Internet donors sponsor classroom projects

Tim Fisher needed a better way to review the work of his Washington High School math students in front of his classes.

“I can show them individually and mark up their tests, but I didn't have a way to show them all good work,” Fisher said.

Thanks to a website that connects teachers with people who want to invest in education, Fisher now has an $800 document scanner so he can review student assignments on his classroom's projector.

The website, DonorsChoose.org, lets teachers make personal pitches to receive funding for projects in their classrooms. Teachers post their needs and then wait for the donations to come in.

Fisher did not need to wait very long. He first posted his request in late August and by the end of September, the new scanner was on his desk and ready to go.

“It was my first experience and it couldn't have gone more smoothly,” he said. “I'm impressed that there are so many people out there looking for places to donate.”

More than 39 projects listed in Cedar Rapids have been funded while eight currently are listed as seeking funding, according to the website.

Fisher learned about the site through fellow Washington High School teacher Robert Throndson, who had two projects funded through the website. Throndson has some prior experience with education grants and said Donors Choose has simplified the process.

“There used to be reams of paper just to submit a proposal,” he said. “This was a piece of cake.”

Many of the website's donors choose to remain anonymous leading to some unusual contributions.

Special education teacher Tana Leaverton requested $852 in funding for a multicultural peace garden at Vernon Middle School in Marion. She received several anonymous donations for the project including one identified only as being from an Arizona teacher.

“He said he also shared a passion for international education,” Leaverton said. “I didn't know any of these people, I would just get an e-mail that said somebody had donated.

The website also is frequently used as a way for corporations to find targets for their philanthropy. U.S. Cellular recently spent more than $19,000 making donations to 20 different Linn County teacher projects on Donors Choose.

The website's staff purchases and sends out supplies as soon as a project is fully funded, but the process doesn't stop there. Prairie Crest Elementary kindergarten teacher Becky Kunde recently received several iPod Touches for her class, now she needs to justify the donations.

“I have to put together a thank you package, as well as show that they were actually put to use in my classroom,” she said.