For my Donors Choose critique, I chose three different art teachers who are requesting supplies for their students. As a future visual arts educator, I thought it would be informative to view what supplies the teachers are requesting, as well as observing how they go about making their requests.
1) I was drawn to Mrs. Hurst's grant initially because of the image associated with the link to her grant's page. The image is related to clay, which is what she is requesting in her classroom. The image portrays children holding a clay sculpture of the planet Earth. I thought this was a clever way to represent her project and draw people in to read the information in her request. I appreciated how direct she was about what she was requesting right from the start of her proposal. As a reader, I had a clear expectation of what she wanted to acquire for her students, and why it is important for the students to use these materials to propel their education in three-dimensional visual art. Overall, I thought her presentation was highly compelling. My only critique is that she could be a little more specific on her plans for application. For example, what is the first project they will complete with the clay? How will it advance the students understanding of creating three dimensional forms?
2) Ms. Hagen's grant proposal content was possibly the most intriguing to me as a reader. She is making a request for essential art supplies to start an after school art club in her school, where there are no art classes offered. She makes an excellent case that art and creativity provide students with improved academic performance, cultural awareness, confidence, and inventiveness. I think that her presentation could be improved with a more relevant photo to draw the reader in, and perhaps include something related to the art club start-up in the headline of the request to give the reader a clear expectation of her request from the beginning.
3) The last grant proposal, by Mrs. Current, is requesting essential art supplies so that students have enough materials to create art without having to share supplies as much as they have been previously. This grant was not as compelling to me as the other two. There were multiple grammatical errors, and the picture and headline could have been presented in a better way to help deliver the content of the grant. I did like how this teacher gave specifics about her plans for her students using these supplies. I think she could have gone into a little more detail about the "why" creativity is crucial. The reader may understand that creativity is an important skill to have, but providing information about how creativity benefits students in specific ways would make the request stronger.
Five tips for a winning Donors Choose grant:
1) I was drawn to Mrs. Hurst's grant initially because of the image associated with the link to her grant's page. The image is related to clay, which is what she is requesting in her classroom. The image portrays children holding a clay sculpture of the planet Earth. I thought this was a clever way to represent her project and draw people in to read the information in her request. I appreciated how direct she was about what she was requesting right from the start of her proposal. As a reader, I had a clear expectation of what she wanted to acquire for her students, and why it is important for the students to use these materials to propel their education in three-dimensional visual art. Overall, I thought her presentation was highly compelling. My only critique is that she could be a little more specific on her plans for application. For example, what is the first project they will complete with the clay? How will it advance the students understanding of creating three dimensional forms?
2) Ms. Hagen's grant proposal content was possibly the most intriguing to me as a reader. She is making a request for essential art supplies to start an after school art club in her school, where there are no art classes offered. She makes an excellent case that art and creativity provide students with improved academic performance, cultural awareness, confidence, and inventiveness. I think that her presentation could be improved with a more relevant photo to draw the reader in, and perhaps include something related to the art club start-up in the headline of the request to give the reader a clear expectation of her request from the beginning.
3) The last grant proposal, by Mrs. Current, is requesting essential art supplies so that students have enough materials to create art without having to share supplies as much as they have been previously. This grant was not as compelling to me as the other two. There were multiple grammatical errors, and the picture and headline could have been presented in a better way to help deliver the content of the grant. I did like how this teacher gave specifics about her plans for her students using these supplies. I think she could have gone into a little more detail about the "why" creativity is crucial. The reader may understand that creativity is an important skill to have, but providing information about how creativity benefits students in specific ways would make the request stronger.
Five tips for a winning Donors Choose grant:
- The headline and picture are the first thing your viewer is going to see. Make sure that both of these are strong and compelling, and thoroughly relate to your request.
- Give your reader a clear understanding of what you are requesting early on in your grant. Don't make the reader reach the bottom of the page before realizing what it is that you are requesting.
- Make your request stronger by providing clear details about the application of the requested materials within your classroom. If you are requesting supplies, let your reader know your plans for the children to utilize the supplies in order to advance their education.
- Check for grammatical errors. These can be very distracting when reading though a grant.
- Have a fellow educator read over the request and see if they have any questions or concerns about the content or presentation. It is good to consider the opinions of peers because they could present a different angle that you may not have considered.