As holiday shoppers struggle to find the perfect gift for friends, family and colleagues, DonorsChoose recommends giving the gift of education.

DonorsChoose, a nonprofit organization that connects public school teachers with resources needed for their classrooms through its Web site, offers gift cards that allow the recipients to go online and fund the North Carolina public school project of their choice.

"Giving a DonorsChoose gift card for the holidays has a three-fold return: the recipient gets to choose a school project to fund and see the lasting impact on the students. The givers are able to deduct the gift card amounts on their taxes, and North Carolina schools receive much needed resources," said Katie Bisbee, executive director for DonorsChoose in the Carolinas. "How many other holiday purchases can you say that about?"

To purchase a DonorsChoose gift card in time for the holidays, donors can log on to the Web site at www.donorschoose.org and click the 'Purchase Gift Certificate' link. Gift cards can be purchased in any denomination, and can be mailed to any location just in time to stick in the stockings.

"Every single gift card can make a difference in our classrooms," Bisbee said. "What better way to start off the New Year than by giving teachers the resources they need to create a more enriched learning environment?"

Since DonorsChoose was launched in North Carolina, more than $1 million has gone directly to public school classrooms, benefiting 92,251 students.

For more information, go to www.donorschoose.org.