Milwaukee philanthropist and former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl is again fulfilling all project requests from Wisconsin educators on the crowdfunding site DonorsChoose.
Milwaukee-based Herb Kohl Philanthropies is funding 550 teacher project requests across the state, which will provide books, educational supplies and technology items, along with basic needs like food, clothing and hygiene for students.
On Thursday, a message saying “You just got funded” arrived in the inboxes of 425 teachers. Immediately following the flash funding, Herb Kohl Philanthropies is launching a 1:1 matching campaign, doubling all donations to Wisconsin teacher requests.
It’s the fourth time the organization has funded all Wisconsin project requests made through DonorsChoose, providing nearly $3 million in classroom support.
“Now more than ever, we want to show teachers just how much we appreciate their efforts to provide much-needed supplies and learning opportunities, especially during this incredibly challenging school year,” Kohl said. “We love our teachers, who continue to go above and beyond in caring for Wisconsin’s students. This school year has brought many challenges to teachers and students alike. In these 550 projects, we see persistence, adjustment and creativity. We hope this funding helps advance learning and brings a lot of joy to classrooms—both in person and virtually.”
Kohl’s foundation has supported many education initiatives in Milwaukee and throughout the state, including M-cubed (an initiative of UW-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and Milwaukee Public Schools), Milwaukee Succeeds, and City Forward Collective, and a $10 million initiative to expand the UW Madison LaFollette School of Public Affairs, among others.
