Update 3:15pm EST February 22: All funding has been applied to eligible projects. No funding remains for this opportunity.
Starting February 18th, 2026, qualifying projects will receive a one-time donation of $750.
If your project meets the criteria below, the one-time donation will appear once it is approved and live on the site.
How to qualify:
- Teach PreK-12 in a Hawai'i public school.
- On the “HI” page while creating your project, enter the campaign code “HAWAII” by clicking "Apply a campaign code." You will not be able to enter this campaign code until February 18th. Projects without the campaign code will not be eligible for funding.
- Request under $1,000 for your total project goal, including taxes, shipping, fees, and the suggested donation to support DonorsChoose. Projects with a total project goal higher than $1,000 (about $750 in materials) will not qualify.
- Projects with a total project goal between $750 and $1000 will require additional funding to be completed.
What won’t qualify:
- Professional development, Special Request, and Virtual Trip & Visitor projects are not eligible.
- Teachers Pay Teachers items are not eligible.
- Projects with total project goals higher than $1,000 will not receive the one-time donation.
Additional information:
We encourage you to shop from our vendors with free shipping to Hawaii:
- Shop CDW-G, Grainger, TIME for Kids, or Ward’s Science for free shipping.
- Shop Best Buy Education except for appliances and large TVs.
Quill.com is unavailable as a vendor for this funding opportunity. If you would like to shop from Quill.com, do not use the “HAWAII” campaign code with your project.
If you’re creating a project for tech resources, be sure to review technology guidelines for Hawaii school districts before shopping.
Note some items may not be available for shipping to Hawaii, such as aerosol cans.
- When shopping for products from Best Buy Education, please keep in mind major appliances, large displays / televisions 55”+ and oversized products are only able to ship to the island of Oahu.
- Shop CDW-G for large displays that are 55”+.
Q: How do I know if I’ve applied the campaign code? ▼
A successful application of the campaign code during project creation will create a new banner on your project page. You will also see a success message after applying it and receive an email stating that your project has the campaign code applied.
Q: How can I ensure my project is fully funded by the Hawaii State Department of Education donation? ▼
With a total project goal under $750, your project will be fully funded by the Hawaii donation. This equates to about $550 in materials. Below are some project examples that would be fully funded if they were to receive the one-time donation:
“Complete Our Classroom With Supplies”
- Materials cost of $526.95, and total project goal of $691.81
- Materials cost of $537.00, and total project goal of $704.34
“Bringing AI to Life with Graphic Designs”
- Materials cost of $558.82, and total project goal of $731.52
You’ll see a processing fee, fulfillment fee, and a suggested donation on your DonorsChoose project in addition to your $550 for materials. The Hawaii State Department of Education will donate up to $750 to each project to cover these additional fees, including the suggested donation.
Projects totaling more than $750 in fees, suggested donation, and resources will not receive the Hawaii one-time donation. The suggested donation cannot be removed from your project.
Q: Can projects already approved on the site qualify for this funding? ▼
No. Projects that have already been approved will not qualify. The only way to receive this funding is to create and submit a new project after September 29th at 6am HT (12pm ET).
Q: What resources can educators request? ▼
Educators can request classroom resources, including but not limited to supplies, technology, and instructional materials. Check out our list of commonly requested items. Resources that will primarily benefit teachers, parents, or other school staff members are not eligible.
Q: Can a non-educator nominate an educator and/or project? ▼
No. Funding through this initiative is intended to address the individual and specific need(s) of each educator and classroom. Educators must submit their own projects to participate in the program.
Q: Can educators submit multiple projects for funding? ▼
Each Hawaii educator can only have one project funded through this Hawaii State Department of Education funding opportunity. Only one DonorsChoose account per teacher is permitted. Do not create additional accounts.
Q: Can I edit my project if I accidentally submitted it? ▼
If your project has not received any donations, you can make any edits you’d like by returning your project to a 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: What is a thank-you package? ▼
After your project has been fully funded and you’ve received all of your materials, you’ll be prompted to upload a short essay and some photos showing the impact your materials had in your classroom.
Q: What if I forgot to add the campaign code? ▼
If you submitted your project without the campaign code, you can still add it. Return your project to draft within your teacher account, then add the campaign code and resubmit.
(Refer to Question 7 above for more details on returning your project to draft.)
Q: What if my project is higher than $750? ▼
If your project’s total goal is higher than $750, then your project will not be fully funded by the one-time donation. This means that your project will require additional funding to be completed.
Here are some project examples that would receive the one-time donation but require more funding because their total goal is higher than $750:
- Presenting Knowledge Creatively - Total Project Goal = $999.51
- Student Library Creativity and Beautification - Total Project Goal = $927.54
(Refer to Question 7 above for more details on editing your project.)
Q: Do Essentials Lists qualify for this funding opportunity? ▼
No. The one-time donation is only applicable to projects.