CommunityShare

What CommunityShare does

CommunityShare is a Tucson, Arizona-based 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit founded in 2015 that connects PK-12 educators with community partners (individuals and organizations such as artists, scientists, engineers, doctors, and designers) to co-create real-world, student-driven learning projects. Its core product is an online "human library" digital platform that matches educators and community members based on skills, hobbies, talents, and lived experiences, complemented by personalized Capacity-Building Services (coaching and professional learning for districts and community organizations) and a National Educator Fellowship that provides infrastructure for teachers and partners to deliver these projects. The organization explicitly aims to close representation gaps for females and Hispanic youth in STEM fields and operates a national communities-of-practice network that links regional learning ecosystems across at least 10 U.S. states.

The underlying technology is a web-based matching platform rather than a data or AI product; there is no disclosed API, SDK, or developer portal, and the platform is paired with high-touch human facilitation. Named Network Members include Pima County School Superintendent's Office, Flagstaff Unified School District, Sunnyside Unified School District, Bullitt County Public Schools, Wellesley Public Schools (and the affiliated WPS Institute), Sycamore Community Schools, Crosstown High School, Riverside County Office of Education, Cochise ESA, Northern Cass, Watershed School, Ednium Alumni Collective, Cruces Creatives, Future Ready Solutions Collective, WNC Resilience Project, and MASP. Reported customer outcome data includes a reading-outcomes improvement from 12% to 94% above grade level in a Sunnyside Unified School District project led by educator Mercedes Pemberton-Negrete.

CommunityShare generates revenue through philanthropic donations (accepted via a PayPal donate button), grants and foundation funding (with Siegel Family Endowment as a flagship philanthropic partner profiled in a dedicated case study), and Capacity-Building Services delivered at the district level. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; there are no standardized platform or service fees listed. Go-to-market is community-led and channel-partner driven, relying on educator and community partner self-serve sign-ups on the website, direct engagement with school districts and county offices of education, and earned-media coverage in outlets such as Forbes, Edutopia, Digital Promise, Christensen Institute, The 74 Million, HundrED, and WISE (Qatar Foundation). The organization is donor- and grant-dependent rather than transactionally monetized, which constrains revenue scalability and concentrates funding risk on philanthropic cycles.

Name

CommunityShare

Legal name

CommunityShare

Website

https://communityshare.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CommunityShare is a Tucson, Arizona-based nonprofit that connects PK-12 educators with community partners through an online "human library" matching platform, Capacity-Building Services, and a National Educator Fellowship to support real-world, student-driven learning across multiple U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Project-Based/Inquiry-Based Learning (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAN)

Keywords

• PK-12 educator matching
• Real-world learning programs
• Community partnership platform
• Education capacity building
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: CommunityShare is a 501(c)(3)-style organization that solicits donations via a PayPal donate button on its website and lists "Philanthropic Partners" in its navigation, indicating donation-based funding from individuals and foundations.
2. Capacity-Building Services: Personalized coaching and professional learning engagements delivered to school districts and community organizations to help them operationalize real-world learning strategies.
3. Grants and Foundation Funding: Funding from philanthropic partners and foundations (e.g., Siegel Family Endowment featured prominently); educators also reference writing grants together with community partners to sustain projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CommunityShare connects PK-12 educators with community partners (individuals and organizations) via an online "human library" matching platform, supplemented by personalized capacity-building coaching and a National Educator Fellowship program. Together, these offerings enable educators and community partners to co-create student-driven, real-world learning projects, supported by a national communities-of-practice network spanning multiple U.S. states.

