School on Wheels

What School on Wheels does

School on Wheels is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 by Agnes Stevens that delivers free, one-on-one academic tutoring and supplemental educational support to K-12 students experiencing homelessness across six Southern California counties (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Santa Barbara), organized into 11 regions and covering approximately 2,500 square miles. Its service portfolio includes weekly one-on-one tutoring (delivered in-person or online), the ABC Literacy Program for grades K-4, the Academic Program for grades 5-8, a Digital Learning Initiative distributing laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots, a Social and Emotional Learning curriculum, Summer Fun on Wheels enrichment, scholarships (including the Conrad R. Freund scholarship), school supply distribution, and a physical Skid Row Learning Center open six days a week. Since inception, the organization has served over 50,000 students and currently operates through a network of more than 400 partner sites (shelters, schools, libraries, group homes, and community organizations) and approximately 2,400 active volunteer tutors.

The technology stack is intentionally non-proprietary: Salesforce is used for tutor/student/partner management and hour logging, myON provides a digital e-book library, and standard Chromebooks, laptops, and mobile hotspots are distributed to students. The organization does not generate revenue from service delivery; instead, it is funded entirely through charitable contributions. In fiscal year 2024/2025 (July 2024 - June 2025), total support, revenues, and other income were $3,731,108, of which $3,321,452 came from core operating support (excluding a one-time $409,656 Employee Retention Tax Credit). The revenue mix is dominated by foundation grants (47% of FY2024/2025 revenue at $1,637,253), followed by individual donations (22%), in-kind donated materials (10%), corporate donations (7%), special events (5%), and other sources. The organization claims 90% of every donated dollar goes directly to student support and operates with 11-50 paid staff supplemented by its volunteer base.

The go-to-market model is community-led and donor-financed: School on Wheels recruits and trains volunteer tutors, who are matched with students by grade preference, schedule, and modality (online or in-person); recruits students via partnerships with shelters, school districts (notably LAUSD's Homeless Education Program), and community organizations; and raises capital through foundation grants, individual giving, corporate philanthropy, and special events. Pricing is irrelevant to beneficiaries because all services are delivered at no cost. Customer concentration risk sits on the donor side (foundation dependency), while the beneficiary side is highly diffuse and demand-driven by regional homelessness statistics.

Name

School on Wheels

Legal name

School on Wheels

Website

https://schoolonwheels.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

School on Wheels is a 1993-founded California nonprofit that provides free one-on-one tutoring, school supplies, and educational support to K-12 students experiencing homelessness across six Southern California counties, serving over 50,000 students since inception through 400+ partner sites and approximately 2,400 volunteer tutors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Educational Tutoring Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services (EDAJAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private/Independent Online K–12 Schools (EDAJADAC), Dropout Prevention, Re-Engagement & Truancy Intervention Programs (EDAJAEAD)

Keywords

• Homeless student tutoring
• Educational nonprofit services
• Volunteer tutoring programs
• Social emotional learning
• Digital learning initiative

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Major funding source from private and corporate foundations. In 2024/2025, foundations contributed $1,637,253 (47% of revenue). Historical data shows foundation funding ranges from $1.4M to $2.1M annually.
2. Individual Donations: Donations from individual supporters. In 2024/2025, individuals contributed $781,317 (22% of revenue).
3. Corporate Donations: Corporate foundation and business donations. In 2024/2025, corporations contributed $249,453 (7% of revenue).
4. Special Events: Fundraising events including galas, charity events. Generated $185,316 in 2024/2025.
5. Donated Materials: In-kind donations of school supplies, backpacks, laptops, and other materials. Valued at $333,480 in 2024/2025.
6. Organization Grants: Grants from other nonprofit organizations. Contributed $40,341 in 2024/2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

School on Wheels provides free one-on-one weekly tutoring and comprehensive educational support services to K-12 students experiencing homelessness across six Southern California counties. Core offerings include volunteer-delivered tutoring, structured literacy and academic curricula, school supply distribution, scholarships, digital learning devices and connectivity, social-emotional learning programs, and a physical Skid Row Learning Center, all delivered at no cost to students and families.

