DonorsChoose Match Reached: $100k to Nutrition Ed & School Food Projects!
Photo credit: DonorsChoose
We’re happy to report that our $100k of matching donations on the DonorsChoose platform has been reached, helping teachers across the country implement nutrition education and school food projects with a total of $200k in funding coming from hundred of individual donations in addition to our own. We matched 1,249 donations made by 989 individual donors with an average of $61 per donation.
Over the summer, we matched $100k of individual donations on DonorsChoose to projects focused on nutrition education and school food in low-income, highly diverse schools (called equity focus schools) across the U.S., grades K-12. For those unfamiliar, DonorsChoose is an incredible nonprofit platform that makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need by supporting a project they post, with the goal of moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences to support a great education.
Directed by the contributions of individual donors, Newman’s Own Foundations $100k match helped double the impact of their donations, funding 461 projects across 380 schools and supporting 406 hard-working teachers across the country.
Funded projects were spread across grade levels and geography, reaching students K-12 and supporting schools from Alaska to Florida, from New York to Nevada.
One of our favorite parts of this initiative is hearing from the teachers whose projects we supported that are on the frontline of achieving food justice for kids:
Cultivating Healthy Habits Through Food Exploration
“Dear Newman’s Own Foundation,
I’m incredibly thankful for your generous support. It made a huge difference in our recent food unit! I believe a healthy body leads to a healthy mind, so emphasizing good nutrition is essential. Thanks to Newman’s Own Foundation, our food unit came alive! Students got hands-on experience making fresh juice, healthy pancakes, and delicious omelets using the new juicer, electric grill, and electric pan – these appliances were key to bringing the unit to life! My students were excited, empowered, and engaged in this activity. They ranked this day as number 1 in the ratings. The excitement continues! We’re now starting our own vegetable garden to grow ingredients for future juices, planting tomatoes, cucumbers, and leafy greens for a variety of options!”
Mrs. Zelasco | Grades 3-5 | Bronx, NY
Summer Baking Experience
“Dear Newman’s Own Foundation,
Students were totally engaged in the baking experience. The love of cooking was gained and I totally enjoyed sharing the love of baking with them. Thank you so much for your donations. The students enjoyed all aspects of the Summer that baking offered.”
Ms. Ford | Grades 9-12 | New Orleans, LA
From Herb Garden to Table
“Dear Newman’s Own Foundation,
Thank you so much for the donation of an herb garden to our classroom. Classroom gardens should be more about the experience and magic of growing rather than what is produced. Students who have a connection with their food are more likely to eat it and enjoy it. Children who grow their own food also form an emotional connection with nutritious food because they do the hard work of nurturing it into an edible plant. Even growing herbs, flowers, or houseplants can be a satisfying and educational way to get your students more connected to nature. We are fortunate to have big classroom windows with plenty of natural light. The students planted the seeds and watered them frequently. They were able to watch their plants grow. We had enough small pots for the students to take home and continue to care for their plant.”
Ms. Rivera | Grades 3-5 | Bronx, NY
This summer’s collaboration with DonorsChoose strives to continue our commitment to more participatory, open, and transparent grantmaking. Our hats are off to the individual donors and teachers who nourish and transform the lives of children in schools across the U.S every day. Thank you, and so happy we have been able to help!
