GoGuardian Gives
A program designed to show our support for the amazing work teachers do.
We know that many educators like you use money from your own pockets for school supplies, student’s clothing, and even food to keep kids fed over the weekends and breaks. In the wake of natural disasters, some of you also help rebuild classrooms and homes, and then still find extra time and resources to dedicate to your students. In fact, the average teacher in America spends almost $500 a year on classroom supplies. We want to help!
GoGuardian Gives is a program designed to show our support for the amazing work teachers do. The idea is simple: you tell us what you need, and if your project is selected, we’ll support you with a donation. Our hope is that this program will raise awareness around gaps in school funding, while directly helping teachers and students.
Here's how it works
Every month we’ll award $1,000 to an educator-led initiative(s) via DonorsChoose.org.
To apply, simply:
- Register and start a project at DonorsChoose.org;
- Fill out the form below with a link to your project;
- Keep doing your good work!
Our team will review the applications on a monthly basis and select a project to fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What kind of projects are you looking for?
We’re looking for projects that have the biggest positive impact on students. That could be anything! Classroom materials, first aid kits, pillows for reading zones. If you need it, we want to know about it. The only thing we’re not looking for are requests for GoGuardian licenses.
- Why use DonorsChoose.org instead of giving the money directly to teachers?
Because they’re really, really good at this! DonorsChoose specializes in funding classroom projects. They’ve mobilized donors to give more than $1 billion and fund over 1.7 million projects. They take care of the hard parts of giving, including vetting requests, purchasing items, and shipping materials directly to verified schools and their commitment to efficiency and transparency has been recognized by Charity Navigator with their highest rating. Working with them makes it easy to give. Learn more about DonorsChoose.org.
- Why not just make GoGuardian free?
We’d love to, but GoGuardian is a business. Because our team has specific talents, backgrounds, and interests, we’ve chosen to try to realize our vision by building the best possible tools for teachers and students to communicate and collaborate. For more information about our approach to edtech, check out this post from our CEO, Advait Shinde.
GoGuardian Gives Winners
Art Allows Creative Minds While Learning
Pencils and glue are needed in our classroom on a regular basis. The paint brushes and tissue paper allow us to add ART to our learning. All of these classroom supplies are used in a fun, but educational manner. We can paint our math facts or cut tissue paper to create math problems. The opportunities are endless when you add creative art projects into learning. Students love to have fun and when they have lots of creative structured time in education, they don't even realize they are learning. Why be boring when you can have fun!
Let's Play House!
My kindergarteners are sweet, curious, and hard-working! They are highly motivated and eager to learn. Almost all of my students come from low-income households. Most are learning English as a second language and come from Spanish-speaking homes. An essential part of kindergarten is learning to listen to and speak with peers, share, and work together. I am requesting materials to expand our dramatic play area! My students develop countless life skills through dramatic play, including communication, collaboration, and cooperation. Using these household props, my students can practice sharing materials, working as a team, expressing their ideas, and listening to others' ideas. I am excited to see how these materials empower my students as communicators!
Let's Celebrate Birthdays in the Classroom!
I would like to take this time to prepare for my students' birthdays for this upcoming school year. I would like to get ready with their gift bags prepped by getting everything all set before the school year starts. This way, we start off the year ready to celebrate every child in the classroom on their special day. I feel birthdays are always important and no child should ever feel different due to their experience. Social-emotional learning is a very important part of our classroom and can be incorporated in celebrating a student's birthday in a very special way. Each child should always feel loved on their special day! I'd like to give each student a gift bag that would contain a birthday card that comes with a bookmark, a birthday bracelet, and a few sensory toys that can be used throughout their learning on their special day! I would also like to surprise them with a birthday seat cover when they walk in to help spark that happiness in their eyes when they walk in the classroom. I am hoping to bring this to life and would like to thank you for considering our family!
Our Impact So Far
Founded in 2017 by Guardian Jessica Lee, the GoGuardian Gives program has impacted numerous organizations and shows no signs of stopping. From participating in awareness-raising American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (AFSP) walks to assisting the LA Food Bank and inspiring students at career days and panels, Guardians don’t just stop there.
Over the course of three Daymaker campaigns from 2020 to 2021 — focused on back-to-school and holiday giving — 195 Guardians helped 317 children by raising $40.3K for everything from school supplies to gifts on their holiday wish lists. The team plans to continue back-to-school and holiday giving campaigns in 2022.
We know each Guardian has important causes they personally support, so GoGuardian leverages Percent Pledge to provide each employee with credits and matching funds to enable donations to charities of their choice. So far, GoGuardian and 160 employees have impacted 46 non-profits by donating $22,349 — with that number growing on a regular basis.