Mission: Inspire a nation of donors to transform commerce into a force for good!

As the poem by Robert Fulghum goes, all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten. Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.

But somewhere along life’s journey to greater, bigger, faster, we lost our way.

We live in a world with no shortage of challenges. The American public school system, for one, is in crisis. When teachers are laid off, class sizes are raised, and the arts, after-school and summer school programs are eliminated, our children’s education suffers. Make no mistake, the budget cuts over the last couple of years have serious consequences for our nation.

At DonorNation, we believe we have a responsibility to build a better, more sustainable world for ourselves and the generations that follow. We need to evolve: our thinking, our behavior and our actions. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Thus, we need to change the equation.

This realization is what inspired our Founder and CEO, Karim Pirani, to change the focus of his previous company, SafeList, to DonorNation. As a social entrepreneur, Karim recognized that we need to rethink how we define commerce. By linking profit to purpose and buying to giving, DonorNation can transform consumerism into a force for good.


What is DonorNation?

DonorNation is a philanthropic marketplace that benefits K to 12 schools, local businesses and the community. It is offered to the community as a service by Parent Teacher Organizations.

Individuals and businesses can buy and sell products, services and gently used items through the DonorNation marketplace. Schools receive anywhere from 10% to 100% of each transaction. Businesses too benefit from sales, loyalty, and goodwill. Community members gain a marketplace where they can support local businesses while giving back to their schools without additional out-of-pocket spending.

The DonorNation marketplace supports the community 24/7/365, year after year.


What does it cost?

There is no upfront cost to use DonorNation. Only when sales take place are fees incurred. DonorNation receives 6% of each transaction fee, as the provider of the marketplace. All transactions happen in real-time and are 100% transparent.


How does it work & what are the key benefits?

For Schools

• When a school joins the DonorNation community, it gets its own marketplace page FREE of charge, which they can customize with their logo, description, and fundraising goals
• The school invites community members to join DonorNation so they may buy, sell and give back to their school
• All transactions are paid via PayPal, thus ensuring the safety of everyone involved
• When a transaction takes place, PayPal immediately transfers the amount of the donation into the school’s PayPal account
• DonorNation sends a tax receipt to the seller on the school’s behalf, in the amount of the donation made

Key benefits

• This is a service, not an “ask”. Schools and local businesses benefit from a service Parent Teacher Organizations offer the community. Schools are not asking the community to spend additional money.
• Unlike other fundraising campaigns, DonorNation is a sustainable fundraising platform that generates money for schools 24/7/365, year after year, in times of budget shortfalls and surplus.
• No upfront costs with minimum time and effort required to maintain

For Business

• When a business joins the DonorNation community, it gets its own digital storefront FREE of charge
• The business customizes its storefront with its logo, business description, and items and/or services it wants to sell
• The merchant sets all prices and specifies the percentage it wants to donate to a school (minimum 10%) for each item or service being sold
• The buyer is allowed to direct the seller’s donation to a school of their choice
• When a transaction takes place, PayPal immediately transfers the donation amount into the School’s PayPal account and the balance into the merchant’s account
• DonorNation sends the merchant a tax receipt for the value of the donation made

Key Benefits

• Inspires sales, loyalty, and goodwill while supporting the community
• Empowers customers to direct the business’ donation to a school of their choice 
• Increases exposure through a new marketing channel promoted to school communities
• Alignment with an important social cause: education
• Tax benefits for donations made
• No upfront costs with minimum time and effort required to maintain

For Individuals

• When an individuals join the DonorNation community, they are entitled to buy, sell and give back!
• Individuals can upload gently used items for sale, set the price and donation amount (minimum 10%) and then either specify the school the donation goes to, or let the buyer decide
• When individuals sell items on DonorNation PayPal immediately transfers the donation amount to the recipient school's PayPal account and the balance to their account. The seller also receives tax receipt from DonorNation for the donation made. 
• As a buyer, the individual pays for the purchase via PayPal which immediately transfers the payment into the school’s account and the seller’s account

Key Benefits

• A convenient and fun marketplace for buying and selling
• Supports local schools without additional out-of-pocket spending
• Thriving schools and business impact the value of the community
• Tax benefits for donations made through items sold

Become a DonorNation Citizen!

Our vision of the future is a nation of donors, where neighbors help neighbors to collectively address and support an important social issue that affects us all: education.

Become a citizen of DonorNation today! Buy, sell... and help make a difference in the quality of education for our children.