Who we are
Shawn Reeves, a physics teacher, started EnergyTeachers.org early in 2004. Stephen Cremer, also a physics teacher, and Beth Bounds, a chemistry teacher, joined with Shawn to form a non-profit corporation in Massachusetts, November 2004. Shawn runs the daily operations of the organization in Ithaca, NY, but we retain strong and official ties to MA.
What we do
EnergyTeachers.org (ETO) offers help to teachers interested in teaching about energy production and use. Services include this web site, face-to-face meetings, newsletters, a lending library, reviews of lesson plans, and other tailored services.
We also work with numerous organizations and government agencies, seeking every opportunity to incorporate appropriate topics into our lessons. Shawn likes to say "If it has to do with energy, and we could discuss it in any classroom, we want to know about it."
Our greatest accomplishment has been to connect busy teachers with a wider system of curriculum. We answer questions like "how can I teach about solar energy in my ancient history course?" and "What books should my library order so I can take my chemistry students there for library research?"
If you need anything, just contact us, and we can visit your planning meeting if you're in the US, or we can point you to one of many other useful resources.
To learn more about our functions, read a short article about our "best day".
How we operate
Almost everything is done "in-house." Incorporation, accounting, taxes, non-profit status, web-design, databases, purchasing and sales, budgets, employment, grant-writing, conference calls, communication, publishing...These are all part of running the network. If you are interested in learning more about how to run a non-profit, especially one for teachers, Shawn would enjoy discussing the details. You can use the Contact link above to contact him.
What is "energy production and use" or "energy resources and use"?
We study how humans carry energy from one place to another, how we extract or produce those carriers, and how we use them. We study the impact of that production and use on society and ecosystems. We also are concerned about what we learn in school, how relevant the pedagogical topics of science and history are to humanity's current pursuits. Energy as a topic of study has a history, and the way we learn about it is dynamic but entrenched in textbooks and prior training. EnergyTeachers.org seeks to invigorate the exchange of new ways of teaching about energy and new specific topics in energy to teach.
How we pay our expenses
EnergyTeachers.org is an IRS 501(c)(3) public charity, incorporated in Massachusetts. See below for documentation. We receive grants, in-kind donations, and private donations. If you are interested in our finances or status with the IRS, you may view a report at GuideStar, the leading source of information on U.S. nonprofits (login required for some information). As of Fall 2007, GuideStar can also process donations (A fee is extracted, see Donations section for better options):
http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?npoId=100747226
Donations
| Checks | The best way to give is to send a check directly with this form: Supporting ETO Donation Form or write to: Treasurer, EnergyTeachers.org 315 Elmwood Ave. Ithaca, NY 14850 |
| Online | You can give through Razoo. A project page there describes how we can use donations of varying amounts: Donate Now |
You may also use a credit card (3% will go to the credit card company) at JustGive: http://www.justgive.org/giving/donate.jsp?charityId=27927 |
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Another site for giving, with giving pages by celebrities, is CrowdRise.
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| If you prefer a name everybody knows, you can donate via Amazon, which charges a 2.9% + $0.30 commission:
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About donations
Donors can send inquiries to the treasurer using the link below or sending email to ; all donations are tax deductible as allowable by law.
Indirect donations
If you are interested in raising money for any charity via simple web searches, consider using GoodSearch (make sure EnergyTeachers.org or any charity is selected). Their GoodShop service allows you to shop online, not pay anything more than you would without the service, yet a portion of the sale is donated to charity. For example, if you buy two books at Amazon the old-fashioned way, you pay $27.32. If you click the Amazon link from GoodShop with EnergyTeachers.org selected, then purchase the same two books, you still pay $27.32, but Amazon gives $0.41 to EnergyTeachers.org:
Similarly, iGive donates money to causes without charging you anything (requires registration, but allows you to receive a tax deduction for the portion donated).
Purchases: http://www.iGive.com/EnergyTeachersDotOrg
Searches: http://www.iSearchiGive.com/EnergyTeachersDotOrg
Check out our non-profit store at http://www.cafepress.com/EnergyTeachers 
(opens in a new window); all proceeds go to support our library. When you're done there, you can return easily here by clicking on Energy Teachers in the shopkeeper's bio.
Public Documents
Our IRS Form 1023 (PDF), application for exempt organization.
Our IRS Form W-9 (PDF), information for donors.
Our IRS Form 990 (PDF), annual report, is available by mail or email at your request.