Pretty ProgressiveMany of this nation’s schools are woefully underfunded, especially those in poorer districts. How can passionate teachers help their students without the right tools? Some teachers are crowdfunding, which is a fancy word for getting donations from random people. Follow these tricks for using crowdfunding as a teacher.
Ask for Permission First
If you’re teaching at a public school, there are probably rules that govern receiving donations. Make sure to check your local school district’s policies as well as your school’s rules. Once you get the green light, you can launch your campaign.
Run Multiple Campaigns
Let’s say you need $5,000 to buy everything you need for your classroom. Our advice is to break up that amount into smaller campaigns. Ask for a specific amount to stock your classroom library or buy a new rug for story time. Smaller campaigns have a much higher chance of meeting their targets—plus, they’re small enough that one donor might decide to fund the entire amount.
Be As Specific as Possible
People like giving their money to causes when they know what that money will go toward. To that end, be as specific as possible about how you’ll spend the money. For example, don’t just say “school supplies.” List out all the different kinds of school supplies you’ll be buying.
Relate Everything Back to the Students
Another trick for using crowdfunding as a teacher is to focus everything on your students. Saying, “My students don’t have school supplies,” isn’t as compelling as saying, “My students don’t have paper to write on or markers to draw with.” People want to know how their donation will help your students.
Promote Your Campaign Daily
Finding the time to create a crowdfunding campaign is only half the battle: the other half is promoting it. Make sure you have an account on all the major social media platforms and post links to your campaign often. We recommend creating a new post at least once a day to share across all your platforms. Doing so will help you get the most exposure for your campaign.
We know that most public school teachers are already exhausted, and it shouldn’t be your job to fund school supplies for your classroom. However, if you have the energy and your classroom has the need, crowdfunding might be the answer you’re looking for.
Many of this nation’s schools are woefully underfunded, especially those in poorer districts. How can passionate teachers help their students without the right tools? Some teachers are crowdfunding, which is a fancy word for getting donations from random people. Follow these tricks for using crowdfunding as a teacher.
Ask for Permission First
If you’re teaching at a public school, there are probably rules that govern receiving donations. Make sure to check your local school district’s policies as well as your school’s rules. Once you get the green light, you can launch your campaign.
Run Multiple Campaigns
Let’s say you need $5,000 to buy everything you need for your classroom. Our advice is to break up that amount into smaller campaigns. Ask for a specific amount to stock your classroom library or buy a new rug for story time. Smaller campaigns have a much higher chance of meeting their targets—plus, they’re small enough that one donor might decide to fund the entire amount.
Be As Specific as Possible
People like giving their money to causes when they know what that money will go toward. To that end, be as specific as possible about how you’ll spend the money. For example, don’t just say “school supplies.” List out all the different kinds of school supplies you’ll be buying.
Relate Everything Back to the Students
Another trick for using crowdfunding as a teacher is to focus everything on your students. Saying, “My students don’t have school supplies,” isn’t as compelling as saying, “My students don’t have paper to write on or markers to draw with.” People want to know how their donation will help your students.
Promote Your Campaign Daily
Finding the time to create a crowdfunding campaign is only half the battle: the other half is promoting it. Make sure you have an account on all the major social media platforms and post links to your campaign often. We recommend creating a new post at least once a day to share across all your platforms. Doing so will help you get the most exposure for your campaign.
We know that most public school teachers are already exhausted, and it shouldn’t be your job to fund school supplies for your classroom. However, if you have the energy and your classroom has the need, crowdfunding might be the answer you’re looking for.
