How is the poverty level defined at DonorsChoose.org?

Poverty level refers to the percentage of students at a given school who qualify for free and reduced lunch, which is considered a measure of economic need.

To be deemed eligible for free/reduced lunch, a student must submit a form showing family income at or below 130% of the poverty line (a maximum income of $23,920 for a family of four).

Schools with 10%-39% of students receiving free/reduced lunch are denoted as "moderate poverty" while schools with more than 40% of students receiving free/reduced lunch are denoted as "high poverty".

For projects submitted from a school where free lunch rate data is unavailable or unreliable, "Poverty Data Unavailable" will appear.