Update: New donations will continue to be matched past August 19, for as long as funding remains. Once all funding is applied, the match offer will be removed from projects and this article will be updated.
Starting at 7AM ET on Wednesday, August 19, donations to every live, approved project will have a 1.5x match. That means a $20 donation will be boosted by $10 to become $30, and so on.
If you’re a full-time public school educator and have a DonorChoose project that meets the criteria below, new donations on your project will be boosted as long as funding remains.
How to qualify:
- Have a live, approved project on our site by Wednesday, August 19 at 7:00 AM ET. If you haven’t created a project yet, click the “Create your project” button below!
- If you already have a live, approved project on DonorsChoose, you’re all set! If you have multiple projects live on the site, all of your projects will be eligible for the boost.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I post a project for this match?
If you’re a full time public school educator new to DonorsChoose, then you’ll need to register an account before you can create a project! Once you’ve created your project, you’ll submit it to our volunteer review team. Most projects are reviewed and posted within five days of being submitted. Once our team has approved your project, then it’s live and ready to receive donations! All projects that are live on Wednesday, August 19 will receive the match.
I submitted a project this week. Will it be approved in time?
We’re aiming to make sure that as many projects as possible that were submitted before Wednesday, August 19, 2026 are approved in time for this match. It often takes 5 days for a project to be screened, and it may take longer during this busy time of year. We recommend submitting your project ASAP for the best chance at getting it approved in time!
How will I know if my project qualifies?
If your project is live on our site, you’re all set! On Wednesday, August 19, you should see a 1.5X indicator on your project, showing that all donations you receive that day will be matched. If the 1.5X indicator is not on your project, then donations will not be matched.
If you recently submitted a project and are waiting for approval, you’ll receive an email when your project is live.
What if I have a different match offer?
Some projects qualify for multiple match offers; in that case, those projects will receive the match for which they currently qualify, instead of this one-day-only boost.
Why am I not seeing the match on my project?
The match will only appear after 7AM ET on Wednesday, August 19. If your project isn’t yet live on the site, the match will not be applied until after approval by our screening team. Please note, the match will not appear during Friends and Family Pre-Funding (the period when our team is reviewing your project).
Q: Are there any restrictions on which donations are matched?
Credit card, PayPal, account credit, and gift card donations to live projects are eligible for this match. Donations made directly to schools are not eligible for this match. Donations via check and donor-advised fund (DAF) will not be multiplied due to processing time. Previous donations placed before the match’s start date and time will not be multiplied. Please note, the match is not active for donations during Friends and Family Pre-Funding (the period when our team is reviewing projects).
Donations placed to a Classroom Essentials list will not be matched by this funding opportunity. Essentials lists are currently not eligible to receive matched or matching donations from any funding opportunity. You can read more about Classroom Essentials in our Help Center.
Q: How is information gathered about my school?
We receive our school data from a third-party vendor called MDR. You can find out your school’s designation by visiting your school page through your teacher profile page.
Check this page to learn more about school page information.
Q: What is a historically underfunded school?
We define Historically Underfunded Schools as schools that include any of the following:
- At least 50% of students are Black, Latino, Native American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or multiracial
- At least 50% of the students qualify for free or reduced priced lunch
- At least 75% of students are students of color (Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or multiracial) and the same race
- Underserved rural communities (rural schools where more than one third (34+%) of the students are eligible for free and reduced priced lunch)
Check this page to learn more.
Q: How can I edit my posted project?
If your project has not received any donations, you can make any edits by returning your project to draft status. You can do this by heading over to the Projects section of your account and clicking on the "Return project to draft" button underneath your project title. Once your project is in draft status, you can make any edits and resubmit it. Then, it will be re-screened by our team and re-posted if eligible. Read more about editing your project.
Q: Do Classroom Essentials lists qualify for this funding opportunity?
No. Donations placed to a Classroom Essentials list will not be matched by this funding opportunity. Essentials lists are currently not eligible to receive matched or matched donations from any funding opportunity. You can read more about Classroom Essentials in our Help Center.