Teachers Need to Take Donations

One of the many problems that I face as a teacher is a lack of resources.  Not having enough supplies will make doing any job difficult. However, since many of my students are already behind academically, not having the resources often makes me feel like I'm being asked to build bricks with no straw!  Nevertheless it's my responsiblity to ensure students learn, so I have to figure out how to keep basic supplies in my classroom.

Teachers take all kinds of approaches to this dilemna.  Some just buy their own supplies.  Which is a simple fix, but often insufficient and unsustainable.  Some just go without.  That's usually completely ineffective.   Some beg, borrow, and steal.  Most do some combination of all of the above.  My primary solution to this problem, is to regularly take donations.

Take Donations from the Strangers

There a few different easy venues that I have used to get supplies for my classroom.   The first and most popular is Donor's Choose.  Another popular place, that it is often overlooked by teachers is Craigslist.  The others are some unconventional sources that still serve well.  Both of these choices are a good option for supplementing supplies, but the combination of all of them is greater than you can imagine.  

Basically, Donor's Choose is a website that gives teacher an opportunity to write the own small grant. If you want to see their little blurp about how it all works, click here.  One of the pros of donor's choose is that you get to pick the specific supplies and other resources that  you would like to see in your classroom.  You can even pick speakers to come and talk to your students.  One of the cons is that it takes quite a bit of time to complete the entire process.  Overall, this is best way to get supplies for special projects in your classroom.

Craigslist  is on-line flea market.  Many people have already used it or at least heard of it, but most teachers don't think to used it for their classroom.  The best part about Craigslist the free section. Everyday people post items that they are giving away for free.  The greatest pro of this site is that you can get a ton of free stuff for your classroom.  The biggest con is that you will most likely have to track down the donor and coordinate pick-up yourself.  Still, I have found that this is the best place to find free office supplies and furniture.

In addition to Donor's Choose and Craigslist, teachers can use list sites such as Freecycle as Listia which focus on offering free items exclusively.

Take Donations from Parents 

Taking donations from parents requires a bit more strategy, but it usually pays off much better.  I believe that: in general, parents want what's best for their child and really want to see them be successful.  I also believe that most parents want to see their child get a good education.  I have also encountered many parents over the years with varying levels of participation and support in the classroom.  In short, they want to help, but don't know how.  The key to getting donation from parents is simply communication.

There are many parents that will explicitly say, "If you need anything.  Let me know."  That's a green light.  Be prepared to share a few examples of things that are needed in your classroom that a parent may be able to supply.  Also, don't be afraid to ask parents to volunteer in the classroom.  Time, is a precious resource and parents can often help eliminate some of the small tasks that eat up a lot of your time, such as cutting pictures and fixing furniture.
I read great article on Buzz Feed   35 Money-Saving DIYs For Teachers On A Budget.  It has great ideas for turning common household items into organizational tools for the classroom.  Asking students and parents alike to donate these supplies could be the easiest way to get parental support.

Take Donations from Students

Just before Thanksgiving Break I send home a letter to parents asking that they replenish their children's school supplies during the holidays.  In the letter, I re-list the school supplies that were requested at the beginning of the school year.  At the end of the list I added "a dime to donate classroom supplies."  I put a lot of thought into the letter and strategically send it out at a time when I think it will be the most beneficial.

Though I work in Title I school., I do know that not every child in our school is not in dire straights.  It is not uncommon to see children walking around in designer tennis shoes and carrying state of the art electronics.  Every year many of my stuents share with me some of the very expensive items they plan to receive as gifts over the holidays. In January, they often return in the finest of fashions and apparel.  I share that because it needs to be made clear that all students are differnet and many students have means of acquiring the things that they want.

The reason why a lot student don't come to schools with supplies is because they either don't want to or don't feel that they have to.  Sure, all of my students know they should bring a pencil to class, but they don't have a strong desire to ensure that it happens.  They all know that if they don't have one, I will supply them with one.  (By the way I don't give pencils to my students freely, but that's a topic for another post.)

Unfortunately many of them feel it's the teacher's responsibility to supply them with one, but that's our fault.  So many students have been given a pencil because a teacher assumed they could not afford one, or had no other means of getting one, or it just wasn't worth the effort of requiring them to bring one.  When this happens consistently students began to believe that's the role of the teacher; to give them all the supplies they need to learn.  By doing this, we train students to have an attitude of entitlement.

To combat that mentality, I started asking students for donations.  I have these small fundraisers a couple of times a year when supplies such as pencils, tissues, dry-erase markers, etc., are getting low.  I ask all the the students to donate a nominal amount (some form of change from a nickel to a quarter) and use it to replenish supplies.

The amount of money students contribute is not of importance.  The lessons of collective responsibility and self-empowerment are the true treasure.

Take Donations from Businesses

Businesses, both large and small, are great partners for all educators.  My advice to educators who are looking for donations or sponsorships is to think about which business can benefit from partnering with your school.  Ask yourself,"What can we offer them?"  Local businesses, for example can benefit from advertisement at school events since the participants are likely in their target demographic.  Corporations will likely want to a receipt for tax write-off and to be name as a sponsor on your website or print programs.  Try to make the connections between your educational institution and the business you are targeting.  For example reach out to sports teams that share the same mascot with your school.  If your school focuses on STEM, target technology firms or if your school focuses on arts, reach out to media firms.  Be creative and purposeful.

Regardless of which venue you choose, remember finding donations is all about creating connections to the community.  Build relationships with those who want to help, and communicate your needs to those who can best help.