Want to hear something shocking? Teachers spend, on average, $860 out-of-pocket each year on supplies for their students (see our 2023 Teacher Spending Survey). Educators at high-needs schools are paying even more out-of-pocket to provide their students with the same learning materials (see our 2024 National Teacher Survey).
A classroom can’t function well without the essential supplies teachers are purchasing; items like pencils, books, snacks, hygiene items, and tools to support students’ social-emotional wellness.
So, if you can’t afford to donate yourself, how can you help teachers get what they need?
Read on to learn three of the ways that friends, family, neighbors, and other community members like you can support amazing teachers without spending any money.
We’re even including ready-to-use templates to make the process faster and simpler. You’ll just need 15 minutes and your phone or computer!
Make sure to read teacher Kaitlynn’s story to find out how her mom supercharged her classroom fundraising efforts too.
Jump To:
- What’s A Supporter?
- How To Find A Classroom Page Link
- How To Support A Teacher If You Can’t Donate Right Now (Including Templates)
- How A Teacher’s Mom Powered Up Her Classroom Fundraising
What’s A Supporter?
A supporter is anyone who cares about teachers and supports education.
Here are just a few examples of people who might want to support a teacher’s classroom:
- Family & friends
- Students’ caregivers
- Neighbors
- Anyone, whether they know the teacher or not, even you!
Supporters may also choose to donate, but they don’t have to! Sharing a teacher’s classroom page link can be just as helpful. Keep reading to find step-by-step instructions for finding and sharing a classroom page link.
Interested in giving? Donate where it’s needed most with AdoptAClassroom.org or search for a teacher based on name, location, or teaching area.
How To Find A Classroom Page Link
A teacher’s AdoptAClassroom.org page link is a unique website URL that allows people to donate directly to their classroom. It’s an important piece of information because it’s the easiest place for people to donate directly to the teachers they care about!
If a teacher sent you their classroom page link or posted it on social media, just copy that exactly. It will start with “donors.adoptaclassroom.org” and have their name at the end:
If you don’t already have a teacher to support, you can use our Fund a Teacher search page to see teachers who have made their AdoptAClassroom.org fundraising pages public.
Note: To receive donations through AdoptAClassroom.org, teachers must first register and create their classroom fundraising page. Check out our step-by-step video guide to creating a classroom page on our YouTube channel.
How To Support A Teacher If You Can’t Donate
1. Send An Email On Your Coffee Break
Email is a popular way to share a teacher’s classroom page link because it’s easy and informal. With our templates below, it will only take a couple of minutes to write the email.
Find the classroom page link you want to share and then send a couple of emails during your coffee/tea/water break!
Template Option 1:
Hi (name of the person you’re emailing),
Did you know that teachers spend an average of $860 on school supplies for their students each year? My (relationship to teacher + teacher name) is an amazing teacher who needs help stocking their classroom with important learning materials.
It would mean a lot to me if you’d consider donating to their classroom page. Take a look: (classroom page link)
All donations made through the nonprofit organization AdoptAClassroom.org are tax-deductible and can be used by (teacher name) to order supplies directly to their school. Plus, you get a list of what supplies your gift helped purchase! Finally, the organization has top scores for transparency and fiscal responsibility from Charity Navigator and Candid/Guidestar.
Let me know if you have any questions. I appreciate your attention!
Best,
(Your name)
Example:
Template Option 2:
Dear (name of the person you’re emailing),
Do you want to make a difference in 5 minutes or less? My (relationship to teacher + teacher name) is an amazing teacher who needs help stocking their classroom with important learning materials. 📓
Can you help? Check out their page here and donate any amount: (classroom page link)
(Optional: Include any additional information like a heads up about a match day, what the teacher is fundraising for, or something inspiring about the teacher)
Donations through the nonprofit organization AdoptAClassroom.org are tax-deductible. You’ll also get a thank-you note from them when the teacher orders supplies. 📝
Best,
(Your name)
Example:
2. Share This Cool Reel (& Other Social Media Options)
If you enjoy carefully curating your Instagram feed or discussing books/crafts/recipes in your favorite Facebook groups, then sharing a teacher’s classroom page link on social media might be an easy option to support the teachers you care about!