Product overview

CommunityShare operates a platform-plus-services portfolio centered on connecting PK-12 educators with community partners to co-create student-driven, real-world learning. The Online Platform is the core digital product, functioning as a 'human library' that matches community members (with their unique skills, hobbies, talents, and lived experiences) to PK-12 educators seeking real-world project partners. Complementing the platform, Capacity-Building Services provide personalized coaching and professional learning to help regional organizations weave together community assets, while the National Educator Fellowship program supports educators with the critical resources and infrastructure needed to deliver these real-world learning experiences. Together, the three offerings combine a national communities-of-practice network, regional learning ecosystems, and an underlying matching platform to transform strategy into sustained impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Platform (Human Library Matching Platform) An innovative digital platform functioning as a one-stop "human library" that quickly matches community members (with their skills, hobbies, talents, and lived experiences) with PK-12 educators so they can co-create real-world learning experiences with students in their community. Targeted at PK-12 educators, community partners, school districts, and county offices of education.
• Capacity-Building Services Personalized coaching and professional learning opportunities based on decades of experience, supporting educational and community organizations as they weave together the unique assets in their community to support real-world learning. Targeted at school districts, county offices of education, and community-based organizations.
• National Educator Fellowship A fellowship program providing critical resources and infrastructure to support engaging, relevant, real-world learning by enabling teachers and community partners to co-create real-world projects driven by students' passions. Targeted at PK-12 educators and community partners nationally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reading outcomes improved from 12% above grade level at the start of the school year to 94% above grade level by the end after a CommunityShare project (Mercedes Pemberton-Negrete, Sunnyside Unified School District).
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Digital PromisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEd-tech / innovation collaborator; Digital Promise published a case study, "Principles for Building a Learning Ecosystem: Lessons Learned in Tucson, Arizona," positioning CommunityShare as a model learning-ecosystem builder.
• Christensen InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in Christensen Institute blog "A Public Cloud of Social Capital to Connect Schools and Communities," aligning CommunityShare with the institute's disruption-in-education research narrative.
• WISE (Qatar Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in WISE case study "Stewarding Learning Ecosystems: The CommunityShare Story," extending CommunityShare's reach into international education-policy conversations.
• HundrEDcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a HundrED innovation at hundred.org/en/innovations/communityshare, amplifying CommunityShare's visibility to global educators and funders.
• Ednium Alumni CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a CommunityShare Network Member contributing to regional learning ecosystems (educator-alumni collective).
• Cruces CreativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a CommunityShare Network Member in the Las Cruces, New Mexico region supporting creative / maker-based community engagement.
• WNC Resilience ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a CommunityShare Network Member in Western North Carolina supporting resilience / environmental learning partnerships.
• Future Ready Solutions CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a CommunityShare Network Member providing future-ready / workforce-aligned learning support to partner schools.
• Michical After School Partnership (MASP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a CommunityShare Network Member focused on after-school programming.
• WPS InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a CommunityShare Network Member affiliated with Wellesley Public Schools.
• Pima County School Superintendent's OfficeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork Member; the Pima County School Superintendent's Office is a regional education authority that partners with CommunityShare to scale real-world learning across Pima County schools.
• Flagstaff Unified School DistrictcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNetwork Member district that implements CommunityShare projects at the school level; educator Elii Chapman is quoted endorsing the platform's role in bringing ideas into conversation with real people.
• Bullitt County Public SchoolsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member school district (Kentucky).
• Wellesley Public SchoolsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member school district (Massachusetts); partners with the affiliated WPS Institute.
• Sycamore Community SchoolsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member school district (Ohio).
• Crosstown High SchoolminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member high school (Memphis-area).
• Riverside County Office of EducationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member county office of education (California) supporting district-wide adoption of real-world learning partnerships.
• Cochise Education Services Agency (Cochise ESA)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member regional education services agency in Arizona.
• Northern Cass (Jaguars)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member school (North Dakota).
• Watershed SchoolminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member school.
• Andover (Public Schools)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member school district (Massachusetts).
• Tewksbury (Public Schools)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed Network Member school district (Massachusetts).
• Candid (GuideStar / BBB Wise Giving Alliance)minorOthersNonprofit accountability partner; CommunityShare displays the Candid Gold Seal of Transparency 2026, indicating verified nonprofit transparency and governance disclosures.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nepris: A matching platform that connects K-12 classrooms with industry professionals for virtual and in-person sessions. Closest direct competitor to CommunityShare's 'human library' concept, operating with a SaaS/enterprise model rather than a nonprofit capacity-building model.
• Citizen Schools: National nonprofit that mobilizes volunteer professionals to lead apprenticeship and project-based learning in low-income middle schools. Closely aligned with CommunityShare's 'human library' model and its emphasis on expanding access to expertise for underrepresented students.
• Big Picture Learning: Operates a national network of project-based, real-world learning schools. Shares CommunityShare's emphasis on student-driven learning ecosystems and a national network-of-schools model, though its structure is school design rather than community matching.
• Million Girls Moonshot: A STEM-equity initiative focused on closing representation gaps for girls in STEM, aligned with CommunityShare's explicit STEM representation mission. Operates through out-of-school time providers rather than classroom matching, making it an adjacent, mission-aligned peer.
• i2 Learning: Operates STEM innovation programs in schools and runs hands-on learning experiences with community experts. Overlaps with CommunityShare's mission to bring real-world expertise into K-12 classrooms, especially for STEM equity outcomes.
• PenPal Schools: Connects students globally through project-based learning with educator and partner matching. Comparable in that it curates real-world expertise into classroom projects, but focused on cross-school peer connections rather than community-expert matching.

Broad incumbents

• Project Lead the Way: Large, established STEM and project-based learning provider for K-12. Comparable in pushing real-world learning into classrooms but offers standardized curriculum rather than a community-expert matching model, making it an incumbent rather than a direct competitor.
• NAF (National Academy Foundation): National network supporting career-themed K-12 academies with industry partner engagement. Comparable in connecting classrooms to real-world expertise at scale, though it focuses on academy-of-finance/health/it tracks rather than community-assets matching.

Others

• Jobs for the Future (JFF): National nonprofit focused on education-to-career pathways for underserved students. Comparable in mission (equity, real-world learning, career readiness) and funder network, but operates as a policy/grant-making organization rather than a matching platform.

Regional players

• iCould (UK career inspiration platform): UK-based career inspiration platform that connects young people with real-world role models via video stories. Conceptually aligned with CommunityShare's 'human library' framing but serves a UK audience and a different delivery modality.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/community_share

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 CommunityShare