The Education Trust

What The Education Trust does

The Education Trust (EdTrust) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education equity advocacy organization founded in 1992 by Kati Haycock and headquartered at 1501 K St NW, Washington, D.C. Its mission is to close opportunity and achievement gaps for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds across P-12 and higher education. EdTrust operates through a national research, policy advocacy, and coalition-building platform delivered via six wholly-owned regional subsidiaries (EdTrust-West/California, EdTrust-Midwest/Michigan, EdTrust-New York, EdTrust-Tennessee, EdTrust in Louisiana, EdTrust in Massachusetts) plus active state-level operations in Texas and Washington State. Primary beneficiaries are students of color (Black and Latino), low-income students, student parents, justice-impacted students, and students with disabilities — segments EdTrust serves indirectly by shaping policy and resource environments rather than via direct service delivery.

EdTrust's product surface consists of free, open-distribution research publications and policy analyses; proprietary data tools including College Results Online (launched 2005, the first free online graduation-rate data tool for every four-year college), the ESSA Waiver Watch, and the State Academic Performance and Improvement Tool; a multimedia portfolio including the EDUnplugged podcast (launched May 2026), the Black Principals Project storytelling platform (2025), and the Education Interrupted series; advocacy campaigns (Great American Heist, EduReimagined, Can't Be Erased, Black Student Debt); the weekly Equity Express newsletter; and fellowship programs (Justice Fellows Policy Program, Youth Participatory Action Research). Distribution is entirely free and direct via edtrust.org, social channels, and state offices.

The business model is grant-funded philanthropy with no fee-for-service revenue. EdTrust draws on major national foundations (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Wallace Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Kresge Foundation) plus state-level and regional funders (Robin Hood, Skillman, DTE Energy, American Student Assistance, Addy Foundation) and individual donations (Tax ID 52-1982223). The go-to-market is community-led advocacy: training advocates from 22 states via Equity Advocacy Bootcamps, mobilizing coalitions (140+ organizations in Save Pell, 100+ in the Department of Education defense coalition, 1M+ Twitter users in Save Pell), and engaging federal and state policymakers through 561 press releases, public testimony, and sign-on letters. Documented policy wins include $17 billion restored to Pell Grants, over $1 billion secured in Michigan school funding via the Opportunity Index, 43,000+ additional students completing FAFSA, and 14 states committing to reduce chronic absenteeism by 50% over five years.

Name

The Education Trust

Legal name

The Education Trust

Website

https://edtrust.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Education Trust (EdTrust) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that advocates for education equity through research, policy analysis, and coalition-building, serving students of color and low-income students from P-12 through higher education across six regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

EdTech & Digital Learning Policy Research (EDADADAK)

Keywords

• Education equity advocacy
• Policy research
• Nonprofit consulting
• Data analytics
• Community organizing

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: EdTrust accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals, with all gifts supporting the organization's work to advance educational justice and equity. Tax ID: 52-1982223.
2. Foundation Grants: The organization receives support from a diverse group of grantmakers including The Addy Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and many others focused on education equity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EdTrust is a nonprofit education equity advocacy organization that conducts data-driven policy research, develops and disseminates analysis of education policies and funding, and engages in direct federal and state advocacy to close opportunity and achievement gaps for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds from preschool through college. Its work spans rigorous data tools (such as College Results), policy reports, advocacy campaigns, fellowship programs, and a national coalition of civil rights and education organizations.

Product overview

The Education Trust (EdTrust) is a nonprofit education equity advocacy organization, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of research publications, data tools, advocacy campaigns, multimedia content, and fellowship programs. The core offering is the Research, Tools & Insights platform providing data-driven reports and policy analyses. Supporting products include the EDUnplugged podcast series, College Results data tool (graduation-rate data for colleges), Equity Express newsletter, and multiple advocacy campaigns (Great American Heist, Education Interrupted, EduReimagined). EdTrust also operates state-level offices (Midwest, New York, Tennessee, West, Louisiana, Texas, Massachusetts) and runs fellowship programs including the Justice Fellows Policy Program and Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College Results
• EDUnplugged Podcast
• Black Principals Project
• Justice Fellows Policy Program
• Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved $17 billion in Pell Grant funding through Save Pell campaign
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Attendance WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to tackle chronic absenteeism through a national challenge urging states to reduce chronic absenteeism by 50% over five years. 14 states representing over 9 million students committed to this goal.
• AEI (American Enterprise Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Nat Malkus from AEI and Attendance Works on chronic absenteeism challenge.
• Education Resource StrategiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch the Alliance for Resource Equity (ARE), expanding focus beyond funding levels to how resources are allocated and used in schools.
• Maryland Alliance for Racial Equity in Education (MAREE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition engaging the Kirwan Commission and supporting education equity in Maryland.
• Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership (MEEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 20+ social justice, civil rights, and education organizations working to promote educational equity in Massachusetts.
• Tennessee Alliance for Equity in EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition that helped secure public support for TISA school funding formula from 40+ organizations.
• Southerners for Fair School FundingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative released updated State Rating Rubrics to support advocates in assessing state funding systems against equity principles.
• National Association of System HeadsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch Access to Success initiative to increase college enrollment and completion for Pell-eligible students.
• Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence (Kentucky)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner working on automatic enrollment in advanced Algebra and education equity in Kentucky.
• Rodel (Delaware)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting development of student-centered funding formula in Delaware.
• 100 Education, Civil Rights, and Disability OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 100 organizations opposing legislation providing cover to dismantle the Department of Education.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/edtrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EdTrustDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/edtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/education-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/edtrust
• TikToktiktok.com/@edtrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Education Trust