Learning How to Adopt a Retail Mindset in a Nonprofit World

Fifteen years ago, public school teacher Charles Best started DonorsChoose.org out of his classroom in Bronx, N.Y. He set out with a simple idea: Invite teachers to request supplies they need and allow citizen-donors to make direct connections with specific classrooms.

The mission of DonorsChoose.org isn't unique. On the contrary, there are many organizations that support public school teachers and students. It's the technology platform behind the mission that allows DonorsChoose.org to grow and scale quickly for a nonprofit.

When we think about branding and awareness, we think like many other nonprofit organizations do. We have to be totally transparent with how we conduct our business to gain donors' trust, how we serve our beneficiaries and what it costs us to do that.