Product overview

School on Wheels is a nonprofit tutoring organization offering a unified service portfolio focused on educational support for K-12 students experiencing homelessness. The core offering consists of one-on-one tutoring services, supplemented by specialized programs including the ABC Literacy Program (K-4th grade), Academic Program (5th-8th grade), Digital Learning Initiative (devices and connectivity), Social and Emotional Learning Program, and Summer Fun on Wheels summer enrichment. Additional services include the Skid Row Learning Center physical facility, scholarship programs, and school supply distribution. The organization serves students across six counties in Southern California through partnerships with over 400 sites including shelters, schools, and libraries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• One-on-One Tutoring Weekly one-on-one tutoring sessions matching trained volunteer tutors with K-12 students experiencing homelessness, delivered both online and in-person at shelters, libraries, schools, after-school programs, group foster homes, and other community sites across Southern California. Free of charge to students and families.
• ABC Literacy Program Structured literacy curriculum for kindergarten through fourth grade students, teaching letter recognition, sound recognition, poems, and songs to build foundational reading skills for homeless students.
• Academic Program Academic support program for students in grades 5-8, providing tutoring, school supplies, assistance entering school, scholarships, and parental support.
• Digital Learning Initiative Program to bridge the digital divide by distributing laptops, Chromebooks, and Wi-Fi hotspots to students experiencing homelessness, along with training volunteer tutors in distance learning techniques.
• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Program Program teaching students to process emotions in a safe space, featuring activities on curiosity, growth mindset, creativity, gratitude, kindness, perseverance, community, and decision-making.
• Summer Fun on Wheels Summer enrichment program combining SEL activities with academics to prevent summer learning loss, with students earning $25 gift cards for participation.
• Skid Row Learning Center Physical learning center at 600 East 7th Street, Ste 109, Los Angeles, in the area with the highest concentration of homelessness in the U.S., offering digital learning, academic lessons, and a summer program six days a week.
• Scholarship Program Financial scholarships awarded to students experiencing homelessness, including the Conrad R. Freund Scholarship supporting extracurricular activities such as ballet, gymnastics, karate, soccer, and swimming.
• School Supply Distribution Provision of brand-new backpacks filled with school supplies, bus tokens, and school uniforms to K-12 students experiencing homelessness.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students' grades increased on average a grade and a half
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LAUSD Homeless Education ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District's Homeless Education Program. LAUSD identified over 17,000 students experiencing homelessness in 2016-17. Organizations work collaboratively to enrich lives of students and help them excel in their educational journey.
• Over 400 Shelters and Community SitescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with over 400 sites across Southern California including homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, group foster homes, after-school programs, and school districts. These sites serve as locations for tutoring sessions and student recruitment.
• Kids First of SoCalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partner in 2020, providing services to students through collaborative programs.
• The Los Angeles Connectivity TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partner in 2020 focused on providing internet connectivity solutions for students.
• City of Los Angeles Mayor's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Mayor's Office in 2020 for collaborative initiatives supporting homeless students.
• The California Department of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partner in 2020 working on educational initiatives for homeless students.
• The Conrad R. Freund ScholarshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholarship created by Karyn Freund-Pistole to carry on her father's commitment to providing affordable, accessible sports programs to children in need. Includes ballet, gymnastics, karate, soccer, swimming and other activities.
• Paradise Cove Beach CaféminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual holiday party partnership since 2000. Over 200 students treated annually to holiday celebration at Paradise Cove Beach Café, hosted by Bob Morris, Steve Dahlberg, County of LA Sheriff and Fire Departments, Highway Patrol, and Café crew.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SchoolHouse Connection: National nonprofit dedicated to the educational success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Most directly comparable peer in mission scope, though it operates more as a policy/advocacy and technical assistance hub than a direct tutoring provider.

Others

• National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE): Federally funded technical assistance center serving educators and service providers supporting homeless students. Comparable end beneficiary population (homeless K-12 students) but operates as a policy/training resource rather than direct service provider.

Emerging players

• Kids in Need Foundation: National nonprofit providing school supplies to underserved students, including those experiencing homelessness. Comparable in-kind supply distribution component (SOW distributes 5,000+ backpacks annually) but focused on supplies rather than tutoring.

Direct peers

• School On Wheels of Massachusetts: East Coast affiliate with similar name and mission, providing educational support to children experiencing homelessness in MA. Direct conceptual peer with identical mission focus.
• Reading Partners: National nonprofit that mobilizes volunteer tutors to deliver one-on-one literacy instruction to underserved K-5 students. Closely comparable operating model — trained volunteer tutors, site-based partnerships, focus on foundational reading — but serves a broader low-income population rather than specifically homeless students.
• TutorMate: Volunteer-based virtual reading mentoring program that pairs corporate employees with elementary students for weekly online tutoring. Comparable volunteer-driven, one-on-one tutoring model, especially to SOW's online/virtual tutoring channel.
• Horizons for Homeless Children: Massachusetts-based nonprofit providing educational enrichment and play space programs to children experiencing homelessness. Comparable mission (educational support for homeless children) and volunteer-driven delivery model.

Regional players

• Covenant House California: SoCal-based nonprofit serving homeless and trafficked youth with shelter, education, and workforce development. Comparable regional focus on homeless youth with educational support, but broader scope (housing, not just tutoring).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schoolonwheels
• Facebookfacebook.com/SchoolonWheelsinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schoolonwheelsinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about School on Wheels