Instacart Launches ‘Classroom Carts’ Initiative to Crowdsource Donations for Los Angeles County Public Schools Affected by Wildfires

The Instacart app allows anyone in the U.S. to donate essentials directly to impacted schools, students and teachers

Instacart has launched its ‘Classroom Carts’ initiative, which supports 28 Los Angeles County public and charter elementary, middle and high schools and nearly 15,000 students impacted by the recent wildfires. Built on Instacart’s Community Carts tool, Classroom Carts empowers people nationwide to support students and teachers by donating essential supplies directly to impacted schools through the Instacart app as the Los Angeles community works to rebuild in the wake of one of the most significant natural disasters in California history.

Instacart partnered with California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Pasadena Unified School District and the Los Angeles Unified School District to identify schools in need. Instacart’s board of directors is kicking off the Classroom Carts initiative by donating a total of $1 million to the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation, the Pasadena Education Foundation and the LAUSD Foundation to supplement the Instacart Community’s contributions to the 28 participating schools. Company advisors and outside firms like Cooley and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz have also joined in to contribute additional funds to the foundations.

“The recent wildfires have had a devastating impact on the Los Angeles community, with schools being some of the hardest-hit institutions. Teachers and administrators are working around the clock to restore a sense of normalcy, but they can’t do it alone,” said Fidji Simo, CEO and board chair of Instacart and a Los Angeles resident. “With Classroom Carts, we’re giving people across the country a simple and meaningful way to step in and directly contribute the items schools have said they need. Through this initiative, we can help ensure that students and teachers across L.A. have access to essential supplies, allowing them to reconnect and engage in the classroom.”

Tony Thurmond, the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, said, “Our school communities in Southern California need our unwavering support as they face the impact of these devastating wildfires. Time and again, our education community has shown remarkable resilience and generosity in the face of crisis. I’m grateful for generous partners like Instacart as we stand together to support our students, families and educators as they recover and rebuild.”

The wildfires caused extensive damage, destroying classrooms, libraries and other vital school resources, meaning many schools now face critical shortages of essential supplies like notebooks, pencils, rulers, art supplies and more. Classroom Carts allows anyone across the country to offer support by opening the Instacart app and selecting the Classroom Carts banner or visiting instacart.com/donate. Customers can then select from the 28 participating schools and shop for as many items as they choose from a curated list of items based on each school’s specific needs. Instacart partners with a variety of retailers in the Los Angeles area that carry school and office supplies, home goods, technology and more. A local shopper will shop and deliver donated items, and Instacart will consolidate donated items for delivery to each school. The company is waiving all delivery and service fees on every Classroom Carts order.

The Classroom Carts initiative builds on Instacart’s commitment to using its technology to support communities. The company’s initial L.A. Fire Relief Community Carts campaign has provided more than 50,000 essential items to 17 local YMCAs and community food banks across the region.