DonorsChoose.org has partnered with Kia to help schools in need by both providing $500,000 in flash funding to support projects and by training teachers on best practices in crowdfunding. The collaboration will specifically focus on San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

DonorsChoose.org is a successful crowdfunding charity website that allows for teachers to seek help from the local, national and international community in funding supplies for projects. The site has became a wildly successful crowdfunding tool as teachers struggle to obtain classroom resources; the average teacher spends $500 of out-of-pocket money on classroom supplies in one school year, oftentimes more than even their own district. 

Car company Kia is participating in the flash funding as part of its “Holidays on Us” Road Tour and will provide DonorsChoose with the all-new 2016 Optima for the tour. Kia has been invested in aiding education for some time now; since 2012, its campaigns have helped more than 1.5 million American students.

DonorsChoose is hoping that the project will help it reach its five-year goal of having an active project in 100 percent of high-need schools across the country.

In order to help the funding project take off, the two partners are sponsoring best-practices funding workshops.  

“These events will review best practices for posting a DonorsChoose.org project and engaging citizen philanthropists to help sponsor resources for your classroom. Teachers will leave with their first project posted on DonorsChoose.org and may be eligible for further funding from Kia,” according to DonorsChoose.org.

The partners will also host teacher appreciation events throughout the week to help celebrate teachers this holiday season.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

12/07/2015