In today’s edition of U-T San Diego, education reporter Michelle Breier spotlighted DonorNation’s School Volunteer of the Year Award program in a special education feature.

Read the full text below, and don’t forget to cast your vote today!

Vote today for school volunteer of the year award

Online fundraising organization will make donation to campus; sponsors commit prizes

SAN DIEGO COUNTY — Today is the last day to cast a vote in the School Volunteer of the Year Award contest established by online fundraising platform DonorNation.

Volunteers from more than 140 public and private elementary, middle and high schools from throughout San Diego County have been nominated. To vote through Friday, May 24, go to schoolvolunteeraward.org. Sprouts Farmers Markets and La Jolla Playhouse are co-sponsors with DonorNation for the awards.

DonorNation founder and CEO Karim Pirani said school volunteers donate countless hours organizing fundraising events, working as room parents, and chaperoning on field trips, and don’t seek any recognition for their service.

Schools rely even more in a challenging economy on parent-teacher organizations and volunteers to ensure that schools have the resources for a quality education, Pirani said, so DonorNation wanted to reward volunteers’ commitments.

The grand prize winner and two runners-up will be named June 4.

The grand prize winner will receive a $5,000 donation to his or her school from DonorNation, two subscriptions to La Jolla Playhouse’s 2013-14 season, and one year’s worth of free groceries from Sprouts. The first runner-up will receive a $2,500 donation for his or her school, two La Jolla Playhouse season subscriptions, and six months’ worth of free groceries. The second runner-up’s school will receive a $1,500 donation to his or her school, two La Jolla Playhouse season subscriptions, and three months’ worth of free groceries.

Just one week left to vote! Have you voted for your favorite school volunteer yet?

Thank you to everyone who has participated in DonorNation’s School Volunteer of the Year Award! We are overwhelmed by the truly inspiring volunteers who have been nominated for our first annual award program, and we believe all of these dedicated heroes deserve recognition for their tireless efforts and countless hours spent improving schools in our community.

With more than 140 local school volunteers to choose from and just one week left to vote, we still need your help to narrow them down. If you haven’t done so already, visit www.schoolvolunteeraward.org to cast your vote for your favorite nominee. Every vote counts, so make sure you spread the word to friends, family, neighbors and colleagues as well.

The top 10 nominees who receive the most votes will advance to the final round, where a selection committee will choose the top three award winners to be named DonorNation’s School Volunteers of the Year.

The Grand Prize winner’s school will receive a $5,000 donation in the winner’s name from DonorNation, two subscriptions to the 2013/2014 season at La Jolla Playhouse and one year’s worth of free groceries ($100 per week for 52 weeks) from Sprouts Farmers Market.

The First Runner-up’s school will receive a $2,500 donation in the winner’s name from DonorNation, two subscriptions to the 2013/2014 season at La Jolla Playhouse and six months’ worth of free groceries ($100 per week for 26 weeks) from Sprouts Farmers Market.

The Second Runner-up’s school will receive a $1,500 donation in the winner’s name from DonorNation, two subscriptions to the 2013/2014 season at La Jolla Playhouse and three months’ worth of free groceries ($100 per week for 13 weeks) from Sprouts Farmers Market.

Thank you to all who have already participated! Keep spreading the word to ensure your school volunteer candidate makes it to the final round for a chance to be named DonorNation’s School Volunteer of the Year.

Votes will be accepted at www.schoolvolunteeraward.org until May 24.

Spring is in the air. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming and its time to get that house whipped into shape with some good spring cleaning.

Springtime presents families with the annual opportunity to clean out those garages, spit-shine winter-trodden floors and get rid of outgrown or unwanted clothing to make room for a fresh new, season-appropriate wardrobe.

Not only does spring cleaning help shake the winter blues, it’s also a great way to welcome the new season and prep the house for a hectic summer when the kids are out of school.

But what do you do with all those unwanted items that have undoubtedly piled up since last year?

