Case Study: DonorsChoose achieves near-perfect email deliverability and $26M in pandemic donations with Validity

DonorsChoose optimizes email deliverability to reach donors and support teachers through COVID-19 and beyond

DonorsChoose, a nonprofit that has mobilized nearly 2 million donors and raised over $314 million for classroom projects, faced a critical email deliverability problem during COVID-19 when email became their primary channel (36% of current donations). Poor list hygiene led to spam traps, complaints and reputation issues with Google Postmaster that throttled sends and slowed delivery to Gmail. To address this, DonorsChoose engaged Validity and adopted the Everest email deliverability platform.

Validity implemented Everest plus expert advisory services to improve list hygiene, tailor audiences, and control send volume. The program delivered measurable gains: Sender Score rose to 99, inbox placement averaged 99.7%, spam traps dropped to nearly zero across more than a half‑million daily sends, and email helped DonorsChoose raise more than $26M during the pandemic. Validity’s visibility, alerts and ongoing guidance also positioned DonorsChoose to expand into SMS validation with Validity BriteVerify.

DonorsChoose

Jasmine Penny

Email Program Director