Research shows that when students are given what they need to become strong readers, everything changes. Literacy skills can be a gateway to better mental health, improved self-esteem, stronger social skills, better report cards, and even fulfilling jobs down the line — and that's a gateway we need to keep open.
Humble Bundle, a trusted digital storefront for video games, software, and books, is no stranger to the power of literacy and giving back. They know that all students deserve positive, high quality educational experiences, and that many of those experiences begin with literacy skills.
When we teamed up with Humble Bundle, we knew we'd make an impact. But a 3X match offer totalling over $300,000 that supported 80,255 students and 741 teachers who'd never received funding before? Now that's a story worth telling.
Funding literacy to fund the future
A key piece of our partnership meant first featuring DonorsChoose as Humble Bundle's August 2025 Charity of the Month. As the featured charity, 5% of all subscriptions went to DonorsChoose for the month.
Then, from August through September, DonorsChoose became a part of the IGN Gamescom Bundle, and customers could choose how much of their payment went to DonorsChoose.. Funds raised through both these campaigns supported a 3X match offer supporting middle and high school literacy projects on the DonorsChoose platform, with a specific focus on Literacy: Books and Reading Nooks for grades 6-12. The match offer also prioritized teachers who had never before received funding.
By combining these two donor communities and offering a sizable match offer, Humble Bundle and DonorsChoose were able to amplify literacy needs and help more classroom projects receive funding: over $300,000 in donations successfully funded 755 projects, supporting 741 teachers at 689 schools and – most importantly of all – empowering 80,255 students to learn and grow.
A+ projects funded for superstar teachers
We went straight to teachers to learn how resources funded by Humble Bundle were put to use. Here's what they had to say:
Of all the incredible projects funded by these campaigns, a few stand-outs caught our eye. Check out what these classrooms are able to achieve with generous donor support:
English Classroom: Engaging with Classic Literature
Mrs. Lucareli, Grades 9-12
Camarillo, CA
Mrs. Lucareli had a mission: get her English students excited about Homer's gripping epic, The Odyssey. But the only version her district gave her was too challenging for her high school students, who struggle with their literacy skills. With Humble Bundle's help, Mrs. Lucareli was able to purchase graphic novel editions of The Odyssey that are more visually accessible, while supplementing with excerpts from Homer's original format. Now, all her students can experience why people still rave about one of the oldest surviving works of literature!
Sign, Shine, and Succeed: Empowering Deaf Learners
Ms. McPherson, Grades 9-12
Reno, NV
Ms. McPherson loves working with her Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, and wants them to be able to learn from materials that speak to their experiences. She worked with her students to make a wish list of ASL books, learning materials, bookshelves for a new classroom library, and a snack list that will help them stay fed and ready to learn. Thanks to Humble Bundle, this classroom just became a safer, more accessible, more inclusive place for all her students to thrive!
Promote Literacy in My Science Lab
Ms. Hensley, Grades 6-8
Katy, TX
Ms. Hensley sees firsthand every day the link between literacy skills and success in the sciences. In recent years, she'd noticed a drop in her middle school students' basic academic vocabulary. When students increase their literacy skills, they become more able to turn science from an abstract subject to one with real-world implications. The Humble Bundle campaigns fully funded her request for a library of and subscription to Science World Magazine, which will help her students broaden their vocabulary and see specific scenarios of science in action!
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