Philly teachers need help stocking their classrooms. Here’s how to help.

While Philadelphia readies for a new school year, teachers are still trying to figure out how to get enough supplies for their classrooms.

The school district provides educators with a yearly stipend for school supplies, but the need is greater than the resources provided. Teachers are left to figure out how to bridge the gap.

“It’s always been very difficult to make sure that you have everything you need for your classroom,” said Ivey Welshans, a Philadelphia public schoolteacher for the last 23 years. “The resources just aren’t there.”

Last year, the school district equipped her class with what she called “basic supplies,” including paper and pencils. Additionally, Welshans received a $200 stipend to cover any other materials the 54 students in her special needs program needed for the school year.

After years of bearing the cost herself — she estimates annually spending about $1,000 — and taking a side hustle as a tutor, Welshans decided it was time to ask for help.

Putting the initial embarrassment aside, in 2020, she created her first Amazon wish list. “It almost feels like begging,” Welshans said. But, “anything to help a child keep their dignity.” Many of the supplies she needs go beyond notebooks and include things like period products, food, and tooth brushes.

Whether you are a teacher looking for free or low-cost classroom supplies or a person looking to donate, here are six organizations that can help teachers bridge the gap in supplies. If you’re a teacher, we include steps for applying, where applicable, and offer guidance for donors.

According to Welshans, this is one of the best resources for teachers to get supplies that crowdfunding normally doesn’t allow for. Her list usually includes pads, laundry detergent for her autistic support class that teaches kids how to do their own laundry, pencil boxes, notebooks, and colorful paper.

She recommends making your Amazon wish list with enough time for it to gain traction. For the forthcoming school year, Welshans opened it a week after the 2022-23 school year ended and was able to get all the supplies she listed.

However, it’s not an easy process. “You rely on the kindness of family, friends, and strangers,” Welshans said. So, she recommends submitting your list to Clear the Lists social media initiative, which brings attention to teachers’ Amazon wish lists. Two options for teachers to submit their lists to include food blog Smitten Kitchen’s Classroom Wishlist Project and Get Your Teach On.

This nonprofit helps public, charter, and private school teachers crowdfund for school supplies. Educators don’t have to submit a proposal for how the money will be distributed, can keep fundraising open all year long, and receive corporate donations. However, the funds must be spent within a year through the Adopt a Classroom marketplace — which includes 25 vendors such as Staples, Kaplan, and Lego.

To apply: Teachers must be licensed or certified, and work for an accredited K-12 school or program. Registration is open year-round.

For donors: Donate any amount to fund the school supplies of one or many teachers. In Philadelphia alone, 322 teachers are crowdfunding for their classes.

Have a specific school project you need supplies for? Donors Choose connects classroom projects with sponsors. Teachers can sign up for free, and get funding for anything from notebooks to librariers and lab equipment. After the goal is reached, Donors Choose orders the material and ships them to the class within two weeks. If the project doesn’t get enough funding within four months, the money raised goes to the next class project you crowdfund for your class.

To apply: Teachers need to submit an essay describing what supplies are needed and how they will be used. After the project is completed, any leftover materials are for the class.

For donors: Choose to donate money to a class or match other people’s donations. You can contribute to projects close to reaching their goal or use the search tool to help an unfunded teacher. Currently there are about 140 unfunded Philly teacher projects.

Get two free boxes of school supplies for your class through the Supply a Teacher program. This initiative is run by the Kids in Need Foundation and is available for educators at schools where at least 50% of students are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program. Each box comes with notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, pencil pouches, sharpeners, erasers, and rulers — with the option of highlighters, markers, or crayons depending on grade level.

To apply: Sign up with an email address, and explain how these supplies will help students’ learning experience. Applications are open year-round.

For donors: Make a monetary contribution to fund boxes for a specific teacher, school, or district. Currently, 200 Philadelphia classrooms are on the list.

Teachers Pay Teachers is a marketplace for educators to buy and sell school resources. From digital to physical resources, this platform helps teachers find supplies by grade, school subject, and format (for Canva, PDF, Google Apps, and more). The program runs sales, bundles, and offer free products.

Created for teachers by teachers, this platform helps educators find deals and coupons to make the most out for their money when buying supplies. Its website also offers free education printables, ideas on how to make classrooms more inclusive, tips for how to avoid burnout, and giveaways.