SchoolKidsComeFirst gives you a quick and easy way to directly fund projects and needs in the Seattle Public Schools, especially experiences and enhancements for students at financially underserved schools. The dollars raised through the site are not for basic supplies, but rather for things our schools do – or want to do – that help supplement students’ work in the classroom. The schoolkidscomefirst.com website provides instant information about a specific project at a specific school, and gives you the power to help students directly, right from your desktop. Providing students and teachers additional support for the classroom makes everyone a winner.

Yes, SchoolKidsComeFirst was incorporated under the provisions of the non-profit incorporation statutes in Washington. Except in extraordinary situations, all donations to SchoolKidsComeFirst will be tax-exempt EXCEPT in the event that (1) registration under 501(c)(3) is rejected or (2) retroactive status of donations from the date of incorporation is rejected. SchoolKidsComeFirst does not anticipate such a result.

The 15% fulfillment covers the cost of running the SchoolKidsComeFirst web site and towards the cost of verifying proposals, processing donations, procuring funded materials, and documenting funded projects. This overhead cost is much lower than most non-profit organizations, and much of the work done by SchoolKidsComeFirst staff is donated.

We use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, the industry standard for encryption, to safeguard your private information and your monetary transactions. We do not store your credit card information in our records, but ask you instead to enter it each time you make a donation. We consider your personal information to be completely confidential. We use the information you give us solely for our communications with you. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and contact us at any time if you have questions or additional concerns.

Of course, we welcome your donations by mail as well as online. If you wish to donate by check, simply mail your donation to SchoolKidsComeFirst, P.O. Box 99441, Seattle, WA 98139-0441. Please print out the project you wish to donate to and send it with the check to the above address.

Proposals are submitted by Seattle Public School staff members working directly with students in any Seattle Public School. Most of the proposals come from teachers, to fund classroom projects, but others come from principals, coaches, librarians, counselors, coaches, and other staff members. All projects directly benefit students and must be submitted by staff members who have direct contact with students.

All proposals are approved by the principal of the school and reviewed by SchoolKidsComeFirst staff before being entered on the site.

SchoolKidsComeFirst does not fund the textbooks and materials for basic education, which are funded by the school district. SchoolKidsComeFirst funds those projects that go beyond the province of school district funding –the enhancements that go beyond basic education to create extraordinary experiences and enrichment for students.

You can search the SchoolKidsComeFirst web site by school, by teacher, by grade, or by subject area – or just browse the many wonderful proposals and find one you like.

You may donate any amount you choose. Proposals may be funded by combinations of donors or by a single donor.

SchoolKidsComeFirst works differently from many funding organizations. With most grant applications, when a project is funded, the money is sent to the applicant and they are responsible for purchasing and documentation. With SchoolKidsComeFirst, when a project is fully funded, our staff make the purchases and arrange for delivery to the school, or arrange payment for services such as transportation.

When SchoolKidsComeFirst delivers the materials for a funded proposal, we also provide the teacher with a disposable camera to take pictures of the project in action. Donors receive copies of those pictures along with a letter from the teacher. You will always see the results of your gift through SchoolKidsComeFirst.

Untargeted donations are always welcome. We will gladly select a project to receive your gift. It may go toward a project needing only a few dollars to complete its funding, or toward a project that just hasn’t caught the right donor’s eye but is patiently waiting for funding.