DonorsChoose vs WhyDonate

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.

WhyDonate is a free online fundraising platform with web and API access for individuals and organizations. Organizers can create campaigns for medical costs, memorials, education, emergencies, and community projects, adding a story, goal, and photos before sharing through built-in tools or social media. Fundraiser pages, donation forms, and emails can carry the organizer’s branding. The service supports recurring donations and provides a WordPress plugin, embeddable donation button, QR code collection, and Zapier connections to Google Sheets, Mailchimp, Salesforce, QuickBooks Online, and Slack. WhyDonate says fundraisers are supported in 100+ countries, 19 languages, and 119 currencies. Its plan costs nothing, with no sign-up fee, monthly cost, or platform fee; payment processing fees apply, and recurring donations incur a 3% platform fee from the second payment. Donor tips cannot be disabled. Identity verification precedes payout, while support is offered by chat, email, or scheduled phone appointments seven days weekly.