The Education Fund

What The Education Fund does

The Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 with a Ford Foundation seed grant, headquartered in Miami Lakes, Florida, and operating in public-private partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS). Its mission is to provide private-sector leadership and support for innovation in public education, channeling corporate and foundation funding, business volunteers, and individual donations into a portfolio of programs serving teachers, students, and families across the district. The organization reports having raised over $90 million for public schools since inception and reaching 470+ schools, 20,000+ educators, and 310,000+ students annually.

The Fund's program portfolio comprises eight named initiatives: Food Forests for Schools (edible outdoor eco-labs in 71 elementary schools), Ideas with IMPACT (teacher innovation grants and dissemination), Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials (the only free school supplies warehouse in Florida, an 11,000-square-foot facility in Medley), Teach-A-Thon (corporate volunteer teaching days), SmartPath (college-readiness program at six high schools), Taste of Education (annual culinary competition), Art of Found Objects (juried student exhibition), and For the Love of Art (annual charity auction). Programs are delivered directly through M-DCPS schools with no pricing for recipients; documented outcomes include 73% improvement in math knowledge via Food Forests, 65% increased science achievement through outdoor STEM, 34% increase in college enrollment at SmartPath schools, and $29M+ in free supplies distributed.

Revenue is generated entirely through grants, donations, and event sponsorships — there are no paid services. Anchor corporate and foundation partners include Ocean Bank (30+ year relationship since 1993), TD Bank ($1M TD Ready Challenge in 2021), Humana Foundation ($600K in 2024), Life Time Foundation ($50K in 2024), Suncoast Credit Union Foundation ($10K in 2026), Wells Fargo, and the Citi Foundation, alongside individual giving channels such as Give Miami Day, the Florida Education License Plate program ($20/plate directed to the Fund), and planned giving. The organization operates with 11-50 employees and is governed by a Board of Directors under President Linda Lecht.

Name

The Education Fund

Legal name

The Education Fund Inc.

Website

https://educationfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Education Fund is a Miami Lakes-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1985, that channels private-sector funding, volunteers, and donations into a portfolio of eight education programs serving teachers, students, and families across Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Nonprofit Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration (EDADAHAD)

Keywords

• Public education programs
• Teacher innovation grants
• Free classroom supplies
• Nonprofit K-12 support
• School-based learning programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami Lakes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: The Education Fund receives grants from corporate foundations including TD Bank ($1 million TD Ready Challenge), Humana Foundation ($600,000), Suncoast Credit Union Foundation ($10,000), Life Time Foundation ($50,000), and others. These grants fund specific programs like Food Forests for Schools and teacher support initiatives.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through online donations, Give Miami Day campaigns, and the Florida Education License Plate program ($20 per plate directed to The Education Fund). The organization reports raising over $90 million since inception.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors fund events such as For the Love of Art Charity Auction, Taste of Education, and Art of Found Objects Exhibition. Sponsors receive recognition at events and in program materials.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds and delivers a portfolio of free educational programs to Miami-Dade County Public Schools. It distributes free classroom supplies through an 11,000-square-foot warehouse, awards teacher innovation grants, runs outdoor Food Forests learning labs at elementary schools, delivers college-readiness advising at high schools, and stages annual charity and culinary events, all sustained through foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations.

Product overview

The Education Fund is a non-profit organization that operates a multi-program portfolio supporting innovation in public education for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The organization functions as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a single unified product, including Food Forests for Schools (outdoor learning eco-labs), Ideas with IMPACT (teacher innovation grants and dissemination), Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials (free supplies warehouse), Teach-A-Thon (business volunteer program), SmartPath (college preparation), and art programs (Art of Found Objects and For the Love of Art). These programs collectively serve students, educators, and families through direct services, grants, volunteer engagement, and community events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials: An 11,000-square-foot warehouse that accepts donations of school supplies and distributes them free to Miami-Dade County Public Schools teachers
• Food Forests for Schools
• Ideas with IMPACT
• Teach-A-Thon
• SmartPath
• Taste of Education
• Art of Found Objects
• For the Love of Art

