Education Week - April 17, 2019 - 9

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How Teachers Fund
Their Classrooms
BY SARAH SCHWARTZ

1

The rise of online crowdfunding
sites like DonorsChoose has given
teachers more options for raising
money. Still, teachers are most
likely to spend their own money
when they need something for
their classroom.

I use my own money

Crowdfunding sites aren't
necessarily a game-changing
source of funding for teachers.

I apply for grants

24
24

How have you spent the money you raised
through crowdfunding? Top six responses:
34%

Books
25

Furniture/storage/wall dividers

I ask local businesses for materials/money

9

I ask family or friends for the money

8

At schools where more than 75 percent of students are from
low-income families, teachers reported needing an average
of $980 over the past year for materials not provided by the
school or district-more than twice as much as teachers in
schools where less than a quarter of students come from
low-income families. And yet teachers in these high-income
areas are able to raise the most money to outfit their
classrooms. These gaps are far greater in some areas than
others. For example, teachers who work with students
from mostly high-income families get seven times as much
money from their school, district, and/or state for
classroom materials than those teachers working with
students from mostly low-income families.

Some schools and districts have banned
crowdfunding-but that's rare. It's more
common for schools and districts to have
regulations on how teachers use the sites.

Does your school/district allow teachers to use DonorsChoose
and other crowdfunding sites?

Yes, but there are official/formal
procedures/restrictions

Manipulatives/kits

22

Yes, but there are informal/implied
procedures/restrictions

Basic school supplies

15

No, and I don't do it
I don't know

● Amount needed ● Amount raised
(Difference in need and amount raised
in parentheses)
($519)
($331)
$1,042
980

($32)
591 559
$451

31%

($102)

649

543
441

25% or less

26 to 50%

51 to 75% More than 75%

Percent of students from low-income families
at the teacher's school (self-reported)

6

About a quarter of teachers say there are either formal
or informal procedures that govern their use of
crowdfunding. Most often, these require teachers to get
approval from a school administrator. Only about 8
percent of teachers report that crowdfunding on
DonorsChoose or similar sites is banned in their school
or district.

22

17

1

Teachers in low-income areas report the
greatest need for additional resources. But
they have a harder time fundraising than
teachers in high-income areas.

Computers, tablets, other devices

Educational games/toys

7

I organize/help organize live fundraising events

Yes, without restrictions

In the past year, when you have
needed materials or resources
for your classroom that are
not provided by your district or
school, how did you obtain them?
Select all that apply.

12

I raise money from crowdfunding websites like DonorsChoose

N/A: Everything I need is provided by my district/school

TEACHERS SURVEYED

22

I ask my district for the money

5

A quarter of teachers have used DonorsChoose
at some point in their career, and the website
is the clear leader among teachers who
fundraise online. On these sites, books top
teachers' wish lists. Still, most teachers have
never used a crowdfunding site-71 percent
say they've never listed a project.

26

I request money or materials from my students/their families

3

When teachers do turn to
crowdfunding sites,
DonorsChoose is the favorite.

48

My district, school or state gives each teacher an annual budget

Only about a quarter of teachers reported
raising money for their classrooms through
crowdfunding in the past year. Among them,
the median amount raised was $750. But
crowdfunding is still slightly less profitable
than grants or live fundraising events:
Teachers who used those methods typically
raised $800 and $850 in the past year,
respectively. And online fundraising isn't
always reliable: Nearly 1 in 3 teachers who
had tried to use crowdfunding said they had
never gotten a project fully funded.

4

95%

I do without

Nearly all teachers-95 percent-said that
they had put up some cash themselves this
past year when they needed resources other
than what their district provided. Teachers
said they spent a median amount of $338 of
their own money over the past school year.

2

Most teachers say they expect to contribute resources to their classrooms-bringing
in everything from books to basic hygiene supplies. But teachers aren't only
putting up the cash themselves. In addition to old standbys like grants or bake sales,
many are turning to other fundraising options, including online crowdfunding
platforms like DonorsChoose. The Education Week Research Center recently
surveyed a randomly selected, nationally representative sample of 500 teachers
about where they get the money for these materials. Here are some takeaways:

For the most part,
teachers think that
school and district
leaders are right to
keep tabs on the
crowdfunding going on
in classrooms.
Eighty-two percent of teachers
said the rules at their school or
district about using
DonorsChoose and similar sites
are appropriate. And 56 percent
of respondents said that
crowdfunding should be allowed
but regulated by districts.

14
10
8

SOURCE: Education Week Research Center

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