The Public Education Foundation

What The Public Education Foundation does

The Public Education Foundation (PEF) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, established approximately 30 years ago and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. PEF operates as the official charitable intermediary between the Clark County School District (CCSD) — the fifth-largest school district in the United States — and the Southern Nevada community, serving all 300,000 students and 18,000 teachers in the district. The organization runs four core programs: Scholarships Plus (Nevada's largest scholarship management provider, processing 20,000+ applications and distributing nearly $6.9 million annually across 300+ scholarship opportunities), Teacher Superstore (a physical and online retail operation providing free and low-cost school supplies to educators via $26 individual or $200 community memberships), Teacher FastTrack (a teacher pipeline program in partnership with UNLV addressing teacher shortages through apprenticeship pathways, mentoring 80+ new educators annually), and Supporting Our Schools (community initiatives including the CCSD Book Bus literacy program, Go to Grow Coalition for chronic absenteeism, and Classroom in a Box supply kits). The organization's underlying technology stack centers on the Kaleidoscope scholarship management platform for application processing, reviewer scoring, eligibility verification, and disbursement tracking, supplemented by website-based donation systems, e-commerce ordering for Teacher Superstore, and Keela-powered volunteer sign-up workflows.

PEF's revenue model is multi-stream: individual and corporate charitable donations (tax-deductible under 501(c)(3)), event sponsorships of signature annual fundraisers (Golden Apple Gala, Tee Up for Education Golf Tournament, Black Girl Magic Juneteenth Jubilee Luncheon, Hispanic and Latino Legacy Dinner), Teacher Superstore membership subscriptions ($26 educator / $200 community), and pass-through scholarship fund administration fees from 300+ community donors. The organization employs 22 team members across executive leadership, program management, marketing/communications, IT, and store operations. Strategic positioning rests on a 30+ year relationship with CCSD, strong community trust, and ecosystem lock-in as the district's preferred charitable partner, with a notable 2026 partnership with the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces as Commissioner's Cup nonprofit partner extending brand reach.

Name

The Public Education Foundation

Legal name

The Public Education Foundation

Website

https://thepef.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Public Education Foundation is a Las Vegas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving as the official charitable partner of the Clark County School District, running Scholarships Plus, Teacher Superstore, Teacher FastTrack, and community school-support programs for 300,000 students and 18,000 teachers in Southern Nevada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Education foundation services
• Scholarship administration
• Teacher support programs
• Community education funding
• School district partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: Primary revenue stream from individual donors and corporate sponsors contributing to general operations, scholarships, Teacher Superstore, and specific programs. Includes tax-deductible charitable contributions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship of signature events including the Golden Apple Gala, Tee Up for Education Golf Tournament, Black Girl Magic Juneteenth Jubilee Luncheon, and Hispanic and Latino Legacy Dinner.
3. Teacher Superstore Memberships: Teacher memberships at $26 (educators) or $200 (community partners) provide access to free and low-cost school supplies worth up to $500, generating modest revenue while supporting educator needs.
4. Scholarship Fund Administration: PEF administers scholarships on behalf of 300+ community donors, processing applications and disbursing over $6 million annually in scholarship funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Public Education Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects community donors and corporate sponsors with the Clark County School District to strengthen public education in Southern Nevada. Its core offerings center on four programs: Scholarships Plus (manages 300+ scholarship opportunities and disburses nearly $6.9 million annually to college-bound students), Teacher Superstore (provides free and low-cost school supplies to licensed educators through a retail store and online platform), Teacher FastTrack (addresses the teacher shortage by preparing school employees for teacher apprenticeships at UNLV and mentoring new teachers through their first three years), and Supporting Our Schools (community initiatives targeting literacy, absenteeism, and school-level funding).

Product overview

The Public Education Foundation operates as a non-profit organization offering education support programs rather than a unified software product. Its portfolio consists of four core programs: Scholarships Plus (scholarship management and distribution), Teacher Superstore (school supply distribution), Teacher FastTrack (teacher development and apprenticeship), and Supporting Our Schools (various school support initiatives). Supporting sub-products include Classroom in a Box (supply kits), CCSD Book Bus (mobile literacy), Go to Grow Coalition (absenteeism intervention), and School Project Accounts (donation management). The organization also provides an online scholarship application portal built on the Kaleidoscope platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Scholarships Plus: College scholarship program that provides millions of dollars in scholarships annually to help students pursue college and vocational school education.
• Teacher Superstore
• Teacher FastTrack

