About
DonorsChoose is a New York City-based nonprofit that makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need. Public school teachers from every corner of America create classroom project requests on the DonorsChoose platform, and donors can give any amount to the project that inspires them. The organization describes itself as "connecting the public to public schools" and states it is open to every public school in America.
Mission
In its own words: "We make it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where every student in every community has the tools and experiences they need for a great education." DonorsChoose is committed to combating disparities in school funding, working to inspire support for students who do not have access to the resources that would set them up for success.
What they do
- Classroom project funding: teachers post requests for classroom resources, and donors can fund projects with gifts as small as $1; donations are tax-deductible.
- Vetting and fulfillment: DonorsChoose vets all requests, purchases each item once a project is fully funded, and ships materials directly to verified teachers.
- Donor reporting: every donor receives a thank-you from the teacher and a report showing how each dollar was spent.
- Other ways to give: account credits, monthly giving, gift cards, donor-advised funds, stock donations, cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin), IRA qualified charitable distributions, and legacy gifts.
- Underfunded-school focus: the site highlights projects from underfunded schools as part of its student equity commitment.
History
DonorsChoose was founded in 2000 by Charles Best, then a teacher at a Bronx public high school, after thinking about all the money he and his colleagues were spending on books, art supplies, and other materials for their students. He built a website where teachers could post requests for classroom resources, and his colleagues posted the first 11 projects. The organization notes that teachers today still spend an average of over $600 out of pocket on their classrooms each year.
Scale and impact
The DonorsChoose team has vetted and fulfilled over 2 million classroom project requests, ranging from butterfly cocoons to robotics kits to books with diverse characters. Since its founding, teachers at most US public schools have requested resources through the platform, supported by citizen donors along with dozens of corporate and foundation partners.
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, DonorsChoose (EIN 13-4129457) is a 501(c)(3) public charity whose tax exemption was issued in November 2000. For the fiscal year ending June 2025, it reported revenue of $150,814,294, expenses of $159,831,763, and net assets of $135,365,190, with contributions making up about 97% of revenue. DonorsChoose states it has received the highest possible ratings from Charity Watch, Charity Navigator, and GuideStar.
Governance
DonorsChoose is headquartered in New York City, with staff also working remotely across the country; many team members are former teachers. The organization publishes its finances, staff and board information, and open data on its website.