Why not consider some “citizen philantropy” this holiday season? DonorsChoose.org combines a valuable cause — helping teachers get supplies for classroom projects–with wonderful results. You give to any classroom project request you want, DonorsChoose.org delivers the materials to the teacher and kids, and you change lives and see it in photos and thank you notes. To top it off, the organization’s savvy about welcoming user content makes the site very accessible.

In a nutshell, DonorsChoose.org is an online charity connecting you to classrooms in need.

More specifically, it works like this: Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class.

Then, you can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that makes your eye twinkle. Once a project reaches its funding goal, we deliver the materials to the school.

You’ll get photos of your project taking place, a thank-you letter from the teacher, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent. If you give over $100, you’ll also receive hand-written thank-you letters from the students.

At DonorsChoose.org, you can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives millions. Donors Choose calls that citizen philanthropy.