CHICAGO — DonorsChoose.org is now letting teachers in Chicago create campaigns to raise money for students in need.
The website has been used to help teachers get the supplies they need for class projects (450 CPS projects were funded in one swoop in 2014). Now, donors will be able to help teachers provide their students with food, clothing and personal hygiene products by creating crowdfunding campaigns for "student life essentials."
Teachers will be able to create campaigns and write about what their students need, and donors will be able to give money to the campaign on DonorsChoose.org.
The change was made after a survey from high-poverty classrooms showed a majority of teachers had spent their own money to ensure students had clothing, food or other items, according to a news release.
The site has raised more than $19 million in Chicago, the organization said, and has funded 31,452 projects. Those projects have reached 525 schools in the city and helped nearly 3 million children and 2,157 teachers.
