S1E44: Donors Choose with Curtis Pelham

We love our loyal listeners and we love when they send us ideas.  The idea for this show came from a listener who’s with us today.

Curtis Pelham was one of the first teachers in South Carolina to apply for (and receive) funding for his classroom on Donors Choose.  That was back in 2005 and he'll share that story with us.

In 2000, Charles Best, a teacher at a Bronx public high school, thought about all the money he and his colleagues were spending on books, art supplies, and other materials for their students.

They weren't alone — today, teachers still spend an average of $500 out of pocket on their classrooms each year.

Charles figured there were people who'd want to help if they could see where their money was going.

He founded DonorsChoose, a website where teachers could post requests for classroom resources, and its been going gangbusters ever since - YAY!

87% of public schools in America have posted a project on www.donorschoose.org

89,119 schools across the country have received their requests - WOOHOO!!!

• They vet all requests
• purchase each item
• ship materials directly to verified teachers

Charleston native, Stephen Colbert has been involved since 2007 and is on their board.

In 2015 Colbert funded all the SC Donors Choose 1,000 projects totaling more than $800,000 in 375 schools

Other celebrities do it too – Seth Rogan, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Serena Williams, Anna Kendrick.

Follow Robin on Instagram and drop a birthday emoji before the end of the day on Aug 27 (Robin's birthday) and if your name is drawn on Mon Aug 28, I Robin will donate $100 to one teacher's Donors Choose wish list on your behalf.  You choose the teacher & we send the moolah!   WOOHOO!

IG: @DonorsChoose

FB:  Donors Choose

Do you run a nonprofit?

According to Grant Finder, there are over $600B in funding opportunities available for nonprofits RIGHT NOW!  Robin is on a mission to match you to the funding sources that will support your mission and get you out of scarcity and into abundance.

Check out my website for the next FREE 5-Day Nonprofit Abundance Retreat and let's get you operating in ABUNDANCE!  

Email [e-mail]

Follow Robin on Instagram for oodles of fundraising and tips for abundance along with PRIZES related to our podcast episodes - SO MUCH ABUNDANCE:  @Robin_Berlinsky

>>> 30% of giving happens between Giving Day and Dec 31.  Are you ready?  Because it's never too early to set those wheels in motion - - and remember... 'nonprofit' is an IRS term, NOT a business model.

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