Charity During a Crisis: Doing a Little to Help a Lot

Closing an elementary school and relocating students and staff to another. Eliminating kindergarten. Laying off staff.

Poughkeepsie schools Superintendent Laval Wilson said some of those scenarios could play out in the city if future state education aid cuts run as deep as many fear.

I live in Poughkeepsie (New York), and our schools are up a creek right now. I am sure many of you live in communities where schools face similarly intractable financial situations. The severity of the economic crisis in the country and the bleak word coming from Albany indicate to me that Poughkeepsie’s superintendent is not bluffing. Yes, individuals are powerless to address this situation on a macro level, but the average American can do something on a micro level to help out teachers and schools.

DonorsChoose.org is an online venue connecting donors with teachers and schools looking to purchase text books and other classroom supplies or fund special projects. It is an amazingly simple way to chip away at a tremendously large problem and reminds me very much of microloan programs in developing countries.

My family isn’t exchanging gifts this Christmas: Money is tight, and even if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t feel right to go nuts on purchases. What does feel right, though, is to take some of the money we do have and use it to help others. If you are looking for a flexible charity where a little donation can do a lot of good and you choose where and how your money is used, give DonorsChoose a try.