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In honor of a wonderful 2007, we wanted to share some of the highlights that made it one of the best years yet for DonorsChoose.org.

1. We went national: We now serve every public school in the U.S. - any public school, anywhere, can submit a proposal. We have already funded projects in all 50 states.
2. We were recognized:
   • Fast Company Social Capitalist Award – 2nd year in a row
   • Charity Navigator highest rating of 4-stars – 2nd year in a row
   • TechCrunch Crunchie for “Most likely to make the world a better place”
3. We delivered resources: Donors have supported over 1 million students to-date
4. We got a shout-out: Craig Newmark of Craigslist and Stephen Colbert spoke about us on the Colbert Report, resulting in over $66,000 in donations to the “Colbert For President” challenge
5. We benefited from holiday generosity: An amazing $3 million was donated during the holiday season, and 40% of the donations were given to others to spend as gift certificates!

Thank you to all who made 2007 so great!

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To kick off the DonorsChoose blog, I thought I’d share the email sent to all our donors and newsletter subscribers following the American Express Members Project.

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Friends,

Out of 7,000 nonprofit initiatives, DonorsChoose.org finished 2nd in the American Express Members Project. Twenty-two thousand people voted for our entry, “Teachers Ask. You Choose. Students Learn.”

We gave it everything. Staff members worked into the night and throughout the weekend to rally our donors and teachers. Board members called upon all their associates. You, our constituents, rose to the challenge. During our campaign…

• DonorsChoose.org donors asked thousands of their friends to vote for our entry,
• DonorsChoose.org teachers rallied everyone they knew,
• Bloggers enlisted their readers,
• Companies emailed their employees,
• And partner nonprofit organizations tapped their supporters.

Thanks to your efforts, DonorsChoose.org is on its way to becoming a household name. The public awareness you helped us achieve will inspire thousands more “citizen philanthropists” to connect to classrooms in need. Your advocacy over the last few weeks means that a great many students will get resources they need to learn.

We would have liked to be #1, but we feel very proud that DonorsChoose.org—a charity which grew out of a Bronx classroom just seven years ago—has finished second only to Unicef in a contest of 7,000 nonprofit initiatives.

On behalf of the teachers and students we serve, thank you for supporting DonorsChoose.org in the Members Project. We strengthened our community, made new friends, and deepened existing friendships. Public school students from low-income families will soon feel the impact.

Again, thank you.

Sincerely,
Charles Best and the DonorsChoose.org Team

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