DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need.

Here's how it works: public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class.

Then, you can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, we deliver the materials to the school.

You'll get photos of your project taking place, a thank-you letter from the teacher, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent. If you give over $50, you'll also receive hand-written thank-you letters from the students.

At DonorsChoose.org, you can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives millions. We call it citizen philanthropy.

Problem

Up to 92% of students in the U.S. public school system do not have access to basic educational resources and learning visits. Though federal and local level grants are available, such provisions are time sensitive and limited in scope. With further budgetary constraints now affecting the public schooling system at both federal and state level, teachers are becoming increasingly reliant on their own ability to fund the learning experiences of their students or are reliant on donations from corporate bodies and local groups – which are often difficult to locate, are highly competitive and require navigating a maze of bureaucracy. The traditional pervading public sense is that schools and educational need were the preserve of government, not citizens. DonorsChoose.Org challenges that belief and provides a channel through which citizens can become engaged in public education and support proven solutions to problems in their local classroom and beyond.

Solution

DonorsChoose.Org allows citizens to directly fund education in a new way. Through the site, public school educators are able to seek funding from the public for resources to improve the educational experience of their students. With transparency as a central tenet – DonorsChoose.Org provides engagement and accountability at all stages – purchasing resources on behalf of the teacher and ensuring donors receive thank you letters and cards from students.

Example

Provide an online space where teachers can make public funding requests for educational resources for specific student learning experiences. By allowing the public to make donations as small as $1 and providing the same level of transparency and engagement as a $1 million donor would expect, DonorsChoose.Org is creating a new group of citizen philanthropists. Data collected through the site is publicly available in order to promote further innovation in education sector.

Marketplace

DonorsChoose.Org accepts funding requests from the following institutions in the United States; Traditional public schools, Public charter schools, GED (adult ed) programs run by public school system, Pre-K programs directly run by public school system, Alternative schools run by the larger public school system (ex: school serving prison inmates, public boarding school), Federal- or state-run public schools (incl. Department of Defense K-12 schools).