DonorsChoose.org Resources for Principals

We work with public school teachers every day, and we occasionally hear from principals at the schools we support.  We've created this post to help answer some of the most common questions school leaders have for us. What is DonorsChoose.org and how does it work?

DonorsChoose.org is a nonprofit website that helps public school teachers get funding for materials and experiences that will help their students learn.

• Visit the About section of our site for details about how our program works.
• Read our eligibility criteria to learn more about who can submit project requests.

How can I follow my teachers’ DonorsChoose.org projects and help make sure they receive their materials?

1. Review and share our fax notifications. As soon as we purchase the materials for any funded project, we send a fax to you at the school specifying the teacher and the specific materials to be shipped.  Pass this notification on to anyone who receives or signs for packages so they can make sure materials reach the right classroom.
2. Opt into email updates. If you like, we can add your email to our system to provide updates about funded projects via email (just contact us at principals(at)donorschoose(dot)org to set up email notification).
3. View projects from your school using our search page.  Fax notifications now also include a customized link to your school page.

Who owns the materials funded through DonorsChoose.org?

Materials funded through DonorsChoose.org are meant for the classroom that is described in the project request. Control and use of the materials funded through DonorsChoose.org should be dictated by the teacher’s project request, to reflect the intent of the donor(s) who chose to fund the project.

In cases where a teacher is leaving your school, we rely on the teacher and school administrators to review our guidelines and work together to determine the best course of action.

What happens if materials are lost or stolen after reaching my school?

We rely on the school to help make sure teachers get their materials.  To that end, we send a fax notification to the school office anytime materials are purchased for a project to help raise awareness of pending delivery for a particular teacher.It happens rarely, but if materials are delivered to the school and don’t reach the intended teacher, we’ve created a policy to help your students receive their resources and also ensure the integrity of our donors’ contributions.We have a two-strike policy for lost or stolen items. If materials cannot be found in a school and we have proof of delivery, we make a note in the school’s record and reorder the items for the classroom.  If materials are lost or stolen again, we’ll suspend DonorsChoose.org activity at the school while we work with the school administration to ensure the security of future deliveries.  Read more.

Do I need to keep records of DonorsChoose.org donations or follow up with the donors?

We are a 501(c)(3) entity and process all donations to classroom projects, so your school does not need to account for these donations in its books.  We also work directly with teachers to provide follow-up for the donors.

How can I spread the word about DonorsChoose.org?

Use these resources to tell others about our program.

Questions? Try our Help Center or email us at principals(at)donorschoose(dot)org.