August 9, 2013

Caring Classrooms Community on DonorsChoose

My friend Francie Kugelman is a DonorsChoose guru! If you read yesterday's guest blog post by Francie here on Corkboard Connections, you'll know exactly what I mean! She wrote a wonderful article about DonorsChoose Communities and how they've inspired her to become a donor as well as a recipient of classroom funding. Francie has received over $50,000 in classroom funding through DonorsChoose, and now she's giving back through her efforts to support other teachers' projects. Her article, Sometimes It Takes a Virtual Village, is just one more way that she's helping others.

Francie has been telling me about DonorsChoose communities for a few months, and when I read her article I understood why she's so excited about them. She knows I've been promoting projects and supporting teachers through my Fund-day Sunday initiative, so joining a DC Community is a logical next step for me.

After I posted the article, I realized that I wanted to do more than join a DonorsChoose Community - I wanted to start one! So that's what I've done! I named the giving page Caring Classrooms because teachers who post projects on DC obviously care about their students, and those who become community members show how much they care by donating. I also set up a Caring Classrooms page on Facebook where teachers can help and support each other, and where I can make announcements about projects that I'm adding to the page.

Would you like to become a member of the Caring Classrooms Community? It's easy! All you need to do is to make a donation, no matter how small, to at least one project on the page. Then "like" the community Facebook page to become an active member of the group. I'd also love it if you would help promote the community to others so we can support the classrooms whose projects are listed there.

Caring Classrooms and Fund-day Sunday
How can you get YOUR project added to my Caring Classrooms giving page? First, become a member by making a small donation to someone else's project that's on the giving page, even if it's only a few dollars. Then like my Teaching Resources Facebook Page and look for the call for projects that goes out on Sunday morning as a part of Fund-day Sunday. The message goes out at 8 a.m. EST and teachers can add their projects links under that post any time during the day on Sunday.

Then on Monday morning, I'll review the projects and choose at least two projects that each receive a donation from me. From now on, I'll also add those projects to my Caring Classrooms page where I can continue to promote them to help them get fully funded. I've decided to limit the number of projects featured on the giving page to no more than ten at one time so we can focus our energies on helping them to get funded. As projects get funded and move to the "Completed Projects" tab, I'll choose new ones to feature on the page.

Please remember that since I'm limiting the number of projects listed on the giving page, I won't be able to add all the projects posted on Fun-day Sunday. We often have over 75 projects posted so it would be impossible to add them all. Also, please don't post projects on my wall at any time other than Sunday because my wall will become swamped with project listings. It's a once-a-week opportunity!

I hope you'll join me in becoming a member of the Caring Classrooms Community on DonorsChoose. Over the years, I received several thousand dollars worth of funding for books and materials, and I felt truly blessed each time a project was funded. Now I'd like to give back by helping others experience the same success. I also love DonorsChoose because it demonstrates the value of both giving and receiving. My students benefited from the generosity of donors, and it inspired them to experience the joy of giving when we adopted a family at Christmas. Remember that your generosity will set a wonderful example and can really make a difference!








18 comments:

  1. What a wonderful idea! I made a donation & joined Caring Classrooms. Thanks for opening this up to us!

    Brenda
    Primary Inspired

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for joining the community and making a donation!

      Delete
  2. Laura,
    In just a few hours your giving page has grown in membership with many people contributing. I am so happy for you and all the teachers you and your Caring Classrooms giving page community will help! Thanks for working with me on the blog post. There is now giving page fever in the air! - Francie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Francie! I've been pretty amazed at the results, and it's all because of your guest blog post the other day. Thanks for the inspiration!

      Delete
  3. Love the name of your new giving page. :) I donated and joined Caring Classrooms :)
    Thank you for starting this page!
    Evette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for leaving a comment here and for joining the Caring Classrooms community!

      Delete
  4. This is such a great idea! I donated to a project on the caring classroom!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just donated to a project. That project should now be complete. I have been following your FB page for awhile.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for this site. I joined and donated today as well. I just found your site and have been looking at all the wonderful stuff. Also as a teacher I LOVE seeing all the wonderful things that are going on in the world of education, it gives me goosebumps. My goosebumps are getting goosebumps because of the people giving so that our future is going to be better off for these kids. Thank you for everything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! I'm so excited about all the wonderful things that have been happening in the Caring Classrooms Community, too!

      Delete
  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great blog you have here. I'm a teacher who just donated through your Caring Classrooms page on donorschoose. I have a project posted as well that I'm hoping gets funded.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I don't know how I JUST found out about this community, but I think it is so cool! Thanks for all that you do!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I just donated to a project and posted my own! I love Donors Choose and am so glad to have found this community!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I just posted my project, The Power of Positive! and joined the Caring Classrooms Community. This project is designed to foster positive self-esteem in an inner city school.
    Thank you for your support!!
    http://www.donorschoose.org/project/the-power-of-positive/1781409/?rf=page-siteshare-2015-11-proposal-teacher_2923697

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love Donors Choose and have several projects online right now...Can't believe I just found this site!!! Love it!!! thanks

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.