Let DonorNation help you de-clutter your house, support you local school and give you peace of mind with our free, easy-to-use online marketplace platform to sell your unwanted items. Simply register your school at www.donornation.org, list your items and choose a percentage of the sale you would like to donate to your local school or organization.

Not only are you able to easily sell your unwanted items without the hassle of setting up weekend garage sales, but you can also have the satisfaction of knowing that you are supporting your community, one sale at a time.

So kick off the season with a streamlined lifestyle and breathe in that crisp springtime air knowing you helped empower yourself and your community with a little help from DonorNation.

DonorNation would like to thank all the principals and school directors for their participation in our first annual School Volunteer of the Year Award. We have received nominations for some some truly inspiring candidates, and the stories of heroic acts by these volunteers abound.

We’ve heard stories about valiant school leaders who bolster fundraising efforts to save their school programs. We’ve read about countless volunteers who face adversity in their own lives, yet dedicate so much of their time and effort helping others. All of the volunteers who were nominated are certainly worth a lifetime of recognition and praise, but we do have the difficult task of narrowing the field to name our ultimate School Volunteer of the Year. And, boy, do we have our work cut out for us!

Unfortunately, some of our candidates were disqualified due to ineligibility, as our rules require that all candidates be residents of San Diego County and at least 18 years old.

Although these candidates are excluded from consideration, we here at DonorNation do not want to discourage volunteers, no matter their age, from dedicating their time and talents to help their communities.

One such candidate, Anne Sager, is a truly inspiring 17-year-old student volunteer at Francis Parker School and one who DonorNation would like to spotlight for her work in her school and in her community.

Not only does Sager lend a hand at the school whenever Principal Carol Jensen is in need of a student volunteer, the well-rounded teen has her hands full of activities outside of the classroom as well.

A couple years ago, Sager combined her passions for cooking and giving back to the community by founding the nonprofit organization, Serving Spoons, a volunteer-run organization that serves the need of the hungry in San Diego.

Through her nonprofit, Sager and a few friends shop, cook and deliver healthy meals to people in need, serving 20 people each month at a cost of just $40 per family of four.

“Anne Sager is an incredible young woman. She is filled with compassion and sets about to do whatever she can to make the world a better place,” said Principal Carol Jensen. “I can tell you that students like Anne are so inspiring to all of those around her. We are lucky to have her at Francis Parker School.”

This well-rounded teen also plays harp in the orchestra, cheers on the cheerleading squad, contributes to the literary magazine and is a member of French and Spanish Honor Societies. On top of all that, she has also committed her time to making San Diego a better place through her commitment outside the classroom.

For that reason, DonorNation would like to award Sager with our School Volunteer Honorable Mention. Sager will be awarded with a special prize from DonorNation, as she is a true inspiration to her peers and a role model for youth volunteers everywhere. She is the type of candidate DonorNation is truly inspired by, and we are excited to watch this promising young lady as she continues to grow and help her community flourish.

In today’s tech-savvy world, virtual consumerism has become the norm. Buying and selling online is easier than ever with safe web payment mechanisms, dynamic product imagery, and the latest technological advancements that help streamline the purchasing process.

DonorNation is changing the face of philanthropy and fundraising by connecting merchants, consumers, schools and communities that care to its online marketplace platform. Through its one-of-a-kind model, schools and nonprofits can raise funds easily by simply signing up as a beneficiary or setting up a their donation page, and thus allow their supporters to donate in more ways than merely writing a check – by cleaning out their garages and basements and donating items that they don’t currently have a use for. They may even offer their services.

At the core of DonorNation’s concept is empowerment – empowerment of the buyer, the seller, the school and the community as a whole. Here, every time a transaction occurs, a portion of the proceeds benefits a local school or charity of our users’ choice.

Sellers feel accomplished in cleaning out their garages or offering their talents and services for a good cause.

For local merchants, DonorNation is a marketing tool that allows them to promote their business locally, support their community, and, in the process, win lifelong loyalty from their customers.

