How I Raised Nearly $4,000 for my PE Program

Last year was my first year teaching and it was the first year for my school in a brand new building.  Needless to say there were many challenges and uncertainties facing me, but I was confident that it would be a successful year.  The first challenge I faced was the lack of a gym, and on top of that a lack of equipment.  Fortunately I was able to use a vacant classroom space, but it was no where near the size of a gym.  The equipment challenge was my main focus as I could make due with the space I was given.  For the first month or so I was able to string together lessons that focused on the main areas of a new school year without having too many problems without so much equipment.  I didn't know exactly how I was going to get new materials since there was no budget for PE, and I wasn't keen on grant writing and other avenues of fundraising.

It wasn't until about 5 or 6 weeks into the school year when I had heard about Donors Choose.  I middle school social studies teacher presented on his fundraiser for a projector and discussed the website and the basics of setting up an account.  Immediately following that meeting I set up an account, made a list of what I needed most, and created a fundraising project.  In total I needed to raise just under $1000.  I had no idea how long it would take, and I assumed it would be a while before I had anywhere near that amount of money to complete the project.  Well, within 6 days my project had been funded and my materials were ordered.  I couldn't believe it.  I had never ran a fundraiser before and really dove in head first hoping for the best, and the support I received was incredible.  People from all over were eager to help and donated money just so my students could have new equipment for PE.  Childhood friends, parents of friends, college buddies, families of the school, and total strangers had donated in support of me and my students.

Over the course of the rest of the school year I successfully funded two more projects on Donors Choose, and even got my 15 minutes of fame for doing so.  With an immense feeling of confidence in myself and with the amazing support of my administration and parents of my students, I felt that I could accomplish anything.  A short time after the first fundraiser was completed I started another project, this time aiming to raise a little over $1000 for new equipment.  I had no such luck with this project and it seemed dead in the water until about 5 days before it was going to expire.  Months had gone by without any donations, and I had only raised a few hundred dollars.  I went into a bit of a panic mode and desperation, and I took to Twitter to see if I could reach anyone.  I tweeted at all of the major news stations, professional sports teams, major corporations, pro athletes, and anyone else I felt would buy into what I was trying to accomplish.  This is when everything changed.  About 2 hours after tweeting like a mad man, a news anchor direct messaged me on Twitter asking if she could come to the school the next morning and interview me on my fundraising efforts and my PE classes.  I arranged for her to come a day later and was pretty nervous, but very excited as well.  I finally had a chance to reach a large audience to advocate for PE!!!  My interview lasted for about 10 minutes, she took some footage of me teaching a class, and the story aired that afternoon.  Within 24 hours my second fundraiser had been completed.  I received letters from total strangers two states away saying they saw me on the news and wanted to support my efforts.  I had tons of emails from people within the community asking me how they could send me money to buy more equipment.  In total I ended up with $600 in cash and checks that were either mailed in or hand delivered.  With this money I was able to buy even more equipment, and with the amazing support I was receiving I started and funded a third project in less than a week of my interview.  All said and done I raised about $3800 and gained recognition and support from families, the community, and even the state for all of the fundraising efforts I had made.  It felt great to be able to make such a positive impact on my school and provide for my students.

I am going to let you in on some of my secrets, and give you essential tips to successfully funding your Donors Choose project.

1. Know exactly what you are trying to raise money for.  It's easy to say "It would be great to have an extra $1000 for new equipment", but you must know what exactly your areas of challenge are, and create a list of needs to strengthen that area.  Once you have an idea of what you need, you can make a list of equipment and start setting up your project.
2. Tell your story. When you are setting up your fundraiser on Donors Choose you have to write about what you are funding, why you need it, and how it will impact your students.  Take advantage of every single character they give you to write with.  You must make your cause seem like something people can get behind, and something that they would be proud to say they helped bring to life.  
3. Social Media is your best friend.  Post the link to your Facebook and Twitter, and email it to everyone in your contacts list.  Write up a short description of your fundraiser, and let them know that no donation is too small.  Be sure to ask them to share the link and spread the word as well.  At the very least someone can pass along info on your behalf if they are unable to donate any money at the time.
4. The first 7 days are critical.  In the first week of your project Donors Choose will match any donation up to $100.  Once your project goes live they will email you a notification and send you a code that donors can type in to have their money matched. That means if someone donates $100, Donors Choose will also donate $100.  If someone donates $10, Donors Choose will also donate $10.  In the blink of an eye your donations can double and before you know your project will be funded.  This only works if someone enters the code when they donate.  If someone forgets to enter the code even if they donate within the first week, their money will not be matched, so be sure to make your code highly visible.
5. Create and maintain communication with families.  The majority of my donations came from the families of my students.  I received donations from parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents.  Become a positive part of that family's life.  You are already a superstar in the eyes of your students, and communicating with parents about what is happening in their child's life at school and in your class will add support to your program.  Every parent wants to know their child is in a positive, educational, and successful environment, and they will only know that if you make it one.  

Those are my top 5 tips.  Your story will be unique, and they way you raise funds may be unique as well, but following those 5 tips will put in a position to be successful.  There are many other ways to raise money for your school and for your PE program, but for me Donors Choose has been my go-to.