Products and services

• Food Forests for Schools Uses edible Food Forest gardens as outdoor learning laboratories at 71 Miami-Dade elementary schools to teach nutrition, environmental sustainability, and core academic subjects like math and science through hands-on production of edible gardens; resulted in 73% improvement in math knowledge and 65% increase in science achievement.
• Ideas with IMPACT Recognizes and rewards innovative teachers by providing funds to package and disseminate successful teaching methods; includes the Idea EXPO teacher conference, an annual catalog, curriculum packets, and leadership workshops for adapting successful classroom projects.
• Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials An 11,000-square-foot warehouse in Medley, FL that accepts donated school supplies and makes them available free of charge to Miami-Dade County Public Schools teachers for their classrooms; the only free school supplies warehouse in Florida, operating since 1993.
• Teach-A-Thon Connects business professionals, culinary professionals, and community leaders with public school classrooms by having them teach lessons and fundraise to support teacher grants and classroom funding; presented by Wells Fargo.
• SmartPath College and career preparation initiative embedding a college-going culture in high schools, providing one-on-one advising, college clubs, classroom lessons, field trips, FAFSA workshops, and paid summer internships for low-income and first-generation students; produced a 34% increase in college enrollment at pilot schools.
• Taste of Education Annual showcase event celebrating culinary programs in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, featuring student chef competitions, food forest installations, art exhibits, and an auction benefiting district visual arts programs.
• Art of Found Objects Annual juried art exhibition and charity auction showcasing artwork created by students and teachers using found objects from the Ocean Bank Center, with proceeds supporting visual arts programs in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
• For the Love of Art Annual charity auction and honoree celebration providing resources and recognition for visual arts education in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, featuring student artwork, live music, and alumni achievement awards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 73% improvement in students' math knowledge through Food Forests eco-labs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and major.

• Trust for Public LandsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Partnered with Life Time Foundation for environmental initiatives including tree plantings and tornado recovery efforts alongside The Education Fund.
• Ocean BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993Ocean Bank has been the primary sponsor of the Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials since its inception in 1993. The bank provides ongoing sponsorship enabling the free supplies warehouse that has distributed $28+ million in classroom supplies. This is a 30+ year partnership making it one of the organization's most enduring relationships.
• Wells FargocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWells Fargo presents the Teach-A-Thon and was named the 2025 'Donor Next Door' for transformative support of financial education in Miami-Dade County public schools. Business professionals from Wells Fargo regularly participate as Teach-A-Thon volunteers.
• Miami Dade CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiami Dade College partners with The Education Fund on SmartPath program FAFSA Marathon Workshops, with college financial aid staff working one-on-one with students and parents in school computer labs to complete FAFSA applications.
• Florida International UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIU partners with The Education Fund on Food Forests research, with Dr. Cara Rockwell from FIU conducting research on the program. FIU's Holocaust Studies Summer Institute is also referenced.
• CareerSource South FloridasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPresents People's Choice Awards at Taste of Education culinary competition.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• United Way of Miami-Dade: United Way of Miami-Dade is a regional community foundation funding education, health, and financial stability programs across the same county The Education Fund serves. Comparable as a local nonprofit funneling corporate donations into education programs with similar donor base (Wells Fargo, TD Bank).

Direct peers

• Reading Is Fundamental: Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is a national nonprofit providing free books and literacy resources to underserved K-12 students. Overlaps with The Education Fund's enrichment focus, similar target demographic of low-income public school students, and parallel reliance on corporate sponsorships.
• Pencils of Promise: Pencils of Promise builds schools and provides educational programs in developing countries, but also runs U.S. programs (e.g., WASH in Schools). Comparable as an education nonprofit combining corporate sponsorships, school-level program delivery, and outcome measurement similar to The Education Fund's model.
• DonorsChoose: DonorsChoose is a crowdfunding platform that lets teachers post classroom project requests funded by individual donors. Highly comparable to The Education Fund's Ocean Bank Center mission of channeling private dollars directly to teacher classroom needs, with overlapping donor base, geographic focus on U.S. public schools, and free-supply model.
• Kids In Need Foundation: Kids In Need Foundation operates a national network of school supplies resource centers and provides free supplies to under-resourced schools. Compares directly to the Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials model, with both organizations distributing donated supplies to teachers at no cost.
• Fund for Teachers: Fund for Teachers awards fellowships and grants directly to pre-K-12 teachers for self-designed professional development. Mirrors The Education Fund's Ideas with IMPACT model of providing grants to teachers for classroom innovation and leadership development, with a similar funding-from-foundations approach.
• AdoptAClassroom.org: AdoptAClassroom.org crowdsources donations that teachers spend directly on classroom supplies. Direct peer on teacher-supply funding, complementing The Education Fund's school-supply warehouse and teacher grants via a similar funding pipeline from individual and corporate donors.

Broad incumbents

• Teach For America: Teach For America is a large-scale national education nonprofit placing recent graduates in low-income classrooms. A broad incumbent in the education-nonprofit space with overlapping funder base (corporate foundations, individual donations), but operational model focuses on teacher recruitment rather than classroom-supply and enrichment programs.
• KIPP Foundation: KIPP Foundation operates the largest U.S. network of public charter schools serving low-income communities. A broad incumbent education nonprofit serving a similar demographic and using corporate-foundation funding, but operational model is school-network operation rather than direct program delivery to district schools.

Others

• National PTA: National PTA is a volunteer-driven parent association with chapters embedded in every U.S. public school, including M-DCPS. Compares as a stakeholder ecosystem partner in K-12 education rather than a direct funder, but engages the same teachers and parents as The Education Fund.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/educationfund
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/educationfund
• Facebookfacebook.com/educationfundmiami
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/11262179
• Instagraminstagram.com/educationfundmiami

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Education Fund