Donors Choose is a great way to help provide public school students with the resources that educational institutions don't have the budget to support. This non-profit website allows teachers to submit proposals for projects and materials that help students learn, and then gives 'Citizen Philanthropists' the ability to choose which ideas they want to fund. Projects range in budget, with past proposals including "Magical Math Centers" ($200),"Big Book Bonanza" ($320), and "Cooking Across the Curriculum" ($1,100). Donors can look for projects according to areas of interest and basic needs, and then fund the project that they find the most compelling. After the project is done teachers send out a feedback package that includes things like thank you notes, an expense report, and a teacher impact letter to let donors know that their gifts are appreciated.

After the proposal (consisting of a one page essay that identifies specific needs) is submitted, Donors Choose volunteers review it to make sure that the project meets eligibility requirements, and then post it to DonorsChoose.org. Once the project receives funding, Donors Choose acts as the liaison between teachers and donors, purchasing and shipping project materials, and equipping teachers with the supplies needed for the feedback package (a disposable camera, feedback guidelines, and pre stamped envelope). Upon completion of the project, Donors Choose compiles the feedback package, develops the pictures, organizes student thank you notes, and prints a final expense report to be sent to each donor who contributes $100 or more. To make sure that the projects go smoothly, Donors Choice negotiates the best possible price for materials with outside vendors and constantly works to make their website more intuitive for teachers and donors alike. They also keep a working database of the public schools they can serve, tracking principal names and the number of students who receive school lunch assistance (one way to measure poverty).

The success of Donors Choose relies heavily on word of mouth; so don't forget to tell all of your pals about the unique, action-oriented approach they use to fund education. Donors Choose suggests doing things like funding a project in someone's honor, giving a gift certificate, or opening a gift registry as great ways to get others involved. Students are also helping other students fund projects, and many schools have held fundraising events in order to get another schools project off the ground.

In a time when school budgets are being cut nationwide and teachers are taking on bigger classes than ever before, it's important for each of us to give what we can in order to ensure the success of the next generation. Donors Choose is opening doors for people everywhere to support the causes, projects, and ideas they believe in, and prove that one person really can make a difference.