Guest Post from The Autism Classroom Project: Donor's Choose

If you have not heard of DonorsChoose, or you are one of the teachers who has checked it out, but has been too intimidated by the proposal writing process, then this post is for you!!!  

In March of this year, I wrote my very first DonorsChoose proposal for a color printer so I could create colorful visual supports in my classroom.  Within 2 hours of my project going live, it had been fully funded.  Within 3 weeks, I received my printer.  Well, that started a whirlwind of ideas for other projects.  I immediately started writing new proposals and since March, I have written 6 more.  Of the 7 proposals I have written these past few months, 5 have been fully funded and the other two have been partially funded! Some of the other items I have gotten from DonorsChoose include over $300 in therapeutic art supplies, math and language arts centers, an X-Box with Kinect, and supplies to support a student led recycling center.   I have done the math, and to date I have had over $1500.00 worth of materials and supplies donated to my classroom!  So, needless to say, I have experienced great success with DonorsChoose and would love to see more teachers utilize this spectacular resource.  

Here’s how to start and if you need a little more in depth help go here http://www.donorschoose.org/docs/DonorsChoose.org_Submit_a_Project_Tutorial.pdf

1.   Go to DonorsChoose.org and create a teacher’s account and upload a classroom profile picture.
2.   Use your start up points to submit a project that is under $400.  These have the best chances of being fully funded.
3.    Think of a creative and catchy title that will grab the reader’s attention.
4.     Go shopping!! DonorsChoose has partnered with School Specialty, Lakeshore, Nasco and several others of our favorite teacher catalogues.  Keep the items student centered!!!
5.    Summarize your request.  Explain why your students need the items your requesting.
6.   Tell your story.  This is the part where you describe your students and how these items will help your class.  Remember to write well and from the heart! 
7.   Lastly, you are going to provide some simple project details and then quantify the impact. 
8.   Be sure to look for Partner Funding opportunities!  These are companies or other charitable foundations that want to help!  4 of my projects have been helped through Partner Funding!!

From start to finish, creating a project usually takes me 20-30 minutes.  I LOVE DonorsChoose and I know that you will too!!!  Good Luck and let me know how you do!  If you have any questions, please let me know!!

You can follow me at The Autism Classroom Project on Blogger and Facebook!

Leann Sorrell

http://www.donorschoose.org/leannsorrell

My Fish Tank!

I have been wanting to apply for a Pets in the Classroom Grant for awhile now. So this summer I finally took that leap. This was one of the easiest grant applications that I have ever filled out. I decided to go for the grant for glow fish (there are a few different options depending on what pet you want) since I feel that this will be a good first pet for our classroom. Also they glow when under a black light which I just thought was cool. I was notified the next day that my application was under review, and then.... I came home one day and there was box on my porch. I freaked out a little bit because the outside said live animals and I did not have a fish tank yet, but thank goodness it was just the tank. The tank is fantastic. It came with the gravel, plants, water purifier, a small packet of food and extra filters. The light on it has a variety of settings so you can have just the black light, no light, ect. It also has a little drawer on the bottom so you can keep extra supplies in it. The fish arrived via FedEx a week later and now are happily living in my classroom. So if you have ever wanted a pet in the classroom, but did not have the funds, Pets in the Classroom is a great way to go. You can even apply each year for a sustaining grant to help keep your pet healthy and provide food, new items, etc. If you do decide to get the Glow Fish I suggest having your fish delivered to your school. Mine were delivered to my house and I am not sure how long they were on my porch.