FAQ / What makes The Generation Project different from other worthy charities?
The Generation Project gives donors complete creative control over their donation dollars. Unique among educational nonprofits, The Generation Project seeks to harness the passions and ingenuity of people from all professions. Children growing up in low-income communities benefit from increased opportunities, and professionals from all fields make lasting connections with high-need students.
FAQ / Why should I use The Generation Project to make a difference with my donation dollars?
We know you have more to contribute than money. You can use your own passions and priorities to decide what type of impact you want to make. Be creative. Think about what educational experiences shaped your dreams. The options are limitless.
FAQ / How do I know my donation will meet the needs of students in low-income communities?
Each gift donated through The Generation Project will be widely advertised to students, teachers, and principals. Interested individuals need only to meet application requirements to be considered for the gift. This self-selection will ensure that the gifts are being utilized by interested individuals. The Generation Project will also follow-up with recipients to ensure gifts are being used as intended.
And if you're worried that the gift you design might be too esoteric and might not meet the needs of real-life students...fear not. Educators can always apply for your gift with a proposed "modification" to fit the needs of their students. A teacher, for example, might ask to purchase slightly different materials than you had envisioned, or to implement your vision in a more grade-appropriate way. So even if it turns out you miscalculated when you offered to fund the purchase of a hundred copies of V.M. Zubok's A Failed Empire: The Soviet Union in the Cold War from Stalin to Gorbachev for a second grade classroom, a second grade teacher might suggest that your gift be used to purchase the Dr. Seuss Cold War analogy The Butter Battle Book--fulfilling your desire to help second-graders learn about the Cold War.
Of course, any proposed modification is subject to your approval as a donor. This is your gift, and we won't release any funds until you give your go-ahead.
FAQ / How does The Generation Project implement my gift?
The Generation Project leaves the creative control to you--we simply handle the logistics and ensure that your vision is being properly enacted. Depending on the gift you choose to create, The Generation Project might help find a suitable recipient, purchase items needed for implementation, and conduct visits to schools or other implementation sites to make sure that your gift is being used the way you envisioned.
FAQ / How is The Generation Project funded?
To cover the overhead costs associated with implementing gifts in low-income schools, The Generation Project charges an implementation fee totaling 13.5% of your Gift amount. Our 13.5% overhead cost makes us one of the most efficient charities in the nation. See Charity Navigator for more information. To procure start-up funding, The Generation Project is actively seeking government and foundation grants, as well as direct donations from generous individuals.
FAQ / How can I support The Generation Project and its mission?
First, think about what kinds of experiences you might want to facilitate for students in low-income communities and become a donor today!
Additionally, we are a brand-new non-profit and are actively seeking start-up funds. You can support the development of The Generation Project by donating to our organization. You can donate directly to us or can mail checks to:
The Generation Project
300 W Adams #1000
Chicago, Illinois 60606
We are also looking for talented people to work with us, both as volunteers and as paid staff. Please address all hiring inquiries to staffing@thegenerationproject.org.
FAQ / Where is The Generation Project in the start-up process?
The Generation Project is currently implementing gifts to benefit low-income students in Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Washington DC, New Orleans, and the Bay Area. We hope to expand to other urban areas within the next year, and to serve schools and children nationwide within the next three years.
Although we are constantly making improvements to our community platform, you can login now and create and fund your vision. To ensure that donors' gifts are properly implemented, all Gifts are implemented during the regular school year only.
FAQ / How is The Generation Project different from Donors Choose?
Donors Choose is a fantastic charity that teachers use to fill shortfalls in their classrooms. Although both charities directly connect donors with teachers, The Generation Project differs from Donors Choose in several important respects:
First, under the Donors Choose model, the ultimate creative force is always the educational professionaldonors just choose which teacher-projects to fund. In contrast, The Generation Project seeks to harness the passion and ingenuity of individuals from all professions. You no longer have to be Richard Branson or Bill Gates to make a targeted impact. The Generation Project hopes to engage a wide range of professionals in educational philanthropy, and attract a diverse array of donors to share their individual passions with students. Our model thus allows students to experience opportunities that their teachers simply might not be aware of.
Second, Donors Choose serves the important role of helping donors address lack of funding for classroom or school projects. But because The Generation Project leaves the ultimate creative control in the hands of donors, we hope to enlist a number of donors to fund annual (or ongoing) projects. If a donor, for example, designs and sponsors an inner-city debate team one year, that donor is likely to want to sponsor that same team again the next year, lest "her project" fall by the wayside. While Donors Choose fulfills teachers' requests on a more ad hoc basis, The Generation Project is focused on establishing more lasting relationships between community members and low-income schools.
Finally, one benefit of The Generation Project for teachers is that they don't have to wait for a project to get funded. Because our gifts are pre-funded and available, teachers can apply, get accepted, and immediately start planning their curriculum around an experience or opportunity.
In short, Donors Choose is an amazing charity that has helped bridge many classroom funding shortfalls, but it serves a different role for under-resourced schools than The Generation Project proposes.
FAQ / How will the recent economic slowdown affect The Generation Project?
Despite the recent economic slowdown, there are a variety of factors that will help The Generation Project secure donations in an uncertain economy:
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Although most nonprofits are preparing for lean times, according to The New York Times, philanthropies do not typically experience the same economic swings as the financial sector. The Generation Project has already experienced a lot of excitement and support around its model and vision. Finding the right donors will allow The Generation Project to weather the difficult economic climate while dramatically shifting the life prospects for students who benefit through donors to The Generation Project.
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The Generation Projects gift implementation process is extremely cost-effective because YOU direct exactly how your gift will be implemented. Furthermore, by giving money to kids or schools, you get a tremendous bang for your buck. With $100, you could buy a school library a complete set of Dr. Seuss books; with $250, you could have an entire class of 7th graders competing in an essay contest for a cash prize; for $500, you could buy new shoes for an entire basketball team. Finally, with The Generation Project, you will know exactly how your donation dollars are being spent. Therefore, even if donors do cut back on philanthropy during the economic slowdown, The Generation Project may well offer donors an attractive philanthropic outlet because of the cost-effectiveness and transparency it offers.
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Because recessions usually hit low-income communities the hardest, the recent economic downturn may convince some donors to focus their charitable giving on domestic poverty rather than foreign aid, medical research, or other causes.