In Partnership with National PTA, GoFundMe to Match Donations to Education Fundraising Campaigns for Teacher Appreciation Week

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- GoFundMe, the world's largest fundraising site, has partnered with National PTA, the nation's oldest and largest child advocacy association, for a "Thank a Teacher" fundraising campaign, a national initiative to support K-12 teachers. GoFundMe will make matching donations of $100 each to campaigns by and for teachers.

As part of Teacher Appreciation Week, which begins on May 2, GoFundMe and National PTA's new initiative will support teachers and their communities all across the nation in raising funds to help kids in the classroom. Whether they need art supplies, new textbooks or a classroom computer, teachers can benefit from GoFundMe's online fundraising platform and this special effort to raise additional financial support for classrooms. Starting May 2nd and through May 8th, anyone can start a campaign to solicit donations from their friends, family, and members of the GoFundMe community to support a special teacher and help fund the purchase of critical materials and supplies.

"Too many teachers are spending too much of their own money on school supplies. Teachers shouldn't be forced to reach into their pockets because of shrinking school budgets," said Rob Solomon, CEO of GoFundMe. "In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we're launching a new initiative to help bridge this gap. We're pleased to match the first $100 raised by and for teachers and their classrooms, and we urge everyone across the nation to support these GoFundMe campaigns in their communities."

Through the "Thank a Teacher" fundraising initiative, GoFundMe will boost the efforts of teachers, parents, and community members to address immediate needs inside the classroom. As part of this initiative, GoFundMe is pleased to partner with ClassDojo, a communication platform for teachers, parents and students, and with School Specialty, a leader in school supplies, school furniture and educational products.

This initiative and these partnerships speak to the company's focus on education and its commitment to improving educational funding nationwide. In the last year, the amount raised for education campaigns on GoFundMe topped $60 million from over 750,000 donations to support schools, teachers and students across the country.

Schools across America are chronically underfunded. In order to ensure their students receive the best possible education, educators invest significant amounts of their own money in an effort to bridge resource gaps. Teachers collectively spend $1.2 billion out-of-pocket every year on classroom supplies, with an average spend of $500 per teacher per year. In 2015, 91% of teachers used some of their own money to pay for school supplies; 38% used only their own money.

To be eligible for the matched donations, campaign organizers must create a campaign by May 8th and raise over $100 from at least five unique campaign donors by May 13th. While campaign organizers do not have to be a teacher themselves, the recipient of the funds must be a teacher. 

RELATED LINKS
https://www.gofundme.com/thankateacher

SOURCE GoFundMe

Related Links

http://www.gofundme.com