Back To School: People's United Community Foundation Campaign Yields New Classroom Supplies For 25,000 Students

BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Aug. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Public schools in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are receiving new classroom supplies just in time for the start of the new school year, thanks to a People's United Community Foundation $100,000 grant to DonorsChoose.org.

People's United Community Foundation launched the matching campaign with DonorsChoose.org in May in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. The funding inspired 1,877 individuals over the course of three months to match the $100,000 grant. As a result, a total of 423 projects were funded, touching nearly 25,000 students in classrooms across the People's United Bank footprint.

People's United Community Foundation joined DonorsChoose.org as a matching program partner, supporting initiatives that improve the quality of education in low-to moderate-income school districts. Through the DonorsChoose.org website, teachers submitted project requests for materials and resources needed to enhance students' learning experiences. The People's United Community Foundation grant provided 50% of the costs for eligible classroom projects, with the remainder generously donated by individuals, bringing the total campaign impact to $200,000.

"DonorsChoose.org is a wonderful resource for public school teachers who often pay for classroom materials out of their own pocket due to budget cuts and scarce spending," said Vincent Santilli, Executive Director of People's United Community Foundation. "We are delighted with the outcome of the campaign and the number of students who will be starting off the school year with the classroom resources they need. We are also very thankful for the tremendous support from individual donors who helped make this possible."

"Thanks to People's United Community Foundation, over twenty thousand students across six states received learning materials essential to an excellent education," said Charles Best, Founder and CEO, DonorsChoose.org.  "We are incredibly grateful to People's United Community Foundation for matching the donation of almost two thousand individuals who opened their wallet to give to a local classroom."

About the People's United Community Foundation
Established in 2007, People's United Community Foundation was formed to help support programs and activities that enhance the quality of life for citizens in the communities that People's United Bank serves. People's United Bank, founded in 1842 and serving customers from New York to Maine through a network of 418 branches, is the largest independent bank headquartered in New England. The Foundation places special emphasis on programs designed to promote economic self-sufficiency, education and improved conditions for low-income families and neighborhoods. The funding priorities of the Foundation include community development, youth development, and affordable housing.

About DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need.  Public school teachers from every corner of America post request, and individuals can give directly to the ones that inspire them.  To date, 152,000 public and charter school teachers have used DonorsChoose.org to secure $187 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn.

SOURCE People's United Community Foundation