From crayons to warm coats, snacks to self-esteem, colored paper to career readiness: teachers are vital to the success of today's students, in every single way. That's why we've made it our mission to connect teachers in need with funders who can't wait to help students learn. We consistently receive top ratings from charity watchdogs as we provide 90% of America's public schools with an easy platform to request resources – and our funders with a giving experience that is absolutely transformative.
It comes as no surprise, then, that Teacher Appreciation Week is generally one of our most impactful celebrations of educators during the year. During this season, funding campaigns – many backed by our corporate and foundation partners – are one of the main ways we ensure that teachers feel valued, and that students have everything they need to close out the year strong.
This year, our partners really stepped up to the plate. Here's a dive into how they turned out for teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week 2026!
SONIC Foundation
This year, the SONIC Foundation worked double-time to lift up teachers nationwide by doubling donations to every single project on DonorsChoose on May 5th. This strategic engagement made sure that every teacher on our platform had a chance to receive support this Teacher Appreciation Week.
By the end of May 5th, SONIC supported 1,876 resource requests from 985 schools across the country. At the top of the charts? Books, classroom basics, and art supplies. See more of their impact!
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
Often receiving $500 fewer per pupil than urban schools, rural school systems are historically underserved and often struggle to provide their students with essential materials. This Teacher Appreciation Week, Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation wanted to dedicate extra attention to teachers and students in rural communities to help address this imbalance.
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation's 2026 Match Offer empowered students and teachers from 936 rural schools across the country, funding 1,330 projects with $360,749 in funding. Read more about how they did it!
Peloton, Jess Sims, and U.S. Bank
Peloton Instructor and former school teacher and administrator Jess Sims is no stranger to inspiration. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she teamed up with Peloton and U.S. Bank to support requests from underfunded schools in Seattle, WA, Houston, TX, Detroit, MI and New York City. She also hosted Peloton classes in those four cities across the country, just for educators.
"I am so honored to have shared space and stories with y’all," she wrote in her Instagram wrap-up, "and even more ecstatic to have witnessed the connections that were made that will make the days a bit brighter, the work a bit more doable, and the workouts/self-care a bit more accountable."
A whole community of caring
The giving doesn't stop there! So many of our partners supported the communities and causes close to their hearts during this year's Teacher Appreciation Week:
- Disney doubled donations to storytelling and arts projects for PreK-1st grade teachers
- General Motors doubled donations to STEAM projects
- Ripple fully funded projects from the San Francisco Unified School District
- Quill.com doubled donations to projects from historically underfunded schools that requested supplies from their website
With teachers and students facing more challenges than ever, we feel grateful to be aligned with partners who see that struggle and step up to support them together, in one big DonorsChoose community.
Interested in talking about teacher appreciation teacher support for spring 2027? Contact our team!
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