In addition to the compassion and care that America’s teachers shower on their students, they also spend tremendous sums of money out of their own pockets on important supplies for their classrooms. In 2015, the average teacher spent about $500, while as many as one-in-ten spent $1,000 or more, bringing the grand total teachers spent on supplies nationwide to well over $1.6 billion. This puts incredible strain on teachers who would rather try to find money for supplies in their own paychecks rather than see their students go without.
The financial burden on teachers to furnish their own classrooms is a concern for everyone who values education and a brighter future for our children and nation. That’s why Lincoln Strategy Group is proud to support DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit organization that allows anyone to donate directly to any public school classroom in the country.
DonorsChoose.org was born in 2000 when Charles Best, a history teacher at a public high school in the Bronx, realized that people would be willing to support teachers like him and his colleagues if only they could see where their money went. As a result, he launched a website where teachers could post requests for funding on projects for their classrooms—some books here, some art supplies there—and donors could choose which projects to support.
Now, that website is open to teachers at every public school in the United States, and teachers from 76% of all public schools have posted at least one project request there. Requested items range from commonplace supplies like books and crayons all the way to high-tech gadgets like Google Chromebooks.
The impact DonorsChoose.org has had on American public education in its 17-year history can only be measured in terms of millions: Over 2.6 million total citizen donors. $554 million raised for classrooms. More than 23.2 million students affected. And as a sign of their commitment to the cause of helping teachers and students, DonorsChoose.org has earned a coveted four-star rating from the charity watchdog, Charity Navigator, each year since 2005.
Students in schools across the country have big dreams, and they deserve to come true regardless of whether or not their teacher can afford the right classroom supplies. That’s why Lincoln Strategy Group is proud to choose DonorsChoose.org as a charity we love, and we hope that you will, too.