AdoptAClassroom.org® is a top-rated, 25-year-old nonprofit that connects corporate sponsors with classrooms and schools across the country that need learning supplies. Our corporate sponsors often want to donate to classrooms in communities where their employees live and work. We help our sponsors achieve their unique social impact goals supporting PreK-12 education, while also ensuring the funds are meeting each school’s unique needs.
To maximize our impact and help our corporate sponsors truly make a difference, we start by building relationships with school districts in the communities our sponsors want to support. By first collaborating with school districts, big or small, we can more effectively identify where support is needed most, while keeping our corporate partners’ philanthropic goals front of mind.
Case Study: MAGNA-TILES and the Chicago Public School District
MAGNA-TILES®, the Chicago-based magnetic construction toys brand, teamed up with AdoptAClassroom.org because they were looking to donate to PreK classrooms in Chicago.
AdoptAClassroom.org worked directly with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the third-largest school district in the country, to ensure MAGNA-TILES’ donation was directed to PreK classrooms where funding was needed most. As a result of working with CPS, we disbursed MAGNA-TILES’ donation to more than 200 PreK classrooms located within the highest-needs schools across the district.
CPS directs donations through Children First Fund, the development arm of the school district. AdoptAClassroom.org spoke with Rachel Orlowski, Director of Institutional Giving for the Children First Fund, about the impact our relationship has on classrooms and students in her district.
“Through our partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org, the resources that have been distributed to schools are resources that, when we talked to principals and teachers at the time of the donation, were items that they had been asking for in their schools,” said Rachel. “The contributions brought a level of joy for the students in the classroom, but also aligned with an educational need that teachers had identified and had been vocalizing to school administration.”
How We Help Districts and Companies Support PreK-12 Classrooms
1. Connect Districts and New Sponsors with Ease
When bringing a new sponsor to a district, AdoptAClassroom.org does the leg work before starting the conversation. We bring all the information about the donor, what they’re willing to give, their giving focus, and the type of school or geographic area they want to support. That makes it easier for the district to move forward with the donation and make the best use of their limited time.
As Rachel shared, “AdoptAClassroom.org has brought a couple of new partners to Chicago Public Schools over the last few years that made significant contributions to supporting classrooms across the city. We wouldn’t have been able to identify and work with those partners if it weren’t for AdoptAClassroom.org.”
2. Streamlined Donation Process
AdoptAClassroom.org holds the highest rating from Charity Navigator for operational excellence and from GuideStar/Candid for transparency. We track how every donated dollar is spent.
Our accountable, flexible funding model helps both the district and sponsor feel confident that their donation is being spent appropriately and as intended, and each teacher is given the agency to choose the tools and materials they know their unique classroom and students need.
3. Help Where It’s Most Needed
When we reach out to school districts about a sponsor’s donation, we work together and use our combined expertise to identify the highest-needs classrooms to receive the donation.
Ninety percent of all classrooms funded through AdoptAClassroom.org are considered high needs.
“When we work at the district level with a partner like AdoptAClassroom.org, we’re able to first communicate with folks who have an understanding of the needs across various communities, schools, and neighborhoods,” said Rachel. “Working with a partner like AdoptAClassroom.org allows us to more strategically and equitably direct resources to where they are most needed.”
4. PreK-12 Support at the Classroom Level
“As the district foundation, we tend to be aware of needs at every level,” said Rachel. “AdoptAClassroom.org has been essential in ensuring that we’re addressing the needs at the classroom, individual teacher, and student levels.”
When AdoptAClassroom.org disburses funds to individual teachers to spend on materials to support their students, we’re helping districts fill gaps in resources — and freeing them up to address other areas of critical need.
Is your company interested in supporting teachers and students? Let’s partner to customize a local giving program in the communities where your employees and customers live and work. Contact us to get started.
Do you represent a district and want to start building a relationship with us? Contact Program Manager Cristina Easton at [email protected].
As Rachel said, “Chicago Public Schools loves working with AdoptAClassroom.org!” We hope your district will, too.