Except for Special Requests and Virtual Class Trip or Visitor projects, teachers can only request materials from our Vendor Directory. Working with these vendors enables us to purchase resources electronically and communicate directly with vendors to serve teachers more quickly and effectively.
Because projects at DonorsChoose remain available for funding for up to 4 months, we are not able to take advantage of promotional sale prices, which are often temporary. We calculate the cost of each resource requested by a teacher at the respective vendor's list price. This prevents donors from funding projects that may need more funds later when a sale price is no longer available.
Whenever possible we use our purchasing volume to negotiate discounts with vendors. 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.
Learn More: Commonly Requested Items