One of those was a grant for books from one of the dollar stores — the chain basically gave a small check to every English teacher who requested it, to purchase books for their classrooms (real money, not credit at the store).

The NCTE (National Committee for Teachers of English) also had some discussion forums that exchanged this kind of information; I’m sure that other professional groups also share such data.

Many school districts have a “local foundation” (such as “[cityname] Partners in Education” or “[cityname] Education Foundation” that have a simple single-page grant form to get a small grant of $500 or less for a specific need.

Many local civic groups (Rotary Clubs, Lions, Kiwanis, etc.) also are quite responsive to small requests for assistance, especially if the request is related to some theme that the group is interested in (many Lions Clubs donate money for themes related to vision/blindness; Rotary International has focused on “polio eradication” as a major theme; local clubs often have specific “themes” but supporting teachers is something that ALL of these civic groups tend to do, when possible.)

Check if your local newspaper or someone else locally has a “Teacher Wish List” project (some newspapers publish one request for every teacher who submits one, and many folks, including me, respond to these by donating items we have on hand).

Note that when submitting a grant application to some organizations, you may need to be explicit in explaining what a charter school is — some people think a charter school is a “private school” or a “religious school” or any other uninformed assumption that might damage your prospects of getting a grant. (Make clear that your school is part of your local school district, and that a donation to your classroom is the same as donating to any other public school in your district.) But recognize that if there is any controversy regarding your charter school, it may lead some organizations to pass you by, in order to avoid any perception that they are “taking sides.”

Finally, be sure to comply with your district’s and school’s requirements — they may require that you get approval (from your principal, or perhaps someone at the district office) before submitting a grant application or even sending a letter on school letterhead. If anyone has a grudge against you or your school, breaking these rules may be “fatal.”

Also try the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation/ What materials do you need. If it is stationary supplies that are needed try local stationary stores such as Staples and local stores as well.

Ask the parents if they know of places that will contribute materials..

Make sure that you have the approval of the principal when asking for contributions.

Try stores the craft supply store for give aways