Amazon.com selected DonorsChoose as one of the ten most innovative nonprofit organizations in the world because of its success in developing an online marketplace that connects citizen philanthropists with public school classrooms in need.

The ten Amazon finalists were chosen from 1,000 nonprofits whose innovative approaches and breakthrough solutions have improved their communities. Amazon issued the finalists a challenge: the organization that raised the most money between July 19 and September 30, 2005 would be awarded up to $1 million in matching funds. Receiving donations from across the country, DonorsChoose won the Amazon Challenge and a $790,000 match.

DonorsChoose.org, enables teachers to submit online proposals requesting needed learning resources, and then allows donors to choose exactly which project they want to fund. Donors can decide where they want to invest their money, see the direct impact of their donation, and know that their dollars were spent as desired.

Charles Best, a Bronx public high school teacher, launched DonorsChoose in 2000 and the idea began to take off. Michael Brader-Araje led the effort to make North Carolina the first expansion site outside of New York and has since worked to expand DonorsChoose to other states. Michael serves on the DonorsChoose National Board of Directors.

Today, thousands of teachers use DonorsChoose to seek funding for books, field trips, instruments, athletic equipment, and other student needs. Donors nationwide have funded thousands of requests, channeling over $6 million worth of resources to over 200,000 students in low-income communities.