Buyers are rewarded with the satisfaction of lending a helping hand without having to donate cash. They also experience a more dynamic way of giving while getting something of value in return.

And, of course, schools, charities and communities win, garnering much-needed funds for important programs without the hassle of setting up multiple fundraising events for their cause. And best of all, on the DonorNation platform, school PTAs and non-profits get to keep 94¢ of every dollar that is donated.

DonorNation, the Marketplace with a Heart, is an ecommerce platform where buyers and sellers band together to make their community a better place. We make giving easy and fun!

Try it out by registering your school or organization at www.donornation.org.

Nationally recognized Tony Award-winning not-for-profit theater to donate a total of six (6) subscriptions to the 2013/14 season at La Jolla Playhouse.

SAN DIEGO, CA – April 30, 2013 – DonorNation, the world’s first and leading online philanthropic marketplace that benefits K12 schools today announced that La Jolla Playhouse has joined DonorNation’s 2013 San Diego County School Volunteer of the Year Award effort (www.schoolvolunteeraward.org).

“La Jolla Playhouse is excited to be working with DonorNation School to support the 2013 San Diego School Volunteer of the Year Award,” said ‘Michael S. Rosenberg, Playhouse Managing Director.  “Our involvement with this important effort is a perfect complement to our mission of promoting and fostering arts education in our schools.”

The Award is open to all San Diego County preschool through grade 12 schools, both public and private.  The selection process for the award consists of three distinct phases. The nomination phase ended April 19.  The public voting phase began on April 22 and will run through May 17.  Beginning May 17, 2013, a Selection Committee made up of prominent San Diego residents will review the field of submissions and identify the Grand Prize Winner, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up. 

The Grand Prize winner’s school will receive a $5,000 donation in the winner’s name from DonorNation, 2 subscriptions to the 2013/2014 Season at La Jolla Playhouse and one (1) year’s worth of free groceries ($100 per week for 52 weeks) from Sprouts Farmers Market.

The First Runner-up’s school will receive a $2,500 donation in the winner’s name from DonorNation, 2 subscriptions to the 2013/2014 Season at La Jolla Playhouse and six (6) months’ worth of free groceries ($100 per week for 26 weeks) from Sprouts Farmers Market.

The Second Runner-up’s school will receive a $1,500 donation in the winner’s name from DonorNation, 2 subscriptions to the 2013/2014 Season at La Jolla Playhouse and three (3) months’ worth of free groceries ($100 per week for 13 weeks) from Sprouts Farmers Market.

“We are honored to have such a distinguished and respected organization join us for this very worthy cause,” said Karim Pirani, Founder and CEO of DonorNation.  “La Jolla Playhouse has a long history of philanthropic activities.  We look forward to their involvement with the 2013 School Volunteer of the Year Award and to a long and mutually rewarding relationship going forward.”

Because of today’s challenging economy, communities are relying more and more on volunteers to step up and dedicate their valuable time to ensure that our schools have the necessary resources to provide quality education and activities for our children. Sprouts Farmers’ Market is also joining hands with DonorNation to support San Diego County’s school volunteers.

“Sprouts is delighted to have this opportunity to give back to the communities we serve,” said Doug Sanders, Sprouts President and CEO.  “Our company has deep roots in San Diego, stretching back many decades.  The local community is full of loyal Sprouts customers, and we are grateful for the opportunity to join DonorNation in recognizing and rewarding the winners of the DonorNation School Volunteer of the Year Award.”

The winners will be announced on May 27, 2013 on www.schoolvolunteeraward.org and an awards ceremony will be held.  Exact time and location are to be determined.

