Horace Mann Launches $500,000 Program to Fund Classroom Projects Posted on DonorsChoose.org
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. –Feb. 1, 2011 –Horace Mann Educators Corporation (NYSE: HMN) announced today the national launch of a program through which the company will donate $500,000 to fund classroom projects posted by public school teachers on DonorsChoose.org, an organization that connects donors to projects in need of funding.
Starting today, Horace Mann will match donations up to $200 on projects that cost $400 or less and are posted by teachers in schools served by a Horace Mann agent. (A complete list of schools is found on the Horace Mann website.) Only project descriptions marked with Horace Mann’s “Double Your Impact” icon qualify for the match. In addition, Horace Mann agents across the country will be distributing another $250,000 worth of DonorsChoose.org gift cards, which can be used to help fund any project.
To receive funding, a full-time public school teacher, nurse, or guidance counselor must post a description of a classroom project at www.donorschoose.org/teacher. Horace Mann will continue to match project donations of up to $200 on projects valued at $400 or less until $250,000 is gone.
“Our agents will be encouraging teachers to post projects to DonorsChoose.org ,” says Horace Mann President and Chief Executive Officer Pete Heckman.
Heckman continues: “Teachers sometimes lack funding for supplies or equipment required for special projects and often pay for them out of their own pockets. As a company, we’ve always tried to help out by directing funds through our agents to local school supply drives or to specific requests for things like computers or books,” he says. “Through our partnership with DonorsChoose.org, we’re continuing to demonstrate this commitment to educators in the communities where we have a marketing presence.”
He adds that Horace Mann and DonorsChoose.org share the same goals, heritage and values. “We were both founded by teachers, for teachers.”
Contact: Marilyn Titone Schaefer
Assistant Vice President, Communications Programs and PR
217-788-5744
Marilyn.titone-schaefer@horacemann.com
About Horace Mann
Horace Mann (Horace Mann Educators Corp. (NYSE:HMN) is the largest national multiline insurance company focusing on educators' financial needs. Horace Mann provides auto and homeowners insurance, retirement annuities, life insurance and other financial solutions. "Founded by Educators for Educators" in 1945, the company is headquartered in Springfield, Ill. For more information about the company, visit www.horacemann.com.
About DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org (www.donorschoose.org) is a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can choose the projects they want to support. To date, almost 160,000 public and charter school teachers have used the site to secure funding for $73 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that have supported 4.4 million students.