Swap.com Launches Swap4Schools Classroom Donation Program

Charitable Initiative Facilitates Donations of Books & Media Items for K-12 Public Education

BOSTON--()--Swap.com, the world’s largest swap marketplace, has announced the launch of Swap4Schools, a web-based charitable initiative designed to facilitate donations of books and other media items to public schools across the United States. As educators face a scarcity of supplies for their classrooms and school libraries as a result of dramatic budget cuts in recent years, Swap4Schools aims to assist them in procuring much needed supplies for free.

Within the program’s first week of operation, hundreds of educators signed up across 40 states and received over 1,000 donations from Swap.com members. One of these educators, a teacher in Philadelphia said, "I was speechless when I found out about Swap4Schools. I just got used to having to buy books for my class so we could continue our lessons. I tried to get our school parents to donate to our class, but, despite great intentions, I got boxes of books my class couldn't use. Swap.com is helping to solve both problems.”

By leveraging Swap.com’s fast-growing online marketplace, which has over 10 million items in inventory, the company matches educators’ wants with what Swap.com members have.

“The essence of swapping is sharing what you have,” said Swap.com CEO Jeff Bennett. “And what better way to share than with students across the U.S. who may otherwise not have these books to read? Swap4Schools is an incredible tool for parents, educators, and anyone who wants to contribute to improving the quality of education in America. We are delighted to offer our platform and collaborate with our community for the benefit of children and education!”

With the national media expenditure on school libraries at just over $12/student, (equivalent to about one-third the cost of a single non-fiction title), Swap4Schools aims to enhance public education by providing an innovative way for educators to obtain books at no cost. The program also empowers parents who are eager to help with easy online access to a list of items their child’s school actually needs. This leads to more effective donations, which are relevant to the lessons teachers have planned.

To enlist in the program, school administrators, teachers, and librarians at U.S. public schools, grades K-12, can create a free account and build a list of books and other media items needed for their classroom. Then, any of Swap.com’s 1 million members who own those items will have the opportunity to either swap them - or donate them to a school in need. Swap.com will waive transaction fees for members who choose to make a donation.

To learn more about the program, join Swap.com to donate, or to enlist your town or city in Swap4Schools, visit http://swap4schools.swap.com/.

About Swap.com

Swap.com is the easiest way to swap your stuff--books, music, movies, video games and fashion. The award-winning website, combined with offline events, enables consumers to swap the stuff they have for the stuff they want. Swap.com helps users feel good knowing they are saving cash and the planet, and with millions of people listing millions of things, the swap opportunities are staggering. Swap.com is a privately held company headquartered in Boston, MA. Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/swap, or visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/swapcom.

Contacts

Kel & Partners
Jennifer Dziubeck, 617-904-9393 ext.136
jennifer@kelandpartners.com

Release Summary

Swap.com has announced the launch of Swap4Schools, a web-based charitable initiative designed to facilitate donations of books and other media items to public schools across the United States.

Contacts

Kel & Partners
Jennifer Dziubeck, 617-904-9393 ext.136
jennifer@kelandpartners.com