PLEASE ANSWER DISCUSSION QUESTION 2 During his first year as a social studies te

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PLEASE ANSWER DISCUSSION QUESTION 2

During his first year as a social studies teacher at Wings Academy in the Bronx, New York City, Charles Best had some powerful experiences that would significantly transform his life as well as influence the lives of countless others. Best recounts both the frustration and inspiration of lunchroom conversations with his fellow teachers. He remembers, “here were great ideas for programs and projects that we talked about in the teachers’ lunchroom that could never leave the teachers’ lunchroom” due to lack of resources to implement them. “Funding for the basics was woefully inadequate, and teachers routinely dipped into their pockets to buy even paper and pencils for their students.”

Best’s brainstorm for DonorsChoose.org emerged during one of these lunch conversations with colleagues. “Best figured there were probably plenty of people who would rather fork over a bit of cash for a specific classroom project than write a check to a traditional charity. So he moved back to his parents’ home to save money and designed the website” for DonorsChoose.org. To convert the idea from a pipe dream to a viable venture, Best needed the help of his fellow teachers and his students. His students’ volunteered to help start the Web-based organization. To lure his fellow teachers into trying out the organization’s new website, Best offered them his mother’s famous pear dessert. Best then used his savings to fund these projects anonymously. And DonorsChoose.org has been growing ever since.

Although there are many reasons for the continual growth of DonorsChoose, three major factors are: stimulating donor interest and securing contributions¾often repeated contributions¾from the same donors; arousing staffers’ motivation but doing so in a very cost effective manner; and maintaining uncompromising integrity.

Stimulating Donor Interest and Securing Contributions

People often become interested in DonorsChoose and subsequently become donors because they can support, in an affordable way, educational projects that resonate with them and they can be assured that their donations are making a meaningful difference. “People always have had the option of donating to education causes, but the real appeal of DonorsChoose is [the] projects’ narrow focus.” DonorsChoose.org “put[s] donors squarely in charge and ¼ give[s] them plenty of options. The proposals are written by the teachers themselves, explaining the students’ needs and what kind of impact they expect from the project. Then donors are put in control: [t]hey pick the project they like the most. Finally, every donor gets a package of thank-you letters from students and pictures of the kids reading the donated books” or using the donated supplies or engaging in the supported activities.

Many of these donations are of quite modest amounts ¼ yet taken together they fund projects that make an educational difference for many public school children. A donor “can pick a classroom project to fund with as little as $1, ¼ [and they can sort] proposals by cost, school poverty level and subject. Requests might include $140 for dry-erase markers or $2,000 for camcorders and laptops for budding filmmakers.”

Supporting educational projects through DonorsChoose.org can have a powerful and positive emotional impact on donors. Supporting these projects can bring happiness to the recipients as well as to the donors. Even small donations can bring happiness to the donors. Interestingly, in a 2008 article on happiness, Michael Norton, affiliated with the Harvard Business School, and Elizabeth Dunn, affiliated with the University of British Columbia, report that, “[t]here’s been a lot of research that ironically shows that money doesn’t buy happiness [but] that people do feel better if they spend just $5 of their bonus on others. ¼ [I]t’s linked to the idea of investing in others and the hope that such largesse will give them a positive return.”

Arousing Staffer Motivation

Another notable strength of DonorsChoose¾as well as some other nonprofit organizations such as Kiva, a microlender, and Habitat for Humanity, a builder of inexpensive homes¾is the capability to arouse worker motivation. Indeed, an anonymously-written article in The Economist points out that, “in tough economic times businesses would do well to find ways of motivating workers without paying them a fortune.” “Few non-profits pay well and many depend on volunteers. It helps that they tend to have a clear purpose to which these underpaid employees and volunteers are often personally committed.”

Writing in the book Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business, Nancy Lublin, one of America’s most successful non-profit leaders, comments on how successful nonprofit organizations like DonorsChoose.org arouse worker motivation. “They often have a flat management structure. Nonprofit bosses tend to muck in with volunteers when the heat is on (you’ll find them, for example, helping to stuff goody bags for fund-raising events). New employees are quickly given real responsibility, even if they are young (which is what the Millennials now entering the workforce want). ¼ Ensuring there is plenty of time during the working week for genuine fun ¼ can deliver better results than a bonus. ¼ [D]oling out titles liberally and creatively ¼ costs nothing ¼ yet such titles appeal to people and make them proud.”

Maintaining Uncompromising Integrity

A third factor in the success and growth of DonorsChoose.org is integrity. Indeed, integrity is a critical ingredient of DonorsChoose.org’s operations, acceptance, success, and continued growth. According to the nonprofit’s website:

“Our team is vigilant about providing end-to-end integrity for each classroom project funded through our site. To that end, we:

Vet every classroom project request submitted by teachers.

Process donor transactions using the most secure and trusted technology available.

Purchase the classroom materials, shipping items directly to the school and alerting the principal when the materials are on their way.

Provide photos of the project taking place, teacher and student letters, and a cost report showing how every dollar was spent.”

Such a commitment to integrity for every funded project and throughout the organization fosters a remarkable level of public confidence in the aims and activities of DonorsChoose. Integrity is, without question, a critical ingredient of the sustainability of a nonprofit¾DonorsChoose or any other charitable organization.

Has DonorsChoose.org discovered a formula that will make it sustainable well into the future?

Discussion Questions

1. How would you describe the personality, perceptions, attitudes, and motivation of Charles Best?

2. Using ideas about personality and perception, attitudes and emotions, ethics, and motivation, explain the behavior of financial contributors to DonorsChoose.org.

3. Explain the behavior of staff members at DonorsChoose.org. by using ideas about personality and perception, attitudes and emotions, ethics, motivation, and learning and performance management.

4. Do you think DonorsChoose is a stressful or relatively stress-free work environment for the staff members? Explain your answer.

5. In your opinion, would DonorsChoose be a great place to work? Explain the reason(s) for your answer.

Explanation / Answer

1. Charles Best is a proactive individual with good Leadership qualities.He is far sighted yet practical minded,totally committed to his vision.Has persuasive skills.He works with a selfless attitude.He motivates everyone for the just and right cause.

2. The transparency and integrity of Donors choose motivates the donors and they feel confidence that their contribution would be put to the right use.Donating to genuine causes provides donors a sense of achievement, participation in social upliftment, happiness and satisfaction.

3. They feel that they are part of a team that is committed to a common cause which serves a larger good.They motivate and encourage each other.The faith that is reposed even on new employees who are given responsibilities inspite of inexperience not only provides them a great experience but also motivates them.

4. Donors choose is relatively stress free work environment for the staff members because the staff members are self motivated for a genuine cause.

5. Yes, Donors choose would be a great place to work because:

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