We’ve included fundraising templates for you to choose from below. Since each platform is a little different, we’ve included options for some of the most popular platforms. Find a template you like and fill in the blank spaces with the right information. You can customize them as much or as little as you want.
The last step before posting is to add an image or video! Here are a couple of downloadable graphics and one reel video you can use. Just click the button and then right-click on the image/video to save it.
Facebook Templates:
Template Option 1:
Did you know that teachers spend an average of $860 on school supplies for their students each year? 😳My (relationship to teacher + teacher name) is an amazing teacher who needs help stocking their classroom with important learning materials.
It would mean a lot to me if you’d consider donating to their classroom page. Take a look: (classroom page link)
All donations made through AdoptAClassroom.org are tax-deductible and can be used by (teacher name) to order supplies directly to their school. Plus, you get a list of what supplies your gift helped purchase! ✏️
Template Option 2:
Can you help my (relationship to teacher + teacher name) #ClearTheList and fill their classroom with the supplies their students need?
Please consider donating and re-sharing: (classroom page link)
Donations to AdoptAClassroom.org are tax deductible and even a small donation can make a big difference to a teacher and their students!
Instagram Templates:
*Note–If you’re sharing a classroom page link on Instagram, one of the easiest options is to add the link to your bio.
You can find instructions for adding a link to your bio in the Instagram Help Center. Right now, links can only be added from a mobile phone.
Instagram Template 1:
Did you know that teachers spend an average of $860 on school supplies for their students each year? 😳My (relationship to teacher + teacher name) is an amazing teacher who needs help stocking their classroom with important learning materials.
It would mean a lot to me if you’d consider donating to their classroom page. The link is in my bio.*
All donations made through AdoptAClassroom.org are tax-deductible and can be used by (teacher name) to order supplies directly to their school. Plus, you get a list of what supplies your gift helped purchase! ✏️
Instagram Template 2:
Can you help my (relationship to teacher + teacher name) #ClearTheList and fill their classroom with the supplies their students need?
🙏 Please consider donating and re-sharing (link in bio) 🙏
Donations through AdoptAClassroom.org are tax deductible and even a small gift can make a big difference to a teacher and their students!
X (Formerly Twitter) Templates
X Template 1:
Teachers spend an average of $860 each year on supplies for their classrooms.
Help my (relationship to teacher + teacher name) provide a great learning experience for their students by donating to their classroom page here: (classroom page link)
It’d mean a lot to me!
X Template 2:
Please help my (relationship to teacher + teacher name) #ClearTheList and fill their classroom with the supplies their students need?
Give here: (classroom page link)
Donations to AdoptAClassroom.org are tax deductible and even a small donation can make a big difference in a student’s life!
3. Text That Friend Who Cares About Education
Most people have been positively impacted by a teacher in their lifetime. That’s why so many people are passionate about supporting education!
If there’s someone in your phone contacts who might be interested in supporting a teacher’s classroom, check out the two templates below. They can help you quickly and easily write a text sharing a teacher’s fundraising page link.
Text Template 1:
Hey (name of person you’re texting)! My (relationship to teacher + teacher name) is fundraising to stock their classroom with important school supplies. 📓
Can you help? Check out their page here (classroom page link)
Donations are tax-deductible. Plus, you get a list of what supplies your gift helped purchase! ✏️
Text Template 2:
Hey (name of person you’re texting)! Did you know that teachers spend almost $900/year on supplies for their students? 😳
My (relationship to teacher + teacher name) is an amazing teacher who needs help stocking their classroom with important learning materials.
It would mean a lot to me if you’d consider donating to their fundraising page. Take a look: (classroom page link)
Supporter Story: How a Teacher’s Mom Powered Up Her Classroom Fundraising
When third-grade teacher Kaitlynn told her mom Lisa about our Teacher Appreciation Week match day, Lisa took charge! She sent Kaitlynn’s profile page link to extended family, former coworkers, and people she knew through volunteering.
Here’s what superstar supporter Lisa had to say about the experience:
Everybody that I either messaged or spoke with directly they’re like, “Send me the link.” And they got on it right away. In the first two days, it was pretty much non-stop, people giving anywhere from $20 to $100.
And no negative responses from anybody. It really gave our friends and family the opportunity to better understand what she was up against and to help be a part of it [fundraising].