About La Jolla Playhouse

The nationally-acclaimed, Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse is known for its tradition of creating the most exciting and adventurous new work in regional theatre. The Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, and is considered one of the most well-respected not-for-profit theatres in the country. Numerous Playhouse productions have moved to Broadway, including the currently running hit Jersey Boys, as well as Memphis, Big River, The Who’s Tommy, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Walk in the Woods, Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, the Pulitzer Prize-winning I Am My Own Wife, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Farnsworth Invention, 33 Variations, Chaplin: The Musical,  Bonnie & Clyde, Peter and the Starcatcher and Hands on a Hardbody. Located on the UC San Diego campus, La Jolla Playhouse is made up of three primary performance spaces: the Mandell Weiss Theatre, the Mandell Weiss Forum Theatre and the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for La Jolla Playhouse, a state-of-the-art theatre complex which features the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre. La Jolla Playhouse is led by Artistic Director Christopher Ashley and Managing Director Michael S. Rosenberg.

About DonorNation

DonorNation is the online Marketplace with a Heart™.  The company’s philanthropic fundraising platform is an e-commerce solution that allows individuals and businesses to buy and sell products, services and gently used items with a percentage (10%-100%) of the proceeds being donated to charity.  DonorNation helps unlock the power of community by providing its users with the tools to support their local businesses, and at the same time, providing a sustainable source of funding for their schools.  For more information please visit www.donornation.org.  Follow DonorNation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/donornation and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/donornation.

About Sprouts Farmers Market

Sprouts Farmers Market, founded in 2002, is now one of the largest and fastest growing natural foods retailers in the country, with more than 150 stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. Sprouts offers outstanding values on farm-fresh produce, natural meats, scoop-your-own bulk foods, more than 2,000 gluten-free products, vitamins and supplements, and a huge selection of natural, organic and great-tasting mainstream grocery items. The concept of “healthy living for less” has been the cornerstone of the founders, the Boney family, since they opened their first produce stand in 1943. For weekly ads, recipes and other nutritional information visit sprouts.com.

The nominations are in, and the polls are now open for the public to help select DonorNation’s School Volunteer of the Year!

Thank you to all the principals and directors from across the county who have nominated their outstanding candidates! We received nearly 150 school volunteers deemed worthy of recognition, and we have heard some truly inspiring stories about volunteers who give their all for the schools they love.

To show how much you appreciate your school volunteer, visit www.schoolvolunteeraward.org to vote for up to two candidates, one in the elementary school category and one in the secondary school category.

The voting phase is open until May 17. To ensure your school’s candidate gets as many votes as possible, tell your friends, family and colleagues to vote now and spread the word via social media, emails, phone calls or in person.

The top 10 finalists in the elementary school category and the top 10 finalists in the secondary school category will advance to the final phase of deliberation by a selection committee after the polls close on May 17. The Grand Prize Winner, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up will be announced on June 3.

Good luck to you all!

San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) recently topped the state’s list of graduation rates among large school districts according to a report released by the California Department of Education on April 9.

In this shining example of the district’s success, the report indicated that SDUSD’s student graduation rate has risen over the past three years to a new high of 86.9 percent in 2012. Six other county districts, including Carlsbad, Coronado, Poway, San Dieguito, San Marcos and Valley Center-Pauma, reported graduation rates above 90 percent.

“This continued improvement means that our district, and most importantly our students, are on the right path,” said Superintendent Bill Kowba. “To have a nearly five-percent jump in just three years shows the outstanding work done every day by everyone in the San Diego Unified School District.”

So what is San Diego Unified doing right?

For starters, the district has been zeroing in on struggling students who are most at risk of dropping out. That focus on sustaining the most vulnerable student population has been a key factor in driving the graduation rate to new levels.

“Attendance figures build on each other,” said Kowba. “If the kids are coming to school day in and day out at every grade level and keep moving up the ladder and don’t let up on that emphasis, I think we’re in a great place.”

Furthermore, the district’s focus on programs such as graduation coaches, credit recovery and providing more options to keep high school students interested in learning have been instrumental in improving the overall graduation rate year after year.

To look up specific schools, visit the California Department of Education at http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/.

For schools, going green has tremendous perks. In addition to teaching youth about the benefits of environmental stewardship, opportunities abound for eco-friendly fundraisers to generate cash for your school.

