In accordance with our mission, DonorsChoose is focused on providing resources to U.S. public schools (located within the 50 states and D.C.) serving PreK-12 students. These include:
- Public schools run by a local education agency (LEA)
- Charter schools
- Head Start centers
- Bureau of Indian Education schools.
- Public programs administered by other public entities such as juvenile court/correctional schools, and intermediate service districts/educational service agencies.
Schools that we do not serve:
- Private schools.
- Parochial or religiously affiliated schools.
- Non-profit, non-public, or independent schools.
- Early Head Start classrooms.
- Schools outside the 50 states and the District of Columbia. We do not serve schools in overseas territories, even if run by the DODEA, unless otherwise noted through pilot programs.
- Daycares, summer camps, or afterschool programs.
- Educational programs at public facilities like libraries or museums.
- Adult education, colleges, or universities.
- Homeschools.
Teachers must be full-time employees of the district or other eligible school listed above in order to create an account. As an eligible teacher, you’ll have a chance to find your school during the registration process. If your school is a brand new school or a unique program, you may need to request to add your school during the registration process.
If your school is not eligible for DonorsChoose, you may find Adopt-A-Classroom (http://www.adoptaclassroom.org/) and other crowdfunding websites helpful.
FAQ:
My school’s governing body is a non-profit or private organization, but we are a charter school or Head Start location. Are we eligible?
Yes. As long as your school is a charter school or a Head Start center, your school is eligible.
My school is a non-profit, independent, or private school that accepts public school students through referrals, partnerships, or a ”choice school” program with the public school district. Are we eligible?
No. We do not serve schools that privately operated, even if they accept students from public school districts.
My school is not a Head Start, but it is a pre-K or daycare facility that receives public funding, partners with a school district, or is part of a Universal Pre-K program. Are we eligible?
No. At this time, only district-run pre-K and Head Start centers are eligible.
My school is a Head Start, but it also houses an Early Head Start location. Are we eligible?
Yes. When we add your location, Head Start teachers can register under your school. However, Early Head Start teachers at your location are not eligible for DonorsChoose.
My school serves students who are over 18 or beyond the typical high school age range. Are we eligible?
We do serve some programs for students over 18. These include:
- High school equivalency programs for students 18-21
- Transition programs for students with IEPs
- Alternative high schools for students at risk of not receiving their diplomas
These programs must be run by a public school district or intermediate service district. We do not serve colleges/universities or other institutions primarily focused on adult education. Please provide as much information as possible for our team when requesting to add your school.