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Business Wire
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Ripple Pledges $25M to Support U.S. Classrooms and Teachers
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ripple, the leading provider of digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions, today announced a $25 million commitment to leading education nonprofits DonorsChoose and Teach For America. This funding will equip young Americans and educators alike with the resources needed to improve academic outcomes, build economic resilience and thrive in a rapidly evolving job market. Despite clear links between grade-level literacy and lifetime economic opportunity, many classrooms still face significant challenges in accessing adequate resources to enable all students to fulfill their academic potential. According to a 2024 Gallup survey, 55% of U.S. parents and adults are dissatisfied with the quality of K-12 education in America, reflecting broader concerns about constraints and gaps in funding for education. Ripple's commitment aims to help bridge this gap by supporting students, teachers and staff with the resources to re-build confidence and deliver results in the classroom. 'Ripple has always championed financial and educational access for all, and we're partnering with some of the most impactful organizations – DonorsChoose and Teach For America – to benefit thousands of classrooms across the U.S.,' said Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple. 'Together, we hope to inspire others to do the same, starting with Teacher Appreciation Week, and leading into the rest of the year to support students and teachers with the resources they need to build a stronger future for themselves and their communities.' In a first-of-its-kind initiative, DonorsChoose and Teach For America will accept the majority of the $25 million grant in Ripple USD (RLUSD), Ripple's U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin. Stablecoins are quickly emerging as a practical method for disbursing funds, becoming the most widely used type of crypto-enabled payment mechanisms and representing over half of all onchain transaction volume in recent months according to Chainalysis data. As crypto-enabled payments become more prevalent, the ability for charitable organizations to utilize these technologies directly within their own networks through platforms such as The Giving Block will become increasingly valuable. Ripple is partnering with DonorsChoose and Teach For America to support innovative, high-impact initiatives throughout the year, including funding thousands of classroom projects and teacher requests during Teacher Appreciation Week starting today, Teach For America's Ignite tutoring program nationwide, and a national STEM Innovation Challenge. These partnerships will also support new initiatives focused on financial literacy, helping students and educators across the U.S. build strong academic foundations and economic mobility in a rapidly evolving job market. "Teachers are going the extra mile for their students' education, even spending hundreds - sometimes thousands - of dollars out-of-pocket for their classrooms," said Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose. "Through their initiatives, Ripple is directly providing teachers with the resources their students need for the best education. Students will not only get their hands on materials that will enhance their learning, but they will also have the tools to help set them on the path to a bright future." 'We're deeply grateful to Ripple for this transformative support,' said Aneesh Sohoni, CEO of Teach For America. 'This funding will expand our Ignite Tutoring Fellows program, drive innovation in our Reinvention Lab, and provide crucial financial assistance to thousands of new corps members during their teacher preparation. With Ripple's partnership, we're advancing our mission to ensure every child has access to an excellent education and the opportunity to thrive." Ripple's commitment to financial literacy and education builds on its broader mission to drive meaningful impact through philanthropy and crypto-enabled solutions. Since 2018, Ripple has contributed over $200 million to global initiatives, with nearly 80% of employees participating in giving and volunteering programs. By supporting hundreds of nonprofits, mission-driven fintechs, and leading universities through its University Blockchain Research Initiative, Ripple continues to drive long-term, positive change worldwide. Those interested in fueling the future of teachers and K-12 classrooms can donate RLUSD, XRP and other cryptocurrencies via The Giving Block at About Ripple Ripple is the leading provider of digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions—delivering simple, compliant, reliable software that unlocks efficiencies, reduces friction, and enhances innovation in global finance. Ripple's solutions leverage the XRP Ledger and its native digital asset, XRP, which was purpose-built to enable fast, low-cost, highly scalable transactions across developer and financial use cases. With a proven track record working with regulators and policymakers around the world, Ripple's payments, custody and stablecoin solutions are pioneering the digital asset economy—building credibility and trust in enterprise blockchain. Together with customers, partners and the developer community, we are transforming the way the world tokenizes, stores, exchanges, and moves value. About DonorsChoose DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, 6.4 million people and partners have contributed $1.7 billion to support over 3 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the