donorschoose.org

donorschoose.org
Name	DonorsChoose.org
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2000
Founder	Charles Best
Headquarters	New York, New York
Services	Crowdfunding for classroom projects
Website	donorschoose.org

donorschoose.org

DonorsChoose.org is a United States-based nonprofit crowdfunding platform that connects public school teachers with individual donors to fund classroom resources and projects. The organization intersects with networks of public school, Teach For America, New York City Department of Education, Chicago Public Schools, and philanthropic actors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google.org. Since its founding, DonorsChoose has featured projects spanning materials linked to curricula influenced by standards like the Common Core State Standards Initiative and instructional practices seen in districts like Los Angeles Unified School District.

History

DonorsChoose was founded in 2000 by Charles Best shortly after his work with programs such as Teach For America and initiatives in Bronx classrooms, reflecting influences from nonprofit models like Khan Academy's outreach and crowdfunding precedents such as Kiva (organization). Early milestones included pilot funding tied to partnerships with institutions such as Google and grantmakers like the Gates Foundation, and growth paralleled expansions in digital philanthropy exemplified by PayPal's partnerships and platform shifts seen in Facebook fundraising features. Over time DonorsChoose scaled nationally, integrating with municipal systems like the New York City Department of Education and gaining media visibility via coverage in outlets akin to The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Mission and Operations

DonorsChoose's mission emphasizes enabling public school teachers to request classroom supplies and experiential learning through a platform influenced by models used by organizations such as Save the Children and Scholastic Corporation. Operationally, the nonprofit conducts vetting processes related to regulations similar to Internal Revenue Service guidelines and reporting frameworks used by nonprofits like United Way. It maintains partnerships with education-focused entities including National Education Association affiliates and district administrators in systems like Boston Public Schools to verify teacher credentials and project implementation.

Projects and Funding Model

Project proposals on the platform typically request materials ranging from books tied to publishers such as Penguin Random House to technology items from manufacturers like Microsoft and Apple Inc., and experiences involving cultural partners like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Smithsonian Institution. The funding model operates on a donor-to-teacher pathway comparable to mechanisms used by Kickstarter and Patreon (service), with aggregation features resembling functionalities from AmazonSmile. Corporate campaigns have included collaborations with companies like Target Corporation and DonorsChoose-adjacent initiatives run in tandem with foundations such as the Lemelson Foundation.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations of DonorsChoose's impact have been undertaken by research organizations and academic centers affiliated with institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Chicago, assessing outcomes in classrooms similar to studies on interventions by City Year or Teach For America. Reported impacts include increased access to materials used in curricula aligned with the Common Core State Standards Initiative and enhancements in student engagement measured using tools akin to metrics from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Independent analyses have compared DonorsChoose outreach to philanthropic distributions by entities like the Ford Foundation and program evaluations by the U.S. Department of Education.

Partnerships and Corporate Support

DonorsChoose has partnered with corporations and foundations including Google, Target Corporation, Walmart Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as media collaborations reminiscent of initiatives by Make-A-Wish Foundation and Goodwill Industries. Celebrity-driven campaigns have involved public figures whose philanthropic work parallels efforts by LeBron James' foundation models and partnerships with entertainers featured on platforms like Oprah Winfrey Network. These collaborations have enabled large-scale drives modeled after corporate social responsibility programs at companies like Microsoft and Apple Inc..

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques of the platform echo concerns raised in analyses of philanthropic models such as those critiqued in discussions around Kiva (organization) and the Gates Foundation's influence, including debates over equity, resource allocation, and reliance on individual donors versus systemic funding strategies advocated by organizations like the American Federation of Teachers. Controversies have centered on perceived disparities between affluent and under-resourced districts similar to patterns observed in debates about funding in Los Angeles Unified School District and accusations regarding prioritization seen in critiques of corporate-sponsored education initiatives tied to entities like Pearson PLC.

Technology and Platform Features

The DonorsChoose platform employs web and mobile features comparable to those used by crowdfunding services such as Kickstarter and ecommerce platforms like Shopify, integrating payment processing technologies similar to Stripe (company) and PayPal. Platform innovations have included search, recommendation algorithms, and reporting dashboards drawing parallels to analytical tools developed at institutions like MIT and engineering practices used by Amazon (company), enabling donors to filter projects by criteria that mirror categorizations used by museums like the Smithsonian Institution and library systems such as the New York Public Library.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States