Teachers who register at the Adopt-a-Classroom web site can be adopted by an individual, a business, or a foundation. Once adopted, teachers will receive $500 worth of credit to purchase items that enrich the learning environment, including classroom technology. Teachers help solicit their own sponsors by downloading and distributing fliers within their community or by sending out a personalized, pre-written email from the Adopt-a-Classroom web site. Every donor receives information about the classroom it has adopted, including an itemized list of what teachers bought so donors can see the impact of their donation.

Box Tops for Education

The Box Tops for Education program offers three ways for schools to earn cash through everyday activities such as buying groceries, shopping online, and making purchases with a credit card. When parents and community members clip box tops from General Mills products, schools can get 10 cents per box top. Schools also can earn up to 10 percent of each qualifying purchase made online at the Box Tops Marketplace. Box Tops also offers a Visa card that returns 1 percent of each purchase back to your school. Each program can generate up to $20,000 per year per school, for a maximum of $60,000 per year. Each participating school must designate a school coordinator to be enrolled in the program.

Citigroup Smarter Schools & Smarter Classrooms Grants

The Citigroup Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Citibank Corp., dedicates approximately 75 percent of its charitable contributions to community development and education programs. The foundation's K-12 giving focuses on strengthening education in low-income neighborhoods. Its grants emphasize the creation of "smarter schools" and "smarter classrooms." The "smarter schools" initiative supports improvements in the governance of public schools and higher standards for student performance. It also funds alternative schools that offer more individual attention to students, as well as mentoring and tutoring programs. The "smarter classrooms" initiative supports innovative classroom technologies and successful school-to-work programs. The Citigroup Foundation prefers to solicit proposals from grantees with demonstrated successes. Unsolicited proposals will be accepted, but a favorable decision is less likely. Contact: Charles V. Raymond, citigroupfoundation@citigroup.com

Coca-Cola Foundation Grants

The Coca-Cola Foundation supports high-quality education and encourages new solutions to the problems that impede educational systems today. It also supports programs that have been proven to work. The foundation makes grants to public and private colleges and universities, elementary and secondary schools, teacher training programs, educational programs for minority students, and global educational programs. The Coca-Cola Foundation Board of Directors reviews funding proposals in quarterly meetings.

Ford Motor Company Fund Grants 

The Ford Motor Company Fund makes awards in six categories: education, environment, public policy, health and social programs, civic affairs and community development, and arts and humanities. Across these areas, Ford Fund grants to nonprofit organizations totaled $83.8 million in 2002.

Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program

The Jordan Fundamentals Grant Program will provide 400 $2,500 grants for teachers displaying instructional creativity in grades 1-12. The program, presented by Nike's (Michael) Jordan Brand, offers the funds to teachers in public schools where at least 50% of students receive free or reduced-price school lunches. Grants must be used for resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation or other costs related to field trips and software.

Team Mates for Schools Foundation

Garth Brooks and Major League Baseball join forces to offer grants up to $50,000 to schools and other nonprofits offering learning opportunities for children. Those providing programs for disadvantaged children in low-income regions receive preference from the Team Mates for Schools Foundation. Programs encouraging educational achievement in areas of documented weakness and offering programs for gifted children can apply for funds, too.  Deadlines are April 1 and Oct. 1.

West Group Community Partnership Program

The West Group Community Partnership Program supports nonprofit organizations in the communities where West Group offices are located, including communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York – (NYC and Rochester), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Washington, DC. (For a list of office locations go here.) Support is provided for organizations focused on educating the future workforce, providing arts and cultural experiences to the community, and developing and strengthening youth, families and communities. Deadlines vary according to area of interest. The next deadline is March 15, 2005 for programs focused on educating the future workforce. The deadline for arts and culture programs is June 15, 2005 and the deadline for programs to strengthen youth, families, and communities is September 15, 2005.

Westinghouse Charitable Giving

Westinghouse actively contributes to programs that benefit nonprofit organizations. Areas of emphasis include health and welfare, education, and civic and social pursuits. Within each area, Westinghouse encourages programs that help to meet the needs of populations such as the disadvantaged, the young, the elderly, minorities, and people with disabilities. In the area of education, emphasis is given to elementary, secondary, and high school educational programs that emphasize math and science, although consideration will be given to other relevant, non-fine arts programs.