DonorsChoose, 'The Future of Philanthropy,' Provides More Than Half a Million Dollars Worth of Supplies to Los Angeles Classrooms

Bank of America and Sprinkles Cupcakes Help Celebrate One-Year Anniversary

of DonorsChoose-Los Angeles

    LOS ANGELES, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, DonorsChoose celebrates
 its first anniversary of supporting Los Angeles public schools with a
 "show-and-tell" of some of the $575,000 worth of supplies that it has
 channeled to local classrooms. Heralded as "the future of philanthropy,"
 DonorsChoose has pioneered a new model of online giving that helps
 democratize the philanthropic process and facilitate direct giving to
 public schools.
     In honor of its first anniversary in Los Angeles, lead corporate
 sponsor Bank of America announced its commitment to match up to $15,000 of
 donations made to DonorsChoose-Los Angeles projects between March 20th and
 March 31st. "We are excited to continue our support of local classrooms in
 Los Angeles through DonorsChoose," said Leticia Aguilar, Los Angeles market
 president for Bank of America. "This program affords teachers the
 opportunity to provide their students with the needed resources to flourish
 both in the classroom and in the future." Sprinkles Cupcakes is also
 lending its support by donating cupcakes for the one-year anniversary
 celebration at Ralph Bunche Elementary School, which has benefited from
 resources such as art supplies, technology, field trips, and books funded
 through more than 60 DonorsChoose proposals.
     DonorsChoose-Los Angeles is part of a national organization that
 connects teachers with "citizen philanthropists," everyday individuals who
 participate in the funding process through an online marketplace. At
 www.donorschoose.org, teachers submit ideas for materials, projects, or
 experiences that will enhance their students' overall academic experience,
 and citizen philanthropists choose to fund the project(s) that they find
 most compelling - - whether they have $10, $100, or $1,000 to give.
     DonorsChoose offers all donors a level of service normally reserved for
 established philanthropists. Donors decide where they want to invest their
 money, see the direct impact of their donation, and know that their dollars
 were spent as desired. And, donors contributing $100 or more receive a
 feedback package including student photos and thank you notes, a teacher
 impact letter, and an expenditure report.
     "The DonorsChoose system fosters accountability. There's no question
 about where the money goes," says Hylan T. Hubbard IV, executive director
 of DonorsChoose-Los Angeles and a former teacher. "100 percent of the
 donation goes directly to classrooms. Moreover, that money provides
 teachers with materials that they know first-hand their kids need, whether
 it's microscopes or a field trip."
     According to ePhilanthropy Foundation, online giving is growing
 exponentially each year, from $250 million in 2000 to more than $4.5
 billion in 2005. DonorsChoose is leading the way in this trend, and not
 just in Los Angeles. Nationwide, DonorsChoose has raised more than $11
 million since 2000. Additionally, the DonorsChoose system has inspired a
 ripple effect in civic engagement. A recent survey of more than 1,000
 donors shows that their involvement with DonorsChoose has increased their
 interest in public schools in general (60 percent) as well as their
 commitment to voting (20 percent).
     Since launching in Los Angeles a year ago, nearly 1,200 donors from 45
 states have funded projects, impacting 55,000 students, the majority of
 whom are in low-income schools. Sample projects and materials include:
     -- Improving vocabulary with a class set of dictionaries ($150)
 
     -- Discouraging teen pregnancy with "Baby Think it Over Dolls" ($500)
 
     -- Taking students to Washington, D.C. to see the Supreme Court consider a
        case ($2,000)
 
     About Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy
     Bank of America has embarked on an unprecedented 10-year goal to give
 $1.5 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the quality
 and vitality of their neighborhoods. The bank will give more than $200
 million in 2007, making it one of the most generous corporate donors in the
 world. Bank of America approaches giving through a national strategy called
 "neighborhood excellence" under which it works with local leaders to
 identify and meet the most pressing needs of individual communities.
 Through Team Bank of America, bank associate volunteers contribute more
 than 500,000 hours each year to improve the quality of life in their
 communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America
 Corporate Philanthropy, please visit
 http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.
     About DonorsChoose
     DonorsChoose is dedicated to addressing the scarcity and inequitable
 distribution of learning materials and experiences in our public schools.
 DonorsChoose-Los Angeles is open to all teachers in the Los Angeles Unified
 School District, Compton Unified School District, Inglewood Unified School
 District, and Hawthorne School District-which serve approximately 830,000
 students. Over time, the site will expand to serve more regions around Los
 Angeles County. The DonorsChoose-Los Angeles advisory board and supporters
 include Bob Daly, Carole Bayer Sager, Chuck Beck, Sherry Lansing, and Bank
 of America. For more information, please visit www.DonorsChoose.org.
     Contact: Tara Roth McConaghy
               323-633-6741
               troth98@hotmail.com
 
 

SOURCE DonorsChoose