Crowdfunding

Back-to-school supplies await shoppers at a store on July 11, 2020, in Marlborough, Mass.
Back-to-school supplies await shoppers at a store on July 11, 2020, in Marlborough, Mass.
Bill Sikes/AP
Teaching Profession Most Teachers Spend Their Own Money on School Supplies. Should They?
Some district leaders say they shouldn't have to.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 25, 2023
4 min read
Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers of Los Angeles, with Max Arias, executive director of the Service Employees International SEIU Local 99 union, speak to thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and SEIU members rallying outside the LAUSD headquarters in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
A crowd of attendees at a joint rally by United Teachers of Los Angeles and SEIU 99 gathers in front of City Hall on March 15, 2023, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
Teaching Profession In L.A., Teachers and Parents Raise Money for Striking Service Workers
Many service workers cannot afford to miss work during the three-day strike. Teachers and parents are stepping in to help.
Delilah Brumer, Daily Breeze, March 22, 2023
3 min read
Young boy in a school lunchroom cafeteria line and choosing a slice of pizza to put on his tray which includes an apple.
SDI Productions/Getty
Budget & Finance Student Lunch Debt Is Expected to Rise. TikTokers to the Rescue?
The heartwarming phenomenon can solve local issues, but probably not what's expected to be a nationwide rise in lunch debt.
Alyson Klein & Hayley Hardison, December 2, 2022
3 min read
Special education teacher assisting a diverse group of elementary students in art class.
E+/Getty
Budget & Finance Teacher Requests on DonorsChoose Spike for SEL and Mental Health Resources
Educators are asking for class resources to help improve students' mental health and foster SEL skills like creativity and collaboration.
Lauraine Langreo, October 7, 2022
2 min read
Image of supplies for the classroom.
Jianbi Chen/iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance Teachers Take to Twitter to Crowdfund Classroom Supplies
Teacher wish lists posted under the hashtags #Clearthelists and #Adoptateacher are trending on Twitter.
Apoorvaa Mandar Bichu, August 17, 2022
3 min read
Digital image showing figures connected by circles and lines to a large dollar sign in the middle.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Budget & Finance Teachers Use Crowdsourcing for Education Triage, Not Extras
A study finds a mismatch between the basic classroom requests teachers increasingly make on DonorsChoose and the projects that get funded.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 5, 2021
3 min read
Teaching Profession What Do Teachers Need? Nearly 2 Million DonorsChoose Requests Shed Some Light
A new analysis by Grantmakers for Education shows that online crowdfunding requests are on the rise, and the fastest-growing category is for students' basic needs.
Madeline Will, February 10, 2020
5 min read
Assessment Briefly Stated Briefly Stated: Stories You May Have Missed
A breakdown of high-profile news stories you may have missed during the week.
October 1, 2019
7 min read
Education DonorsChoose: It's Not Just For Teachers Anymore
The new effort is intended to make what's generally been a scattershot, teacher-by-teacher effort into something districts can support in a more coordinated manner and possibly prevent some districts from banning the practice.
Stephen Sawchuk, September 26, 2019
6 min read
Teaching Opinion Response: Show Me the Money! Ways Teachers Can Raise Funds for Their Classrooms
Suggestions on how teachers can raise private monies to support their classroom are offered by Alfonso Gonzalez, Holly Spinelli, Susan Lafond, Amanda Koonlaba, and Barbara Gottschalk.
Larry Ferlazzo, July 29, 2019
17 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
Getty/Getty
Budget & Finance From Our Research Center How Do Teachers Fund Their Classrooms? 6 Takeaways
Most teachers say they expect to contribute resources to their classrooms, but teachers aren’t only putting up the cash themselves. In addition to old standbys like grants and bake sales, many are turning to other fundraising opportunities, including online crowdfunding platforms like DonorsChoose.
Sarah Schwartz, April 11, 2019
4 min read
Teaching Profession News in Brief Teachers Riled By Ban on DonorsChoose
Districts say it can be hard to monitor whether the donated materials from crowdfunding site DonorsChoose align with standards and cite concerns that the process makes it difficult to track how money is distributed among schools.
April 9, 2019
1 min read
Education News in Brief Tennessee School District Prohibits Crowdfunding for Class Supplies
A school district in Tennessee says it no longer wants teachers to use crowdfunding websites to get extra school supplies.
The Associated Press, March 20, 2019
1 min read
School & District Management Teachers Are Fired Up About District Bans on DonorsChoose
The news that some districts have banned teachers from using DonorsChoose has drawn a wave of reactions from teachers, administrators, and other readers.
Sasha Jones, March 20, 2019
3 min read