User:Adoptaclassroom/sandbox

Adopt-A-Classroom is a United States based nonprofit organization created to help teachers purchase supplies for their classrooms by allowing people to donate directly to a teacher. It was founded in 1998 by James Rosenberg, a former mergers and acquisitions attorney. As of February 2012, Adopt-A-Classroom has raised over $16 million from individuals and businesses to support underfunded classrooms, reaching over 3.5 million children. Over 85,000 classrooms are registered, representing all 50 states and U.S. territories. They represent 25% of the schools in the United States.

100% of donations made by individual donors go directly to the registered teacher. The teacher can then use those funds to shop online and have the supplies delivered to their school. Donors receive a report detailing exactly what the teacher purchased with their donation. Adopt-A-Classroom supports operations through contributions from foundations, businesses and individuals.

Current and past corporate partners include OfficeMax, Jones New York, StubHub, Coach, and more.

History
Founder James Rosenberg was working as a mergers and acquisitions attorney when he started mentoring a student at a school for pre-Kindergarten aged children who were physically and mentally delayed. He was surprised by the lack of resources available to the class and was inspired to start something to change the situation. He started with help from law school friend Max Holtzman, quitting his job in 1998 to focus on the mission of helping get much needed resources into the classroom.

How the Process Works

 * 1) Classroom Selection: A donor can select a classroom based on teacher name, school name, geography, or other criteria. If there is no preference, the donation is assigned to an underserved class in the community.
 * 2) Donation Use: Adopt-A-Classroom directs 100% of all donations earmarked for classrooms to the classroom teacher in the form of online credit. Adopt-A-Classroom takes $0 for administration.
 * 3) Resource Ordering Online: Adopted teachers use donations to shop online from various vendors that have partnered with Adopt-A-Classroom. They are free to choose whatever resources they deem necessary for classroom learning.
 * 4) Impact Reporting: Adopt-A-Classroom sends each donor an "Impact Report" which details exactly what the teacher purchased with the donation.
 * 5) Correspondence and Interaction: In most instances, donors receive thank you packages, artwork and other student created projects. Donors can also support the classroom by visiting, chaperoning field trips, and other teacher-coordinated activities.

A Day Made Better
Since 2007, Adopt-A-Classroom has been partnering with OfficeMax to surprise over 1,000 teachers with $1,200 worth of supplies each. Selected schools are primarily Title 1 schools, where a majority of students come from households living below poverty. The schools' principals choose teachers based on merit. Many celebrities have been involved with the cause, from Lady Antebellum to Selena Gomez. The program has won the Peter Glen Award at the 2008 Retail Advertising & Marketing Association Conference.

Jones New York In The Classroom
Adopt-A-Classroom partnered with Jones Apparel Group from 2005 to 2012 in a joint effort to support classroom teachers. The campaign was titled Jones New York In The Classroom. Efforts focused on highlighting the importance and needs of classroom teachers. Each year, well known fashion designers would create t-shirts for sale at Macy's to raise funds for the mission. Other partners in the initiative included Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray.

OfficeMax | Adopt-A-Classroom

 * 2008 Cause Marketing Halo Award
 * Best Social Service/Education Campaign
 * Retail Advertising and Marketing Association Peter Glen Award

Jones New York in the Classroom | Adopt-A-Classroom

 * Cause Marketing Halo Award
 * Best Social Service/Education Campaign
 * Best National/Local Integration
 * American Apparel and Footwear Association's Excellence in Social Responsibility