them public on the site.

• Users browse through various classroom projects and choose one that resonates with them. As a registered public charity, all donations made through DonorsChoose are tax-deductible.

• Once a project reaches its funding goal, DonorsChoose purchases all the requested items and ships them directly to the teacher.

Donors receive a thank-you note from the teacher, along with a detailed report on how each dollar was spent. This transparency fosters a sense of connection between donors and educators, ultimately strengthening the bond between the community and the education system.

In Oklahoma, DonorsChoose has funded 73,182 projects and raised $44.8 million. These resources have reached 653,661 students across 566 districts in the state according to their website.

Donations were given by over 79,790 individuals within Oklahoma and 52,553 out-of-state individuals.

Many campaigns also find matching dollars from education foundations.

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In addition, large partners regularly step in with matching gifts. The Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation provides $250 to each OKCPS teacher's first funded project each school year.

"We have a vastly urban district with some huge challenges and we have to be able to support and reflect our student body," Mélon-Tully said, "so allocating resources is important and donation platforms have helped."

Considering that Oklahoma spent $5.7 billion on education in the 2016-17 school year, DonorsChoose contributions provided a significant boost to the educational landscape.

Is DonorsChoose good for school funding in the long run?

While the ultimate vision is for schools to be wholly funded without outside funds, DonorsChoose bridges the gap.

"A topic that shouldn’t really be up for debate is the fact that teachers using their own money to supplement classroom needs isn’t right," wrote Mary Mélon-Tully, president and CEO of the OKCPS Foundation, in a column in The Oklahoman.

"When you ask a teacher to describe the reason why they are a teacher, most will say it is because they love their students, they want to make a difference in their lives, they find it rewarding, joyful, and more than anything, their calling."

"Supporting them in the ways we can, like through DonorsChoose, is the least we can do," Mélon-Tully wrote.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: DonorsChoose Oklahoma: What is it? How does it work?