New York, New York, Jan. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express®, is donating a total of $2.3 million to U.S. public school classrooms through education nonprofit DonorsChoose. Made possible by the in-store donation program, powered by Panda guests and associates, each DonorsChoose project in a Panda Express neighborhood will receive up to $1,200 to fulfill teachers’ resource requests for their students.
Panda Cares is funding classroom supplies and experiences at schools in Panda Express communities with the highest economic need, and teachers who have never been funded on DonorsChoose will be the first to receive this support.
According to a 2024-2025 survey of public school teachers using DonorsChoose, teachers say that they spend an average of $650 of their own money annually on resources for their students. They estimate that if it weren’t for DonorsChoose, they’d be spending, on average, double that amount. To ease this burden on educators, Panda Cares is launching its sixth year of partnership with DonorsChoose to continue rallying support for teachers and provide students with the classroom resources they need to succeed in school.
“At Panda, we believe that caring for one another creates lasting happiness for our guests and the communities we serve,” said Tina Hsing, Director of Panda Cares. “Through our partnership with DonorsChoose, we’re proud to support teachers and students with the resources they need to learn, grow, and thrive.”
Since 1999, Panda Cares has raised over $449 million for the health and education needs of underserved youths. Panda Express guests and associates have matched donations to projects focused on the classroom environment, funding projects fueling academic success at schools in local Panda Express neighborhoods. Since its first partnership with DonorsChoose in 2021, Panda Cares has funded over $17 million in classroom resources for nearly 135,000 teachers at over 58,000 U.S. public schools, particularly schools where more than half of students are from low-income households.
“Panda Cares’s longstanding support for public education has brought countless learning tools and cultural experiences to classrooms nationwide through DonorsChoose,” said Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose. “Panda Cares continues to be a steward of Panda Express communities, showing up year after year as a champion for public school students and the bright futures that lie ahead of them.”
ABOUT PANDA CARES®
Powered by a global family of associates, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express®, has raised more than $449 million, dedicating countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 17 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 www.pandacares.org.
ABOUT DONORSCHOOSE
DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, 6.6 million people and partners have contributed $1.8 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 www.donorschoose.org.
Juan Brizuela DonorsChoose media@donorschoose.org Nina Osorio Panda Cares Nina.Osorio@pandarg.com
