In December, a story about South Dakota teachers scrambling for $1 bills in a promotional event called “Dash for Cash” went viral. Many were shocked by the way the teachers had to compete over support from their community.
The increased need for school supplies and decreasing classroom budgets exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers now spend an average of $750 a year out of pocket on school supplies for their students.
“Our classroom budgets were cut by about 40% by the pandemic, but our students’ needs are at an all-time high,” said Alejandro, a 6th grade special education teacher in El Paso, Texas.
Teachers need community support to help their students, but they shouldn’t have to get on their hands and knees to receive donations. They deserve support that acknowledges them as people and professionals.
Together, we can support teachers in a way that honors their expertise and love for their students. Founded in 1998, AdoptAClassroom.org is a national nonprofit that connects donors with PreK-12 educators who need donations for school supplies.
When donors support a teacher on AdoptAClassroom.org, funds go directly to the teacher to support their classroom needs, whether that’s providing a student with a coat, refreshing their supply of pencils, or getting supplies for an engaging new learning activity.
Ways you can support teachers
Share their classroom page
One of the easiest ways you can help us support teachers is to share a teacher’s AdoptAClassroom.org classroom page on social media to help the teacher raise donations.
Sharing a teacher’s AdoptAClassroom.org classroom page helps the teacher fundraise for school supplies by extending their network of potential donors. Teachers often ask us how they can reach new donors beyond their network of friends and family. Something as simple as sharing a teacher’s classroom page can be a huge help to a teacher fundraising for school supplies.
When we uplift teachers’ voices and needs, it raises awareness of how underfunded schools are and the kinds of support students need.
Donate directly to a teacher
AdoptAClassroom.org has thousands of teachers from across the country looking for donations to support their classroom supply needs. Search for a teacher by location, grade level, and subject area to find a teacher who needs support.
When you donate to a classroom on AdoptAClassroom.org, the teacher can access the funds immediately to purchase classroom materials on our online marketplace of 25+ education vendors. All school supplies purchased with donations on AdoptAClassroom.org are shipped directly to the teacher’s school.
When teachers spend donations they receive on AdoptAClassroom.org, their donors receive a report of what was purchased with their donation.
“I wouldn’t have been able to provide the items my students needed without AdoptAClassroom.org and the people who were generous enough to donate to our classroom. I am forever grateful.” – Anonymous Teacher in Illinois
Donate to a spotlight fund
In addition to supporting individual teachers and classrooms, you can focus your contributions on specific education-related subjects and issues through our Spotlight Funds. Our Spotlight Funds provide grants to educators for larger initiatives that support art, STEM education, inclusive classrooms, racial equity in schools, and natural disaster relief. Even a small donation to a Spotlight Fund will help provide supplies for an important classroom initiative. When teachers apply for a Spotlight Fund grant, we prioritize high-needs teachers with interesting ideas to engage their students.
Ana is a middle school teacher in Idaho and a recipient of a classroom grant from the Racial Equity in Schools Spotlight Fund. With the funds she received, Ana participated in a professional development training called Innocent Classroom. The training is specifically focused on helping teachers eliminate racial bias in the classroom. As a teacher in a rural, under-resourced community, Ana shared what she learned with her colleagues who weren’t able to take the training. She also implemented what she learned within her own classroom.
Keep your resolution to support teachers throughout the year
When donors give on AdoptAClassroom.org, they can make their donation monthly to support teachers year-round. Learn more about monthly giving to support teachers on AdoptAClassroom.org here.
Support all of our programs at once
You can make a gift directly to AdoptAClassroom.org to support all of our programs. Your gift ensures we are there to support teachers no matter what.