Senior Director, Research & Insights
About the role
Senior Director, Research & Insights
At DonorsChoose, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. We also know that too many public school classrooms lack the resources students need to reach their full potential.
Since 2000, DonorsChoose has connected teachers who know exactly what their students need with generous supporters who want to help. Together, more than 6 million people and partners have contributed nearly $2 billion to fund classroom resources and experiences for students across the country. Today, teachers at more than 90% of U.S. public schools have used DonorsChoose to bring learning to life for their students.
Our impact extends beyond delivering classroom resources. Every teacher request gives us a unique window into what's happening in America's classrooms: from emerging learning trends to the evolving needs of students and educators. These insights help inform our own strategy and equip partners across philanthropy, business, and education with a deeper understanding of where opportunity exists and where support can make the greatest difference. By combining the expertise of teachers with the generosity of supporters, we're helping unlock the potential of every student while building a stronger future for public education.
DonorsChoose has been recognized as a best place to work by GOOD Magazine and the Nonprofit Times, while Fast Company named DonorsChoose one of the Most Innovative Companies in the World—the first time a charity has made this list. Our dedicated team works from across the United States to bring classroom dreams to life.
About the Impact & Insights Team
The Impact & Insights team exists to help DonorsChoose become the most trusted source of insights about America's classrooms. We believe teachers are among the first to see emerging needs, changing student experiences, and new opportunities—and that those closest to classrooms should help shape the conversations happening far beyond them.
By combining educator perspectives, research, data, and organizational intelligence, we produce insights that inform strategy, strengthen fundraising, shape partnerships, and help leaders across education, philanthropy, and business better understand where opportunity exists for students.
About the Role
DonorsChoose is seeking a Senior Director of Research & Insights. Reporting to the Chief Impact & Insights Officer, this role is not a traditional research leadership role. While research rigor and methodological expertise matter, the primary value of this position is helping DonorsChoose build an organizational intelligence capability rooted in classroom resource needs that informs strategy, influences decisions, strengthens fundraising, shapes partnerships, and advances student opportunity.
This context matters for a K–12 organization like ours, as we are not seeking someone whose primary orientation is academic research, publication, or evaluation for its own sake. We are seeking a strategic thinker and translator who can identify meaningful signals, connect disparate sources of information, generate relevant intelligence, identify where classroom realities intersect with broader opportunities, and help leaders act on what we learn.
Our point of view
We believe one of DonorsChoose's greatest strategic advantages is our proximity to America's classrooms. Teachers are often the first to see emerging student needs, changing classroom experiences, and new opportunities. The successful candidate will share our belief that these perspectives are not simply stories to collect: they are strategic signals to investigate, synthesize, and translate into intelligence that helps others make better decisions.
We're looking for someone with informed perspectives and a deep commitment to equity and student opportunity.