2025-2026
Spotlight Fund Classroom Page Instructions

Note: The “Edit Classroom Page” feature does NOT autosave. We strongly encourage you to write your first draft in a word processing program that automatically saves, such as Google Docs. Then copy and paste the final product into your classroom page when it’s ready.

You must click “Save” at the bottom of the “Edit Classroom Page” screen to save your changes.

1. Upload a profile photo

a. It should be clear, compelling, and/or engaging

i. Photo of the teacher or Memoji/Bitmoji style image or other illustration depicting the teacher

ii. Do not use photos that are blurry, pixelated, or otherwise hard to see

iii. Profile should not include student faces

2. Upload a banner photo

a. Your banner image will appear at the top of your page, directly above your name and your school name. It’s one of the first things visitors to your classroom page see.

b. Your banner photo should be representative of your classroom, school, or subject area, and be clear, compelling and engaging.

c. Mobile phones show a smaller portion of your banner photo (compared to desktop computers). Choose a banner image that looks good at different sizes. You can find the exact dimensions for desktop and mobile in the chart below.

i. Desktop Banner Size: 700×300 pixels

ii. Mobile Banner Safe Zone: 398×300 pixels

d. It’s important that you protect student privacy. If your banner photo includes recognizable student faces, each student’s guardian must submit a Student Media Release Form.

i. You can also strategically take photos that show students without using their faces (ex – back of students’ heads, hands, etc.).

ii. Examples and downloadable media release forms are available on our blog.

e. Uploading a photo constitutes your assurance that you have obtained proper written permission from the guardian of each student whose face is recognizable.


Examples from AdoptAClassroom.org Teachers:

3. Make sure the following details are accurate and up-to-date:

a. Primary Teaching Area

b. Grade(s)

c. Fundraising Goal

i. You can change your fundraising goal at any time by editing your classroom page in our Teacher Dashboard. Find more guidance on setting fundraising goals in our guide.

ii. Note: We recently made a change so that the amount of funds raised shown on your classroom page resets every July 1; that way, the figure reflects what you’ve raised in the current school year.

iii. If you’d like to reset the amount shown on your Classroom Page at another time of year, please contact us.

d. School Name and Address
i. To update the school name or address listed on your classroom page, please submit a Teacher School Change Request form.

4. In the “About My Classroom” section of your Teaching Story:

a. Introduce yourself and describe your students. Personalize your classroom page with unique details that can help donors feel connected to your classroom. This could be something positive about your class, a challenge, an interesting fact, or a story about a student.
i. When talking about students, be sure to protect their privacy by just saying “a student.”

5. In the “What We Need” section:

a. Help us see that you understand the importance of meaningful instruction in the Spotlight Fund topic. Ideas/options:
i. Describe a problem related to the Spotlight Fund topic that you could solve with grant funding.

ii. Share your idea/project/initiative related to the Spotlight Fund topic that you could bring to life, if only you had the items you need.

iii. Tell a story about a student (or a composite – be sure to protect privacy) whose needs would be served by having access to those supplies.

b. You can mention items or types of items that would allow you to provide meaningful instruction here, but you will also be adding an “Update” with specifics on Spotlight Fund-related items that you would purchase with $500 in Step 7.

c. Remember that if your page is public, individual donors will be able to find your page with our “Find A Teacher” tool.

6. In the “Why We Need Your Help” section:

a. How would having the supplies you need make an impact?
i. Share at least one positive outcome that you expect from the supplies ordered with the Spotlight Fund grant.


Remember to click “Save” to save your changes.

7. Post an “Update” that states what Spotlight Fund-topic related items you would purchase with $500.

a. From the teacher dashboard, click “Edit or Post an Update.”
b. Click “New,” and a box that says “Add a New Post” will come up.

c. Mention specific items (or types of items) needed to bring your Spotlight Fund-related idea/project/initiative to life.

d. Keep in mind the $500 amount. Spotlight Fund grants seek to award funds for problems that can be solved or ideas that can be successfully implemented for $500.

e. If you don’t already know what you want or need, you can peruse the AdoptAClassroom.org Marketplace for inspiration, and if our vendors don’t offer the supplies you need, we have an Teacher Choice purchase process.

f. Example

8. Other Tips:

a. Do not include links to third-party websites, such as an Amazon Wishlist, on your classroom page. Per AdoptAClassroom.org’s Terms of Use, third-party links are not allowed, and “Offending posts and pages are subject to editing and/or removal by AdoptAClassroom.org.”

b. You can edit your classroom page whenever you like, but keep in mind that you should have all of the relevant Spotlight Fund-related details on your classroom page by the due date.

We also suggest that you don’t make any changes or remove grant-related details for one month after the deadline, or until after you’ve been notified whether you received the grant this time.