Featured Doer: Charles Best (VIDEO)

The last name "Best" is hard to live up to, but with a site that's revolutionizing the way we invest in our children, Charles is living up to it. His site, Donorschoose.org, is open to every public school in the U.S., and matches teachers' needs with individual donors willing to fund their classrooms. By turning ordinary citizens into philanthropists, he's fulfilling the goals of educators and parents alike.

Best's idea was born in a Bronx public school cafeteria, where the original idea for the website was drawn up with pencil and paper, and the first users were rewarded with his mom's homemade desserts. To date, it has helped more than 200,000 teachers and citizen philanthropists secure classroom resources for over two million low-income students.

We talked to him about new trends in citizen philanthropy and he told us how all donors can get the same bang for their buck as Bill Gates:

Comments

[Veronica Barrera]

07:36 PM on 06/02/2010

I wanted to say thank you for all that Donors Choose has provided for our classroom and my students. With all the budget issues that the state of IL is facing do you ever foresee Donors Choose creating a midwest office location in Chicago? I know that all of our schools can benefit from the opportunities Donors Choose presents.

[blaism]

10:17 PM on 06/01/2010

Mr. Charles,
donorschoose.org is a site that has allowed me to become more creative and open new windows that I thought I could not open due to the lack of funding. During this time especially, I have already had 4 projects funded within 4 months and I keep telling teachers about the site. How did you get the word out? How did you get funded or sponsored? Thank you so much and I will keep spreading the news.

[myrosetobe2]

03:38 PM on 05/28/2010

Mr. Best, thank you for caring about students and teachers. To what do you credit the success of Donorschoose, when other school supporting, online based charitable organizations have not been as successful?

[Mauri Valentine Wilsie]

08:11 PM on 05/27/2010

Hi. Thanks for all you have done to support the children of this country. I have had 28 projects funded and I feel as if I am finally able to give my students a quality education for the first time in 10 years. Question: Is there any way to add a video "thank you" to the site or a video message to my teacher page?

[Mary Jane Coward]

05:24 PM on 05/27/2010

Our school is losing our school nurse next year due to budget cuts. Can salaries be special requests? Five hundred students with no nurse on site...scary!!!

[csklae]

04:53 PM on 05/27/2010

What is DonorsChoose's goal for the 2010-2011 school year?

[Airsank]

03:00 PM on 05/26/2010

Hi Charles,

Why does DonorsChoose only fund public schools? Do you ever see your organization funding private schools as well?

[csmnicole]

02:56 PM on 05/26/2010

Dear Charles and DonorsChoose.org,

What are some of the goals for the future of DonorsChoose.org. As the organization grows and expands, what are some other areas/sectors that could benefit from DonorsChoose.org as resource? Private schools?

Thanks! Great organization!

[ValvaG]

01:25 PM on 05/26/2010

Hi Charles,

I applaud you for what you and your colleagues do. I think donorschoose.org is a great idea!

As a school administrator, what can I do to encourage more teachers to use donorschoose.org?

[TankGirlz]

12:28 PM on 05/25/2010

Donors Choose is the Best idea!! (sorry pun was written in.)
How can we get State Governments to see the importance of funding schools?

Every time you cut school budgets, it seems you have to increase funding for prisons!
Summer School is the latest headed for the chopping block. My child is an adult now, but I still care about our kids!

[MsHik]

12:18 AM on 05/25/2010

Mr Best, your site has blessed our classroom with 20 desperately needed projects. I work in a high poverty school. The families would love to purchase things for their children to use in school, they just do not have the resources to do so. So, first I'd like to thank you for that. My question, what inspired you to make this site? Were you a teacher?

[khetah]

06:38 PM on 05/21/2010

Charles, I noticed that DonorsChoose.org works with a wide range of corporations. What are some of the more unique partnerships that DonorsChoose.org has worked on? How do you work to blend business strategy with philanthropic impact?

[MADEPOSSIBLE]

11:42 AM on 05/21/2010

Charles, Could you or have you created white label platforms like http://donorschoose.org/saintmichaelscollege???

[Brooklyn Grange]

10:56 PM on 05/20/2010

I recently visited the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania as part of the technical crew assisting with a video production to promote the school. I have never been so proud to part of a commercial production in my 13 years as a film technician. During a conversation with one of the administrators, I was told that MHS spends $75,000 per year on each of its 1600 students, grades 1-12 (this figure included on-site housing in many cases); and that every MHS graduate is entitled, unless excluded for academic or social reasons, to have their college educations paid for by the school.

The staff, facilities and children at MHS were extraordinary by any measure; and even more so because all of the children come from troubled backgrounds. In addition, to qualify for admission a candidate child's parents or guardians cannot have an income of more than around 110% of the poverty level.

My questions are: What is the average expenditure per student in U.S. public schools? And, if you are familiar with the Milton Hershey School, what can we learn from that program - or programs like it - that might be adopted by public schools to improve education?

[pattiandcats]

08:35 PM on 05/19/2010

Hello Mr. B! I think that some people become amazing by being around amazing people, reading about them, even giving birth to them. I love creating amazing moments in my school and I thank you and the donors for inspiring me! I do not believe that your idea can get too big! Could you also form a site where people might donate to shelters, arts groups, community block clubs.etc...all those other areas that help build amazing communities?