Head Start programs
Every donated crayon, counted toward your match.
Head Start asks you to raise 20% of your budget from non-federal sources, and to prove it. Donorly records the donated goods behind that match: who gave what, what it was worth and when it arrived.
How much match do you have to document?
- of a Head Start budget must come from non-federal cash or in-kind gifts
- 20%
- federal Head Start and Early Head Start funding for FY2026
- $12.36B
- of non-federal match to document each year (our estimate at 80/20)
- ~$3B
- can disallow match you can't back up with records
- 1 audit
Sources: Head Start Act 640(b), 45 CFR 1303.4, First Five Years Fund. Read our guide to documenting the match.
What if every classroom had its own wishlist?
Give each classroom or center its own wishlist with its own public page. Families and local businesses pledge items with a drop-off time; staff mark them received when they arrive.
Invite teachers to Donorly so each one keeps their room's list up to date.
- Every in-kind gift records the donor, the items, an estimated value and the date received.
- The donor gets a receipt by email for what they gave.
- Inventory shows what's on hand and what went out to classrooms and families.
Want to see this with your own checks, pages and members?
Book a walkthrough →What Donorly does for your match today, and what's coming.
Donated goods with donor, value and date
- Donorly
- Available now
Classroom and site wishlists with public pledge pages
- Donorly
- Available now
Receipts for in-kind donors
- Donorly
- Available now
Donor records for families, businesses and community partners
- Donorly
- Available now
Volunteer hours with sign-in, hourly rate and sign-off
- Donorly
- Coming soon
Match progress against your 20% target, by budget period
- Donorly
- Coming soon
Match totals for your SF-425 and monthly board reports
- Donorly
- Coming soon
Child, family and enrollment data stays in your Head Start data system. Donorly handles the donors and donated goods.
Questions we hear
Does Donorly replace ChildPlus or GoEngage?+
No. Child and family records, enrollment and attendance stay in your Head Start data system. Donorly handles the people and businesses who give, and the goods they donate.
Can each teacher have their own wishlist?+
Yes. Every classroom or site can have its own list, kept current by its teacher and visible across the whole center.
How do you value donated goods?+
Each in-kind gift carries an estimated value. Federal rules say donated goods count at fair market value when donated; our match guide explains what to document.
Do you track volunteer hours?+
Coming soon. Volunteer hours with sign-in, an hourly rate and sign-off are on the way. Book a walkthrough if you'd like to shape how it works.
Keep reading
Head Start non-federal match
How to meet and document Head Start's 20% non-federal match, with the rules and sources.
→Wishlists and inventory
Public wishlists donors pledge and drop off from, in-kind receipts, and an inventory of what came in and went out.
→Schools and PTAs
A wishlist for every teacher, PTA dues, spirit-wear sales and receipts for families.
→
See it with your own checks, pages and members.
30 minutes, on your own work: your checks, your pages, your numbers. Ask us how anything works. During the beta, we move your data in for you at no cost.