Congrats! You received a donation for your classroom. Your classroom donor might be a friend, family member, person in your community, a complete stranger, or one of our corporate sponsors. No matter who donated to your classroom, they’d love to see the impact of their donation and receive a thank you.
We know educators are busy, so to make things a little easier, we’re sharing ideas on how to thank your classroom supporters. Saying thank you encourages donors to give again, and is an opportunity to celebrate your job and your students.
Getting Consent from Students and Parents
If you include students in your thank you and plan to share it in a public-facing way, make sure you get a signed media release for each student in the photo or video.
You can download the release form in English here and in Spanish here.
Send your donor a thank you message!
When someone donates to your classroom, log in to your AdoptAClassroom.org account and you’ll be prompted to send them a thank you message. It’s a quick and easy way to thank your donor. It’s best to do this as soon as you notice the donation so your donor knows how much you appreciate their support, and you don’t risk forgetting to say thanks.
Note: We strongly recommend thanking your donor using your AdoptAClassroom.org account within 30 days of receipt of your donation. Check out our FAQ’s page for more details.
Post an Update on your AdoptAClassroom.org Classroom Page
In the “Updates” section of your classroom page you can post comments, photos, and videos to keep your donors informed on your fundraising progress, supply needs, and the impact their donations continue to make throughout the year.
Need some ideas? Share a photo of something you’ve purchased with donations to your classroom, or post a comment about how close you are to reaching your fundraising goal. By posting updates you are letting both recent and potential donors know that you’re still actively fundraising and are appreciative of the support you receive.
Read our step-by-step guide on how to post an AdoptAClassroom.org update here.
Handmade Thank You Cards
Idea #1: Individual Student Thank You’s
Get your students involved and make your classroom donors a handmade thank you card! This idea is great for educators with younger students and there are so many ways to do it. Need an example? Your students can illustrate their favorite item you purchased with the donation, like in the below image.
Idea #2: Thank You from Your Class
Everyone loves getting a giant card! Using your student’s signatures or hands, you can create an eye-catching thank you card that really illustrates how many students were impacted by the donation your classroom received.
Idea #3: Thank You Card From You
A handwritten thank you card from you as an educator is a meaningful way to express your gratitude. It’s also a great opportunity to connect with your donor on a more personal level. Be sure to tell them what you purchased with their donation and how it’s benefiting your students.
If you’re not able to send the cards directly to the donor, a picture of cute, colorful, handmade cards also works as an update on your AdoptAClassroom.org page!
Create a Video
Classroom donors believe in quality education, but many of them haven’t seen the inside of a classroom since they were in school. Donors might not understand what it means to buy STEM materials or a ring light for students to practice digital interviewing. Videos are an effective way to show them how the items you purchased are used in your classroom.
We love this video because the educator gives a heartfelt thank you directly to the donor, shows off the materials he purchased for his classroom, and how they impacted his students’ learning.
Check out our tips on how to make a great video here.
Send Donors an Impact Report
AdoptAClassroom.org automatically lets your donors know what supplies you purchased with their donation. However, a donor may not understand how those items are used in the classroom.
The phrase “impact report” makes it sound like a lot of work, but at its core, an impact report is simply a list of what you purchased, pictures of the supplies and/or your students using them, and a paragraph or two about the impact the donation had on your classroom. A great impact report doesn’t need to be long or fancy, it just needs to be specific.
If you’re friends with your donors on social media you can post about how their support made a difference in your classroom and tag them so they see it. If you have their email address, send them a brief impact report about the supplies you purchased and include photos of students using them.
Are you inspired to update your classroom profile and thank your donors? Log in here.
Haven’t signed up for AdoptAClassroom.org yet?