With Earth Day right around the corner on April 22, why not host a fun, environmentally friendly fundraiser by partnering with an e-waste recycling program in your community?

E-waste recycling is an easy way to raise funds by collecting unwanted electronics for safe and sustainable disposal.

To get started, find a trade-in program near you that offers cash back for items donated, then simply set up a designated area on your campus where community members can drop off unwanted electronics. Finally, enlist the help of parents and students to bring the items to your local electronic recycling store for cash. Some companies will even pick up large quantities of e-waste items right from your school’s doorstep.

To bring the entire neighborhood out for the fundraiser and maximize profits for your school, set up a school-wide Earth Day celebration with booths for local businesses to showcase how they protect the planet; tips from a local utility company representative about how families can save money on their utility bills; and craft tables where students can create artwork or jewelry out of recycled materials.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to celebrate Mother Earth, inspire your students to become environmental protectors and generate funds for your school this Earth Day

Did you know?

• The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the number of obsolete consumer electronics sold between 1980 and 2007 totaled 235 million items weighing 2.25 million tons. Of that number, only 18 percent of the products were recycled.

• Hazardous toxins, like lead, mercury and flame retardants from the electronics sitting in landfills can seep into the soil and groundwater, posing serious health and environmental risks.

• The Consumer Electronics Association estimates that Americans own 24 electronic equipment per household.

- sourced from “The Electronics Recycling Superguide” in PC Magazine, March 2, 2009

Great news! The nomination period for DonorNation’s School Volunteer of the Year Award has been extended to April 19! Have your principal or school director submit a nominee now at www.schoolvolunteeraward.org for a chance to win a big donation for your school and up to a year of FREE groceries for the Grand Prize Winner courtesy of Sprouts!

How It Works

The Award is open to all San Diego County preschool thru grade 12 schools, both public and private. The selection process for the Award consists of three distinct phases as explained below:

Nomination Phase: From March 5 to April 19, 2013, each principal, or director of every school in San Diego County, preschool thru grade 12, public and private, is invited to submit the name of one (1) nominee from their school community who has made an outstanding contribution to the school.  They will need to complete a brief nomination form and explain why their nominee deserves to be recognized. Nominees will be divided into two categories: Elementary Schools and Secondary Schools. Submissions will be accepted at www.schoolvolunteeraward.org.

Public Voting Phase: On April 22, 2013, all of the nominees will be unveiled and then it will be up to the public to decide who should advance to the Selection Committee. Each voter will be allowed to submit two votes between April 22 and May 17: one vote for the Elementary School category and one vote for the Secondary School category. The top 10 nominees from each category, who receive the most votes, for a total of 20 nominees, will advance to the next stage. Voting will take place at www.schoolvolunteeraward.org.

Selection Committee Voting: The week of May 17, 2013, after the public voting phase ends, a Selection Committee consisting of prominent San Diego residents, will review the field of submissions and identify a Grand Prize Winner, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up. We will be announcing the names of the Selection Committee later this month.

On the week of June 3, 2013, the Grand Prize Winner, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up will be announced on www.schoolvolunteeraward.org and through other communication channels. An award presentation ceremony will be organized prior to June 14, 2013 at a location to be announced.

The Grand Prize Winner’s school will receive a $5,000 donation in the winner’s name from DonorNation. In addition, the winner will also receive one (1) year’s worth of free groceries ($100 per week for 52 weeks) from Sprouts Farmers Market.

The First Runner-up’s school will receive, in the winner’s name, a $2,500 donation from DonorNation. Additionally, the winner will receive from Sprouts Farmers Market six (6) months’ worth of free groceries ($100 per week for 26 weeks).

The Second Runner-up’s school will receive, in the winner’s name, a $1,500 donation from DonorNation. Additionally, the winner will receive from Sprouts Farmers Market three (3) months’ worth of free groceries ($100 per week for 13 weeks).