classroom, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit About Teach For America Teach For America works in partnership with communities across the country to reach One Day when every child has access to an excellent education. Founded in 1990, Teach For America finds, develops, and supports a growing network of leaders who expand opportunity for children from classrooms, schools, and every sector and field that impact a young person's education. Today, Teach For America is a force of over 70,000 alumni, corps members, and Ignite fellows working in pursuit of profound change so that one day every child has the opportunity to learn, lead, thrive, and co-create a future filled with possibility. Teach For America is a proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network. For more information, visit and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads. About The Giving Block The Giving Block, a Shift4 company, is the platform helping nonprofits fundraise more effectively from modern philanthropists. Pioneers of the 'Crypto Philanthropy' movement, The Giving Block developed the leading solutions for cryptocurrency donations, taking crypto and NFT donations mainstream in the nonprofit sector. The Giving Block's team then developed a stock and DAF giving experience built to empower even more donors to give. When combined, The Giving Block's product suite empowers more donors than ever to give assets to their favorite causes. Today, thousands of nonprofits are using The Giving Block to fundraise from modern philanthropists. Learn more about The Giving Block here.
Associated Press
12-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Panda Express® Donates $2.2 Million towards Classroom Resources for Schools through DonorsChoose
New York, New York, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express®, is donating a total of $2.2 million to U.S. public school classrooms through education nonprofit DonorsChoose. Each DonorsChoose project in a Panda Express® neighborhood will receive up to $1,200 to fulfill teachers' resource requests for their students. Public school teachers who responded to a DonorsChoose survey said that they annually spend, on average, at least $600 of their own money on school supplies for their students. To ease this burden on educators and get resources to students, Panda Cares is launching its fifth year of partnership with DonorsChoose. 'The need to support our teachers is stronger than ever,' said Tina Hsing, Panda Cares Director. 'Partnering with DonorsChoose aligns with Panda's mission of inspiring better lives. It's our privilege to help provide the necessary tools for our youth to thrive and for our teachers to teach.' Since 1999, Panda Cares has raised over $415 million for the health and education needs of underserved youths. With DonorsChoose, Panda Restaurant Group has matched donations to projects focused on the classroom environment, funded Lunar New Year projects fostering greater cultural understanding of the holiday, and funded projects fueling academic success at schools in local Panda Express neighborhoods. Since its first partnership with DonorsChoose in 2021, Panda Cares has funded over $15 million in classroom resources for 31,000 teachers at over 13,000 U.S. public schools, particularly schools where more than half of students are from low-income households. 'Panda Cares is making it easier for public school students across the U.S. to have what they need for the best education,' said Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose. 'Panda Cares stands in solidarity with its neighborhood schools. By reaching a milestone of funding more than $15 million in classroom resources on DonorsChoose, Panda Cares is underscoring the importance of empowering educators and students in our local communities.' ABOUT PANDA CARES® About Panda Express® Panda Express, the largest Asian dining concept in the US, is a family-owned and operated restaurant brand founded in 1983 by Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng. Driven by a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express is recognized as a trailblazer in American Chinese cuisine. The company has pioneered iconic dishes like The Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp, creating a variety of industry-first recipes. Each dish at Panda Express is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by authentic Chinese flavors and culinary principles. With over 2,500 locations across the country and a presence in 11 international countries, Panda Express continues to share American Chinese cuisine with the world. Powered by a global family of associates, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, has raised more than $415 million and has dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 16 million youth and supporting communities in need since 1999. Panda Cares lives into its mission of inspiring better lives by giving back to its local communities and shaping a brighter future for generations to come through volunteer services, funding, and meal donations. Areas of focus include leadership and academic programs for students, and whole person healing for patients. In 2021, Panda Cares Centers of Hope were created for patients and students nationwide as a space where they can heal and learn. For more information, visit ABOUT DONORSCHOOSE DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, 6.3 million people and partners have contributed $1.7 billion to support over 3 million teacher requests for learning resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the teacher, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit
