DonorsChoose vs M-Changa

DonorsChoose connects donors with public school teachers requesting classroom resources. Teachers submit supply or project requests, donors contribute, and DonorsChoose orders and ships funded goods to verified teachers. Teachers can sign up and post projects for free. Classroom Essentials offers curated basic supplies with no minimum, shipping items as funding arrives. Classroom Projects use a catalog of more than 1 million products from over 20 teacher-favorite stores, including Lakeshore, Amazon, and Staples. These projects require a $100 minimum and can remain posted for up to four months; if the goal is missed, donors may redirect contributions to the teacher’s next project. Submissions are reviewed before posting, typically within five business days. Eligibility covers full-time educators at public or public charter schools working directly with students, subject to detailed rules. DonorsChoose says it vets requests, reviews student privacy, and requires permission for student photos. Teachers provide donors a thank-you package with two project photos.

M-Changa is an online and mobile fundraising platform for individuals and institutions. Fundraisers can create a customizable share page with a story, pictures, videos, and a target, for causes such as medical bills, construction, emergencies, funerals, weddings, churches, school fees, group projects, and sports clubs. Donations can be made through mobile money, Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal; card and PayPal options are listed for worldwide use. Recurring donations are supported. In Kenya, users can register, share, and manage a fundraiser by dialing *483*57#, and USSD fundraisers can view donation, withdrawal, and expense statements. Campaigns can be shared through Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and SMS. The listed platform fee is 4.25% on donations, reduced to 3.5% for fundraisers that raise KES 3,000,000 or more within 30 days. Withdrawal fees vary by method and amount. A phone line can manage one active fundraiser at a time, though it can contribute to unlimited fundraisers. The service is available on iOS and the web.