Products and services

• Scholarships Plus Nevada's largest scholarship management program, processing more than 20,000 applications annually and disbursing nearly $6.9 million in college and vocational school scholarships to CCSD students each year. Awards nearly 1,000 scholarships per year ranging from $250 to $100,000, with 55% of recipients being first-generation college students. Operates through the Kaleidoscope online application portal and serves 400+ community donors.
• Teacher Superstore Free and low-cost school supply distribution program serving licensed K-12 educators in Southern Nevada public schools (CCSD and charter schools). Operates through a physical retail storefront and an online ordering platform (teachersfreestore.com), with $26 annual educator memberships providing access to supplies worth up to $500 and $200 community-donor memberships. Served 50,000 students in 2024-25.
• Teacher FastTrack Teacher apprenticeship and mentorship program in partnership with UNLV's College of Education that addresses the teacher shortage crisis by identifying school employees, paraprofessionals, and long-term substitute teachers who want to become licensed teachers, preparing them for UNLV's teacher apprenticeship programs, and mentoring new teachers through their first three years in the classroom. In 2024-25, served 450 UNLV apprenticeship graduates, connected 286 paraprofessionals with mentors, and supported 80 new educators in their own classrooms.
• Supporting Our Schools Community initiative umbrella through which PEF partners with the Clark County School District and other nonprofits to address critical issues facing Southern Nevada public schools, including literacy (CCSD Book Bus), chronic student absenteeism (Go to Grow Coalition), and school-level funding (School Project Accounts). Includes COVID-19 response programs Direct Care For Kids and Connecting Kids Nevada.
• Classroom in a Box Standardized supply kit donation offering in which a $215 contribution provides an entire classroom of 30 students plus their teacher with enough school supplies for the entire semester. Distributed through the Teacher Superstore program to Nevada teachers, with 1,156 Classroom in a Box kits delivered during the 2024-25 school year.
• School Project Accounts Charitable donation management service that allows community donors to fund specific school projects within the Clark County School District through PEF, providing tax-deductible status, accountability, and direct channeling of private resources to school-level needs identified by CCSD educators and administrators.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6.9 million in scholarships distributed to 932+ recipients in 2024-25
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and supporting.

• Las Vegas Aces (WNBA)keyGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026PEF named Las Vegas Aces' nonprofit partner for the 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase. PEF receives $3,000 per Aces win and $1,000 per loss, with additional donations for cup champion/runner-up positions. Theme: 'Our Game, Our Legacy' celebrating the WNBA's 30th season.
• UNLV College of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEF collaborates with UNLV's College of Education on the Teacher FastTrack program, identifying paraprofessionals who want to become teachers and preparing them for UNLV's Paraprofessional Pathway Project (PPP) and Nevada Forward teacher apprenticeship program. PEF provides mentorship and support while UNLV provides the degree and certification pathway.
• Clark County School District (CCSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary strategic partner for all PEF programs. CCSD partners with PEF for scholarships, Teacher Superstore access for educators, Teacher FastTrack program delivery, CCSD Book Bus literacy initiative, and school project account management. PEF serves as the charitable partner for schools in the district.
• Spread the Word NevadakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in the CCSD Book Bus initiative, which connects students with free books to increase literacy. PEF partners with Spread the Word Nevada and CCSD to operate the mobile book distribution program.
• Communities In Schools NevadakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner for student support initiatives including Direct Care For Kids (COVID-19 response providing 60,000 learning kits) and Connecting Kids Nevada (device and internet access for distance learning).
• Study.comsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPEF partners with Study.com to provide free test preparation materials for Teacher FastTrack mentees to help them prepare for and pass their teacher certification tests.
• Go to Grow Coalition / nvfamily.orgkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEF leads the community's response to chronic student absenteeism through the Go to Grow Coalition, housed at nvfamily.org, which wraps families with support to remove barriers to school attendance and success.
• Opportunity 180 and Guinn CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEF partnered with Opportunity 180 and the Guinn Center to launch Focus on the Future for Kids, a community input process that informed CCSD's spending priorities for $777 million in American Rescue Plan funds.
• Governor's COVID-19 Task ForcekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partner for Connecting Kids Nevada initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, working to ensure all Nevada students had device and internet access for online learning.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Education Fund: Miami-Dade-based nonprofit that supports a single large school district with classroom supplies, teacher grants, and student scholarships—the closest structural analog to PEF's combined Teacher Superstore and Scholarships Plus model.
• DonorsChoose: National crowdfunding platform that lets teachers request classroom supplies from individual donors—the direct e-commerce analog to PEF's Teacher Superstore and Classroom in a Box programs.
• AdoptAClassroom.org: National nonprofit funding K-12 classroom supplies through individual and corporate donations, comparable to PEF's Teacher Superstore membership and sponsorship channels.
• Kids In Need Foundation: National nonprofit distributing school supplies to teachers and students in underserved schools—parallel to Teacher Superstore but operating through a national supply-chain model rather than single-district retail.
• Scholarship America: Largest US nonprofit scholarship management organization, administering scholarships for corporations, foundations, and individuals—the direct analog to PEF's Scholarships Plus / Kaleidoscope platform.
• Schoolhouse Supplies: Portland-based nonprofit operating a free Teacher Store serving public-school teachers—closely mirrors PEF's Teacher Superstore physical-retail + membership model.
• A Gift for Teaching: Central Florida nonprofit running a free supply store for teachers; same operating model as PEF's Teacher Superstore but in a different geography.

Regional players

• United Way of Southern Nevada: Las Vegas-based community foundation running workplace-giving campaigns and partner-nonprofit grants—overlapping donor base and event-marketing playbook with PEF in the same region.

Broad incumbents

• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit embedding coordinators inside public schools to address attendance and graduation—existing PEF partner that occupies adjacent student-support territory at national scale.

Emerging players

• Teach For America: National teacher-recruitment and training organization addressing teacher shortages—an adjacent pipeline model to PEF's Teacher FastTrack apprenticeship program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 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 Public Education Foundation