- DonorsChoose
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DonorsChoose.org 
Type Non-profit organization Founded 2000 Headquarters New York, NY Key people Charles Best, Founder Revenue $4,615,576[1] Website donorschoose.org DonorsChoose.org (run from www.donorschoose.org) is a United States based nonprofit organization that provides a way for people to donate directly to specific projects at public schools (sometimes known as peer-to-peer philanthropy).
DonorsChoose.org was started in 2000[2] by Charles Best, a teacher at a public high school in the Bronx. Since then, it has grown to serve all the public schools throughout the United States. As of August 2011, more than $86 million dollars had been donated to over 210,000 projects, helping more than 5,150,000 students in need.[3]
The organization collects proposals from teachers and makes them available to public schools through its website. Individual donors can select projects and contribute as much as they are prepared to. DonorsChoose.org then purchases necessary supplies and provides them to the schools, and generates a line-item budget which is sent to the donor. In addition, donors who contribute $100 or more to a project, or who complete the funding for a project, also receive a "thank-you package" of thank-you notes from students, photographs of the project, and a letter from the teacher.
DonorsChoose.org is supported by fulfillment costs optionally added to each donation, as well as private funding sources, such as Omidyar Network.
DonorsChoose.org appeared in a Doonesbury strip on September 9, 2007.[4] It was also mentioned in an interview with Craig Newmark on the October 18, 2007 episode of the Colbert Report,[5] and again on March 19, 2008 and September 27, 2011.[6][7]
Contents
Eligible Schools
DonorsChoose.org is open to select schools.[8]
Yes No Traditional public schools Private schools or parochial schools Public charter schools Home school GED (adult ed) programs run by public school system Adult education (albeit pre-collegiate) run by university system Pre-K programs directly run by public school system Head start or other early intervention programs run by other governmental agencies or private contractors 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) Eligible Requestors
To request a grant for a classroom, there are certain eligibility requirements.[9]
Yes No Public school teachers, librarians, guidance counselors, school nurses and full-time teachers who also act as coaches Private school teachers, librarians, guidance counselors, school nurses and full-time teachers who also act as coaches Public or Private school principals, administrators, PTA/PTO members, teachers' assistants, student teachers, substitutes, part-time after-school teachers, or staff developers Only "front-line educators" at public schools in the United States who have a part in implementing the grant may register and apply for a grant.
Awards
DonorsChoose.org has won several awards for its work, such as:
- 2008 Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award[10]
- 2007 TechCrunch Crunchies, "Most likely to make the world a better place"[11]
- 2007 Time Magazine 50 Best Websites 2007[12]
- 2007 Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award[13]
- 2005 Amazon.com Nonprofit Innovation Award[14]
- 2005 BusinessWeek Best of the Web[15]
- 2004 Tech Museum Global Technology Laureate and Microsoft Education Award[16]
Notes
- ^ 2004/5 IRS 990 Form submitted for EIN 13-4129457 on 2005-12-15. Retrieved 2007-01-05. Available online from Guidestar.org (registration required)
- ^ Making a Difference Since 2001
- ^ DonorsChoose.org Impact Statement
- ^ "Doonesbury", September 9, 2007
- ^ "Colbert Report", October 18, 2007
- ^ "Colbert Report", March 19, 2008
- ^ "For the First Time-Ever 'The Colbert Report' Hits the Road," Fox Business, March 18, 2008
- ^ "DonorsChoose strictly serves public schools, but we define "public school" somewhat broadly:"
- ^ "Who can use DonorsChoose.org?"
- ^ "Social Capitalists: DonorsChoose.org"
- ^ 2007 Crunchies: The Winners
- ^ "50 Best Websites 2007"
- ^ "Social Capitalists: DonorsChoose.org"
- ^ "DonorsChoose.org Receives 2005 Amazon.com Nonprofit Innovation Award"
- ^ "Best of the New Web"
- ^ "2004 Education Award Laureate DonorsChoose.org"
External links
- DonorsChoose.org website
- CharityNavigator analysis of DonorsChoose.org
- Business Week (2005). "School Aid: It Takes A Web Site", 26 September 2005
- Lewin, Tamar: The New York Times (2005). "Building Better Schools, One Glue Stick at a Time." 14 November, 2005.
- Steel, Emily: Wall Street Journal (2006). "Novel Program Blends Charity And Marketing." 20 December, 2006.
- Schoolkids Get What Donors Choose
- GrayMatter, a student-oriented nonprofit modeled after DonorsChoose
Categories:- Children's charities
- Peer-to-peer charities
- Educational charities
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