Disclosure and scope

ScanRaise publishes this explainer and is one organization-wide fundraising option. DonorsChoose is discussed as an adjacent classroom-project model, not presented as a direct clone or an inferior substitute. DonorsChoose facts link to its public documentation, checked on August 21, 2026. Neither model is ranked, and a school may use both under district policy.

The short answer

Choose school-wide or organization-wide fundraising when

A PTA, booster club, school, team, or district owns a shared approved budget and needs payments, participants, donor records, and reporting for it.

Choose classroom crowdfunding when

A teacher needs specific classroom resources or an eligible experience, and the platform's vetting, purchasing, shipping, and ownership rules fit the request.

Consider both when

The needs are separate, such as a PTA campaign for a shared program and a teacher request for named books. Keep approvals, records, and donor language separate.

Compare the two models by decision point

Who starts the effort

  • School-wide fundraising: An authorized school, PTA, booster, team, or district administrator creates a campaign for an approved purpose.
  • Classroom crowdfunding: DonorsChoose says verified public-school teachers create projects for exact classroom items, and DonorsChoose vets them. DonorsChoose administrator workflow

What the request funds

  • School-wide fundraising: A shared program, event, team, equipment, travel, or general budget the organization defines.
  • Classroom crowdfunding: DonorsChoose describes teacher projects for specific resources or eligible experiences, explaining how students will use them. DonorsChoose project creation guidance

How money or materials move

Who the donor supports and who issues the receipt

  • School-wide fundraising: The donor gives to the organization named on the campaign, and ScanRaise emails a receipt with the amount and organization. The organization is responsible for its own tax-status statements. ScanRaise pricing and donor receipts ScanRaise payment relationship
  • Classroom crowdfunding: The donor supports a project through DonorsChoose, which says it emails a receipt for each donation and offers annual receipts in donor accounts. Treatment can vary by payment method or credit type. DonorsChoose donation receipt guidance

Who owns funded materials

  • School-wide fundraising: Ownership follows the organization's purchase, donor restrictions, school policy, and contracts.
  • Classroom crowdfunding: DonorsChoose says materials generally belong to the public school or Head Start center where the teacher works, with exceptions for items meant for students to keep. DonorsChoose materials ownership policy

Reporting scope

  • School-wide fundraising: ScanRaise provides campaign reports and exports for the organization. ScanRaise school platform
  • Classroom crowdfunding: DonorsChoose says it records items, value, and shipment dates and offers district reporting through its administrator program. DonorsChoose district reporting

If the project is not fully funded

  • School-wide fundraising: The organization publishes its own deadline, refund, and alternate-use rules before accepting gifts.
  • Classroom crowdfunding: DonorsChoose handles family donations, other donors, teacher credits, and matching funds differently when a project expires unfunded. DonorsChoose unfunded-project policy

Published cost models are structured differently

DonorsChoose documents project costs that can include vendor shipping, sales tax where applicable, a 1.5% third-party payment-processing fee based on its weighted average, and a flat $30 fulfillment labor and materials fee, plus an optional suggested donation to DonorsChoose at checkout. These are its published terms as checked August 21, 2026. DonorsChoose additional project fees DonorsChoose suggested donation explanation

ScanRaise charges a 2.5% platform fee for standard fundraising, with payment processing separate, and donations go to the organization's own Stripe account. Compare total costs and workflow, not one percentage. ScanRaise pricing and payment modes

Questions for the teacher, PTA, school, or district

  • Is the need one classroom's resource list or a shared organization budget?
  • Does the school need money, shipped items, an eligible experience, or a mix?
  • Who receives the funds or materials, and who owns what is bought?
  • What records and reports does the district require?
  • What happens if the goal is not reached, an item is unavailable, or a donor asks for a refund?

Frequently asked questions

Does DonorsChoose send cash to a teacher or school?

Its administrator documentation says that after a project is funded, DonorsChoose orders and ships the requested items and never sends cash through that project workflow.

Who owns materials funded through DonorsChoose?

DonorsChoose says materials generally belong to the public school or Head Start center where the teacher works, with exceptions for consumables and resources explicitly intended for student ownership. Check the current policy and district requirements.

Which model has the lower cost?

Neither, as a rule. Compare the published platform, processing, shipping, tax, fulfillment, and refund costs for the exact project.

Sources and review notes

Sources checked . External rules and product policies can change, so confirm them before launch.

  1. DonorsChoose: Your District and DonorsChoose. Teacher verification, project vetting, item purchasing and shipping, district reporting, and administrator-facing ownership summary.
  2. DonorsChoose: Creating a new project. Current teacher workflow for selecting project type, resources, and project explanation.
  3. DonorsChoose: Materials Ownership Policy. Current ownership, stewardship, school-move, and district-policy guidance.
  4. DonorsChoose: Additional fees included on a project. Current vendor-published shipping, tax, payment-processing, fulfillment, and optional-support model.
  5. DonorsChoose: Suggested donation explanation. Current explanation of the optional suggested allocation at checkout.
  6. DonorsChoose: What happens when a project is not funded. Current vendor policy for project expiration, donor choices, credits, and partner matching funds.
  7. DonorsChoose: Finding a donation receipt. Current vendor guidance on individual email receipts, annual receipts, and transaction types excluded from annual receipts.
  8. ScanRaise pricing. Current ScanRaise platform fee and payment-mode explanation.
  9. ScanRaise school fundraising platform. Current commercial school-software scope, reporting, and fit boundaries.