Getting Funded through Donors Choose (Rewind)
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In the beginning, I struggled with getting funded on Donors Choose. My students in my classroom needed technology and new books. I would post a project for $1200, and let it sit there hoping it gets funded. I didn’t realize at the time that I needed to put in some elbow grease to get the project funded. Within a year, I have had a total of 10 projects funded with Donors Choose! I have included some tips on how you can get your project funded on Donors Choose.
Tip 1
Reach out to all your family and friends first. I always make them aware that I am trying to fund a project. Their kindness has been overwhelming. Just remember that they aren’t the only way to get funded.
Tip 2
Donate to your own project! Even if it is $3 try to be the first person to give to your project. In the past I never donated to my own project. After doing some research and reflection, people are more likely to give if they see others have given. So kick start your project with a small donation.
Also look for ways that you can use the matching codes. I always check first to see if I can get a project matched before writing the project. Project matching means that if someone gives to your project then they will match what is given. If there is a way I can get what I need with a match code, I always go for that option first.
Tip 3
Keep your project under $500 dollars. I have found a lot of success with keeping my projects small. If I need a grant that is more than $500, I break them up into small parts that are under $500. For example, I wanted $1500 worth of technology for my students. Instead of posting one big project I posted it into three small parts. All three projects were funded very quickly with the matching codes.
Tip 4:
Join giving pages on Facebook! A giving page is a community of people who help promote your project to get funded. There are some amazing giving pages on Facebook. There are some large giving pages. My favorite is Caring Classrooms on Facebook. Here is the link to the Caring Classrooms Giving page on Facebook.
Bonus Tip!
If you have never submitted a project on Donors Choose, start now! Using my referral link you will get your project matched the first week. Use the following steps to get funded quickly.
- Sign-up for Donors Choose
- Create a project for under $100 (remember you can always create multiple ones). Doing this within the first you can get your project double. In other words, all you need to do is $50 to get your project funded.
- Use the steps above to get funded.
These tips have been really helpful for me in getting amazing items for my
