Donating through DonorsChoose with Qualified Charitable Distributions through your IRA is a fantastic way to support your local teachers and classrooms year-round.

Making Qualified Charitable Distributions on DonorsChoose 

You can use QCDs through your IRA to support projects on DonorsChoose by:

1. Purchasing account credits now and allocating them to projects when your funds arrive OR 
2. Picking individual projects now and recommending your donation to be applied to them specifically.

We recommend option #1 as the best approach for making your check donation: buying credits first, then selecting projects. If you select projects to fund first, then write a check for those specific projects, there’s a higher likelihood that the projects will be fully funded or expire while we wait for the check to arrive.

In order to support projects with your Qualified Charitable Distributions, please ask your IRA custodian to send the check directly to the address below, and mark your Donation ID in the memo. 

          DonorsChoose
          Mail Code: 6656
          P.O. Box 7247
          Philadelphia, PA 19170- 6656
          Memo: Donation ID __________ (see instructions below)

To use your QCD to purchase account credits or gift cards (pick projects later):

1. Visit DonorsChoose.org/credits (for account credits) or DonorsChoose.org/gifts (for gift cards). Your total donation must be at least $100.
2. On the payment screen, choose “other" and then “IRA.” Then click “place my donation.
3. After clicking “place my donation,” the system will generate a unique Donation ID for your donation. 
4. Write the Donation ID on your check; this allows us to match your check with your donor account.
5. Mail your check to:
             DonorsChoose
             Mail Code: 6656
             P.O. Box 7247
             Philadelphia, PA 19170- 6656
             Memo: Donation ID __________ 

When your check arrives, we’ll add credits to your account or create your gift cards (depending on what you’ve purchased) and notify you via email.

To use your QCD towards specific projects now:

1. Find projects you'd like to support and add them to your cart. Your total donation must be at least $100.
2. On the payment screen, choose “other” and then “IRA.” Then click “place my donation.” 
3. Our system will remember your check pledge, but will not indicate any donations on the projects until your check arrives, - in the meantime, the  projects will remain open for funding.
4. After you click “place my donation,” you will be on a screen which shows you a donation ID. 
5. Write the Donation ID on your check; this allows us to match your check with your donor account.
6. Mail your check to:
             DonorsChoose
             Mail Code: 6656
             P.O. Box 7247
             Philadelphia, PA 19170- 6656
             Memo: Donation ID __________ 
   

When your check arrives, we’ll apply your donation to the projects you’ve selected. If, by that time, the project you selected has been fully funded or needs a smaller amount than your pledge, we’ll deposit any remaining amount into your donor account as credits. 

We’ll notify you by email once your check arrives, and let you know exactly how your donation was allocated so that you can choose new projects to support if needed.

Looking for other ways to support teachers and classrooms? Check out the different ways you can give on our site!