By Degrees Foundation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersDes Moines, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What By Degrees Foundation does
By Degrees Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that delivers an integrated K-12 college and career readiness program through partnerships with four Des Moines Public Schools campuses — Findley Elementary, Madison Elementary, Harding Middle, and North High. Founded in 2015, the foundation served 2,231 K-12 students during the 2024-25 academic year, focused on students from under-resourced communities and built around a "whole-neighborhood, whole-school" model that delivers future-focused planning and saving culture across all grade levels. Its core product is the K-12 Partner School Model, which bundles four programs: the 529 Expansion Program (675+ student savings accounts opened and $405,000 invested since inception), College and Career Readiness Activities (92% participation at North High in 2024-25), the Sweet Dreams bedding program, and Support a Scholar mentorship. The foundation does not license technology or charge fees; programs are delivered on-site by a small staff of 1–10 employees embedded within partner schools, and the operating model depends entirely on donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships. Notable institutional relationships include Bank of America as a corporate sponsor and Candid's 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest accountability designation for U.S. nonprofits.
By Degrees Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- By Degrees Foundation
- Legal name
- By Degrees Foundation
- Website
- https://bydegreesfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
By Degrees Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Education Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
Keywords
Where By Degrees Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Moines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
By Degrees Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
By Degrees Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
By Degrees Foundation is an Iowa-based education nonprofit that delivers K-12 college and career readiness programming to students in four Des Moines partner schools. Its core offerings include 529 savings account expansion support, college and career readiness activities, the Sweet Dreams program, and a Support a Scholar donor-funded initiative. All services are provided free of charge to students, families, and partner schools, funded through donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
Product overview
By Degrees Foundation operates as a single, unified education nonprofit program focused on increasing high school graduation and postsecondary readiness rates through an interconnected K-12 culture of future-focused planning and saving. The organization does not offer a modular platform architecture; rather, it delivers a cohesive set of integrated programs including the 529 Expansion Program (which has opened 675+ student 529 savings accounts since 2015), College and Career Readiness Activities (reaching 92% of North High students), the Sweet Dreams bedding program, and Support a Scholar mentorship. These programs work together through partnerships with four Des Moines public schools (serving over 2,200 K-12 students), combining financial education, 529 savings account development, and postsecondary readiness activities into a comprehensive whole-neighborhood approach.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 529 Expansion Program
- College and Career Readiness Activities
- Sweet Dreams Program
- Support a Scholar
- K-12 Partner School Direct Service Model
Companies that use By Degrees Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
By Degrees Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
By Degrees Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
By Degrees Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- College Possible: National college access nonprofit that coaches low-income students toward postsecondary enrollment, mirroring By Degrees' college readiness mission for underserved high schoolers.
- uAspire: College affordability nonprofit providing advising and financial aid support, directly comparable to By Degrees' financial education and 529 savings focus.
- Bottom Line: College success nonprofit serving first-generation students from high school through college, comparable to By Degrees' K-12 to postsecondary pipeline model.
Emerging players
- EMWC (Earn More Work Central) / similar asset-building nonprofits: Smaller, regionally focused nonprofits running children's savings account programs, overlapping with By Degrees' 529 Expansion work.
- Reading Partners: K-12 literacy nonprofit that partners with schools to deliver tutoring programs, comparable to By Degrees' school-based service delivery model though focused on literacy rather than college readiness.
- City Year: Education nonprofit placing near-peer coaches in K-12 schools to drive student success, sharing By Degrees' whole-school, school-partnership approach.
Others
- America Saves: Savings-promotion nonprofit focused on building savings habits, thematically adjacent to By Degrees' 529 and financial literacy programming.
- GreatSchools: K-12 information and resources nonprofit serving families navigating school choice and college prep, with overlapping parent-facing audience.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
By Degrees Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceBy Degrees Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
By Degrees Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
By Degrees Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
By Degrees Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
By Degrees Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about By Degrees Foundation
What does By Degrees Foundation do?
By Degrees Foundation is an Iowa-based education nonprofit that delivers K-12 college and career readiness programming to students in four Des Moines partner schools. Its core offerings include 529 savings account expansion support, college and career readiness activities, the Sweet Dreams program, and a Support a Scholar donor-funded initiative. All services are provided free of charge to students, families, and partner schools, funded through donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
Is By Degrees Foundation a public or private company?
By Degrees Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was By Degrees Foundation founded?
By Degrees Foundation was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is By Degrees Foundation based?
By Degrees Foundation is headquartered in Des Moines, United States, in the North America region.
Who are By Degrees Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are College Possible, uAspire and Bottom Line. Emerging players are EMWC (Earn More Work Central) / similar asset-building nonprofits, Reading Partners and City Year. Others are America Saves and GreatSchools.
Does By Degrees Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for By Degrees Foundation.
What industry is By Degrees Foundation in?
By Degrees Foundation's product category is K-12 Education Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAC, After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.