This week, as you probably know by now, I had a chance to visit iRobot up in Boston. Myself, along with 8 other bloggers, will be competing in a charity competition to win $10K to donate to projects on Donors Choose (more on that later) in August. I am beside myself in excitement.
Donors Choose is this really awesome website that directly connects you with teachers around the US who need a specific amount of supplies to complete a project that isn’t funded at their school. Think of like a “wish tree” for teachers. Its shocking how many there are and quite sad. But its also neat to go through and see how a $30 donation really brings crayons to kindergartners or $100 can bring basketballs into a school. I have never seen a charity have a more direct impact with your donations as this one does. You donate, they buy the supplies and send right to the classroom.
VERY cool.
Anyway, a rep from Donors Choose was there to talk to us and in doing so, gave all the bloggers a $100 gift card to donate to a project we wanted to fund and yesterday I sat down to go through the website. There is nothing more exciting then being able to gift to someone else.
I ended up splitting my donation between two teachers. But after I had used my gift card, one of the donations kept nagging me. It only took another $40 to fund the project, so I went back and donated the $40 myself. ( I am also happy to report that the other project I partially funded has been completely by another donation and that teacher also got her wish)
This morning I opened up my email to this:
My Donors Choose account said that I have “given resources to 114 students and 300 hours of instruction”
If your a teacher that needs assistance sign up and if you have a couple of extra bucks to give, go check it out. I told my DH this year I want to give out gift cards to everyone for Christmas here so they can truly appreciate the holidays by donating to charity. We did that one year with Heifer International. I am not sure that gifting my family pigs and chickens went over really well, but I think this will make a stronger impact.
~trisha
PS While this post may come off as an editorial or advertisement, I was not paid or asked to blog about this. This is a personal experience and I am just really excited to share it.
That’s great! Good job!
This really is an amazing charity and a great way to give back.
What a wonderful idea Trisha. And a double warm fuzzy for you. There’s always the one when you donate and now you also get a thank you. I”m happy for you.
I teach kindergarten. I currently have 2 projects posted. I had 6 projects funded last year. Please email me if you are interested in helping my students.
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
What a great charity. I am going to remember them. With my 1st one starting Kindergarten this year, I am paying more attention to what schools need. It’s sad at what they are lacking.
That is a great idea about the gift cards at Christmas! I’d like to give one to my 5yr old son. It would be a nice way for him to learn about how some students have to go without things he takes for granted at school. Plus it would give him a chance to experience what you are feeling now.
Thanks for posting this Trisha!!
I have friends that are teachers, and it’s so true what a relatively small donation will do in terms of helping them with their classes. A lot of teachers already pay for so much out of their own pockets. They just can’t do it all.
What a beautiful way to continue giving.