No More Gatekeepers
Best shares how, as a 24-year-old teacher at a Bronx high school, he created a model of giving hailed as “the future of philanthropy” by The New York Times. His story starts with the high school wrestling coach who inspired him to become a teacher, the most...
Best shares how, as a 24-year-old teacher at a Bronx high school, he created a model of giving hailed as “the future of philanthropy” by The New York Times. His story starts with the high school wrestling coach who inspired him to become a teacher, the most humiliating mistake he ever made getting DonorsChoose.org off the ground, and the most poignant moments of its journey, such as the projects teachers created to recover from the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Today, teachers at 70% of public schools in America have created projects on DonorsChoose.org, and more than $430 million has been raised to fulfill more than 735,000 projects.
Best connects his story to other sites that—like DonorsChoose.org—enable anyone to go public with their idea and request financial support. Best says these sites signal a profound change in how long someone has to wait to have their need met, and who you have to know, and how lucky you have to be, to bring a good idea to life. He says they represent a new kind of marketplace where gatekeepers no longer stand in your way.