The DonorsChoose crowdfunding website allows teachers to request donations from the public for a variety of classroom projects. So what are teachers seeking to fund? A new report from Grantmakers for Education sheds some light.
The report looked at the 1.8 million crowdfunding requests made from 2009 to 2019 and discovered that:
- High-poverty schools make the most requests (58%), but, since 2017, projects at low-poverty schools have been more likely to get fully funded.
- The vast majority of teachers request academic materials, usually for iteracy and language (736, 596 requests), followed by math and science (516,377 requests).
- Although requests related to warmth, care, and hunger were the smallest in number, it is the fastest-growing category of requests. In addition, the number of requests mentioning social justice and equity and social-emotional learning has increased in recent years.
- Around 64% of projects receive full funding. Projects for preschool and kindergarten students are most likely to be funded, followed closely by high school projects. And urban schools are more likely to receive full funding, followed by suburban and then rural schools.
- Teachers in high-poverty schools are more likely to request funds to meet students’ basic needs, to support English as a second language programs, and for team sports. And teachers in low-poverty schools are more likely to request funds for economics, foreign languages, and students with special needs.
Source: Coggins, C., Miller, R., & Smith, R. (2020, February). A view from the classroom: What teachers can tell philanthropy about the needs of students. Portland, OR: Grantmakers for Education.
