“Every time I get a new issue of the magazine, I am inspired and feel more hopeful about the work that I am trying to engage in. The books I’ve read through RS have also been so informative and inspiring. It can often feel like I am working in a silo, but Rethinking Schools is a lifeline for maintaining a connection to the community doing this work!” – Anne O., middle school teacher
About the Campaign
Over the past 37 years, we’ve thrived because of the support of folks like you – our community. It is an incredible feat that we’ve survived and grown as a grassroots political project that now reaches educators and activists worldwide through our books, magazines, and online resources. In the pages of our magazine and books lie first-person narratives from educators, activists, and organizers who offer hope, inspiration, concrete teaching tools, and visions for how classrooms can serve as incubators of possibility. And now, we ask you to be our lifeline.
Several factors over the past few years have taken a toll on our finances at Rethinking Schools. Attacks on social justice teaching, book bans, drops in book sales, and increased operational costs amid difficult economic conditions have left us with a serious budget deficit.
Rethinking Schools plays a vital role in exposing the dangers and highlighting the resistance. But, after a surge during the racial justice uprisings in the summer of 2020, our book sales have dropped by almost 60% in the past two years. Our materials are urgent tools in the fight. But the opponents of social justice haven’t spared us – that’s why we’re turning to you.
Recently, we’ve had to make significant and difficult cuts in our organization, including reducing staff hours and pay by 25% to help us weather this storm. To avoid additional cuts to staffing and possible layoffs in the new year, we need to raise $250,000 by early next year.
We’ve launched the Rethinking Schools Lifeline Campaign to help us return to full operational status to continue the fight to sustain and strengthen public education through social justice teaching and education activism.
How You Can Support
Whether you can donate money or time, purchase a magazine subscription or book, share our work, or all of these, each action is critical to connecting more people to the power of Rethinking Schools and keeping our work alive in the short and long term.
- Become a monthly sustainer. We rely on the grassroots generosity of the powerful network of dedicated people like you, committed to a more equitable, just, and liberatory future.
- Host a social media fundraiser for Rethinking Schools. Create a Facebook or Instagram fundraiser to help amplify our work.
- Spread the word. Share our donation link or your favorite Rethinking Schools article on social media. Let folks know about the power of the Rethinking Schools community.
- See if you or someone in your network works for a company that offers matching grants. If so, reach out to us, and we can work together to unite our organizations in partnership.
- Buy one of our books, or encourage your school district, university, or local library to carry our collection.
- Donate stocks to Rethinking Schools via our account at StockDonator.com. It’s quick and secure and can have tax advantages for many donors.
- Become a legacy donor by putting Rethinking Schools in your estate planning through your will or trust. For questions, email gina@rethinkingschools.org.
- Donate your car, motorcycle, boat, truck or other vehicle to Rethinking Schools and receive a tax deduction. This no-cost, no-hassle process begins when you contact our fundraising partner Donation Line LLC at 877-227-7487. Or you can click and complete the Vehicle Donation Form online.
What Your Support Will Do
Your donation will help sustain our work and allow us to return to full operational status. We need people power to continue the work to produce our resources, and grow the work at a time when public education is under attack.
Your donation will help us:
- Avoid additional cuts to staffing and possible layoffs in the new year.
- Provide free online events for educators, school districts, and unions to build knowledge and community during this dangerous time of attacks on social justice teaching.
- Host writing workshops for educators to use writing as a political tool, and reflect on their pedagogy and practice.
- Offer professional development workshop series that train and support teachers in antiracist practices.
- Revise and expand editions of books including Linda Christensen’s Teaching for Joy and Justice.
- Grow resources in art, restorative justice, climate justice, and Reconstruction.
- Organize more study groups across the country in which educators and organizers use our materials as political education to advocate for more equitable and just policies and practices in their school districts.