Why billionaires don’t donate to public schools—and how you can make them give to your school anyway.

Subject: Bringing Fun and Fitness to Break Time at [High School Name]

Dear [Recipient's Name],

Hello! My name is [Your Name] and I am a student at [High School Name]. I am reaching out to you because we have identified an opportunity to boost positive interactions among students during break times - through the simple addition of basketballs in our school gym.

Recently, we've been experiencing more fights and absenteeism, partly due to a lack of engaging, healthy activities during our breaks. It's a tough situation, but we believe that having basketballs available could help channel students' energy into a fun, cooperative sport instead.

We need a small donation to fund this initiative - just enough to buy new basketballs. We believe this small change could lead to a healthier, happier school environment. And I think you'll agree that every student deserves that.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Your support would mean the world to us.

Sincerely,
[Your first and last name]

Subject: Improving Student Comfort and Hygiene at [High School Name]

Dear [Recipient's Name],

I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name], a student at [High School Name]. I'm reaching out today to talk about a small issue at our school that has a big impact on our students' daily lives: our school bathroom stalls.

Believe it or not, the condition of our bathroom stalls has been causing discomfort among students, affecting our concentration in class. If students are too worried to use the bathroom during the day, it can be pretty distracting.

I'm asking for a modest donation of $500 to fund the installation of new bathroom stalls. With this improvement, students can feel more comfortable and focus on what matters the most: learning.

Thank you for considering our request. Your generous donation would mean a lot to us, and it would directly impact our day-to-day school experience.

Sincerely,
[Your first and last name]

Subject: Warm Meals for [High School Name]'s After-school Program

Dear [Recipient's Name],

Hi! My name is [Your Name], and I am a student at [High School Name]. I hope you're doing well. I'm reaching out today with a unique request, one that has a big impact on the daily lives of many students in our after-school program.

Many students in our program rely on the meals they receive here - for some, it's their only meal of the day. However, due to a lack of equipment, these meals are often served cold.

We believe that every student should have access to a warm meal, which is why we're requesting a small donation to fund a microwave for our program. It may not seem like much, but to a student who looks forward to a warm meal after a long day at school, it would mean the world.

Thank you for considering our request. Your kindness and generosity would truly make a difference in the lives of our students.

Warm Regards,
[Your first and last name]

Subject: Let the Sun Shine In - Enhancing Academic Success at [High School Name]

Dear [Recipient's Name],

My name is [Your Name], a proud student at [High School Name]. I hope this email finds you well. Today, I'm reaching out with an exciting opportunity to boost academic success at our school, and it's as simple as letting in more natural light.

We're in the process of buying a new mobile classroom to better accommodate our students. However, the current plan doesn't include windows, which studies show can grow academic achievement by more than 20%.[1]

To provide this opportunity, we need an additional $1,000 to modify our new mobile classroom with windows. This upgrade would not only make the space more inviting, but it would also enhance the learning environment, positively influencing student focus, engagement, and academic performance.

Your generous donation of any amount would bring us closer to achieving this goal. I can't express enough how this change would transform our learning experience.

With hope and gratitude,
[Your first and last name]

[1] "The presence of natural light in classrooms improves student learning. An extensive research effort, including a controlled study of over 21,000 students in California, Washington, and Colorado found that students with the most “day lighting” in their classrooms progressed 20 percent faster on mathematics and 26 percent faster on reading tests over a period of one year than students having less daylight in their classrooms (Heschong Mahone Group, 1999)." https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1208549.pdf

Subject: Elevating the Student Experience at [High School Name]

Dear [Recipient's Name],

My name is [Your Name], a proud student at [High School Name]. I hope this email finds you well.

We're currently facing a problem with [briefly describe the issue]. This has been impacting our [daily school experience / academic performance / physical health / student morale, etc.]. It's a tough challenge, but we believe [describe the solution] could make a significant difference.

Your generous donation of any amount would bring us closer to achieving this goal. I can't express enough how this change would transform our learning experience.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this message and considering our request.

With hope and gratitude,
[Your first and last name]