How Charles Best Created DonorsChoose.org - A Future of Work Non-Profit

Charles Best (@CharlesBest), is an American philanthropist and entrepreneur,. He is the founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org, a crowdfunding platform for K-12 teachers in US schools.

Charles launched the organization twelve years ago out of a Bronx public high school where he was taught teaching history at the time. Since then, DonorsChoose.org has become is one of Oprah Winfrey's "ultimate favorite things" and was named by Fast Company among as one of the "50 Most Innovative Companies in the World”," —the first time a charity has received this recognition. For three years, Fortune magazine has also named Charles one of to its "40 under 40 hottest rising stars in business."

I’ve gotten to know Charles over the last year, and every time we dig a bit deeper in conversation, I’m impressed with how systematic he has implemented so many of the practices that we are here to discuss.

Charles Best is the founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org, a crowdfunding platform for K through 12 teachers serving in US schools. Charles launched the organization in 2000 out of a Bronx public high school where he was teaching history.

DonorsChoose.org was among the first charitable crowd-funding platforms of its kind, creating a marketplace between public school teachers trying to fund projects and citizen donors making contributions.

A few of the company’s many accolades: it has received the highest rating from Charity Watch every year since 2005, has been featured by Oprah as one of her favorite things, and has raised more than $500 Million towards 1 Million Projects.

Show Notes
2:30 Stephen Colbert’s engagement with DonorsChoose.org
7:00 New ways of funding for nonprofits
9:00 Connecting with celebrities
13:00 Core model is the same after 17 years but always experimenting
17:30 Charles’ decision to become a teacher
20:30 Challenges for Charles
22:30 DonorsChoose use of data and transparency
26:30 Founding story of DonorsChoose
31:00 Finding personal connections for donors
34:45 Charles’ and Robin’s passions
37:45 Humility as an organizational core value
41:15 Experiments within the organization
45:00 Charles’ enthusiasm
49:45 Charles’ book suggestions:

Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov
Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Learn More:
DonorsChoose.org