Our vast array of integrated vendors found in our shopping portal allows us to source competitive prices for the items requested through DonorsChoose.
A few things to note about the prices you see in our shopping portal and on projects:
- Whenever possible, we use our purchasing volume to negotiate discounts with vendors.
- We're unable to take advantage of sale prices or temporary promotional discounts. This is because projects may remain available for funding for up to 4 months, and we don't want to lock in a discounted price that may not be available when we order the item.
- Certain vendors' pricing, like Amazon's, may fluctuate significantly regardless of formal sales due to their own marketplace practices. If the actual cost of funded materials is less than the posted price, DonorsChoose uses all savings to fund additional projects. If the cost for a funded project is more than its posted price, DonorsChoose pays for increases up to 10%. If the cost increases more than 10%, DonorsChoose works with the teacher to select replacement items within the range of the posted price.
- Except for Special Requests and Virtual Class Trip or Visitor projects, teachers can only request materials from our integrated shopping portal or vendor directory. While we understand there may occasionally be vendors or marketplaces with lower costs, working with these vendors enables us to purchase resources electronically and communicate directly with vendors to serve teachers more quickly and effectively.
Learn More: Commonly Requested Items