Resource Area For Teaching

What Resource Area For Teaching does

Resource Area For Teaching (RAFT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 and headquartered in a 33,412 square-foot facility in San Jose, California. The organization's core activity is upcycling donated corporate surplus materials into affordable, curriculum-aligned hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning kits and lesson resources. It maintains a library of over 700 free downloadable Idea Sheets aligned to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, a catalog of 100+ STEAM Project Kits, a 33,412 sq ft retail store and Educator Workroom (open six days a week with Ellison dies, laminators, 3D printers, and other maker equipment), and an online store at raftstore.net. Distribution extends across the Bay Area via the Maker Mobile van (direct-to-school STEAM activities), STEAM Dream Summer Camp programming (TK-8, four public districts plus six private school sites), Spark STEAM Box in-school kit subscriptions, makerspace builds at partner schools, and professional development workshops. RAFT also publishes content nationally through Infosys Foundation USA's Pathfinders Online Institute.

RAFT's revenue model is hybrid and characteristic of an education nonprofit: low-cost product sales (kits, supplies, recycled materials) through retail and e-commerce, an annual membership program providing discounts and workroom access, corporate and individual donations from a network of 200+ partners (Google for 20+ years, Cisco for 16+ years, Synopsys Outreach Foundation, Arista Foundation, KPMG, Morgan Stanley, Adobe, Intuit, Deloitte, Dolby, and others), foundation grants, and annual fundraising events (the 2025 'RAFT to the Future' event raised over $433,000; the 2022 CSI:RAFT event raised over $350,000). A $5 million endowment fund was established in October 2024. The organization also maintains a structured Monthly Maker Club with tiered giving ($20-$100/month) tied to programmatic outcomes (educator access, memberships, summer camp scholarships, kits, Maker Mobile events, classroom subscriptions). RAFT recently launched an AI Chatbot (with Cisco Foundation support) to assist educators with lesson implementation. The organization serves over 6,000 educators and 100,000 students annually, has engaged 55,000+ lifetime volunteers contributing 500,000+ hours, and has diverted over 1 million cubic feet of corporate surplus from landfills. RAFT holds a Charity Navigator Four-Star rating and a Candid (GuideStar) Platinum Seal of Transparency.

Name

Resource Area For Teaching

Legal name

Resource Area For Teaching

Website

https://raft.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Resource Area For Teaching (RAFT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that upcycles donated corporate surplus into affordable, curriculum-aligned STEAM learning kits, serving over 6,000 educators and 100,000 students annually in the Bay Area and nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEAM Education Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps (EDAMALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail (CRALACAG), Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides) (EDACAJAL)

Keywords

• STEAM education kits
• Hands-on learning resources
• Teacher supplies
• Maker education
• Educational nonprofit services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (RAFT Store & Online): RAFT operates a 33,412 sq ft retail store in San Jose and an online store (raftstore.net), selling low-cost STEAM project kits, recycled/surplus supplies, and discounted educator materials. Membership provides additional discounts and access to the Educator Workroom. Revenue is one-time per transaction.
2. Membership Program: RAFT offers annual memberships to educators and educational organizations that provide store discounts, workroom access, and other perks. Membership is required to access certain services. Revenue is recurring (annual subscription).
3. Corporate & Individual Donations: RAFT receives material donations from over 200 companies (redirecting surplus from landfills) and monetary donations from individuals and corporations. Google donated over $60,000 and 250 Googlers volunteered ~1,000 hours in one year. Cisco donated $57,000 in combined volunteer hours and monetary donations. Donations are tax-deductible (EIN 77-0365627).
4. Annual Fundraising Events: Annual events like 'RAFT to the Future' (2025) raised over $433,000. Events include corporate sponsorships, Fund-A-Need campaigns, and live/donor attendance. Funds support program delivery to educators and students.
5. Foundation Grants: RAFT receives grants from foundations including the $5 million endowment (2024), Guidry Foundation endowment fund, Cisco Foundation (AI chatbot), StopWaste ($15,000 reuse operating grant), Arista Foundation (makerspace grants), Sares Regis Foundation, Synopsys Outreach Foundation, and others.
6. Planned Giving & Endowment: RAFT accepts planned gifts through wills, trusts, IRA beneficiary designations, retirement plans, life insurance, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (up to $100,000 annually for donors 70.5+). The $5 million endowment was established in 2024. The Guidry Foundation has a named endowment fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

RAFT operates as a nonprofit that upcycles donated corporate surplus materials into affordable, curriculum-aligned STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) learning kits and resources for K-12 educators. The organization sells over 100 STEAM Project Kits through a physical retail store and online shop, provides free downloadable Idea Sheets, runs the Maker Mobile van program, operates STEAM Dream Summer Camps, builds makerspaces in partner schools, and offers an AI chatbot assistant to help educators implement hands-on lessons.

Product overview

Resource Area For Teaching (RAFT) is a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) educational products and services. The core offerings include STEAM Project Kits—pre-packaged hands-on activity kits with materials and instructions—and the Maker Mobile van that brings activities to schools and communities. RAFT operates a retail store in San Jose serving educators with discounted supplies, and offers a membership program for ongoing access to benefits. The organization provides Professional Development Workshops to train educators, builds Makerspaces in schools, and supports distance learning through free resources like Idea Sheets and Learning Activity Sheets. Recently, RAFT launched an AI Chatbot as a digital teaching assistant to help educators implement STEAM lessons. Programs like STEAM Dream Summer Camp and Spark STEAM Box (formerly DreamBox) deliver hands-on learning directly to students, while free Teacher Tip Sheets and Integrated STEAM Units provide curriculum support. Together, these products and services form a complete ecosystem supporting hands-on STEAM education for over 6,000 educators and 100,000 students annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RAFT Store: The 33,412 square foot retail facility in San Jose, known as the 'Costco' of educator supplies, offering low-cost STEAM materials and creative workspace.
• STEAM Dream Summer Camp
• Maker Mobile
• Spark STEAM Kit Classroom Bundle
• DreamBox

Products and services

• STEAM Project Kits

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of parents rated their child's STEAM Dream Summer Camp experience as good or excellent; 96% said the program met or exceeded expectations; 86% expressed interest in more STEAM learning for their children
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Julia Robinson Mathematics FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026RAFT partnered with the Julia Robinson Mathematics Foundation to host a math festival at RAFT's facility, expanding programming beyond STEAM to include mathematics education.
• KPMGminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025KPMG presented the STEAM Teacher of the Year award at RAFT's 2025 annual fundraiser. Yosuke Ogata from KPMG, a RAFT Board Member, presented awards. KPMG has been supporting RAFT through board participation.
• Morgan StanleyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Morgan Stanley presented the STEAM Educator of the Year award at RAFT's 2025 annual fundraiser. Emilio de Sousa from Morgan Stanley presented awards.
• CredominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Credo presented the STEAM Teacher of the Year award at RAFT's 2025 annual fundraiser.
• FenwickminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Fenwick presented the RAFT Volunteer of the Year award at the 2025 annual fundraiser. Jonathan Stephenson from Fenwick also presented awards.
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025The Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation presented the Volunteer of the Year award in 2022. The foundation supported RAFT through volunteer recognition.
• Synopsys Outreach FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022The Synopsys Outreach Foundation is committed to igniting interest, nurturing potential, and empowering all students in STEM. For the past two years (as of 2022), the foundation partnered with RAFT to deliver STEAM Project Kits, Maker Mobile visits, memberships, and professional development training. Named RAFT Partner of the Year 2022.
• Synopsys Outreach Foundation (Maker Mobile Mentor Program)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022RAF's Maker Mobile Mentor Program is done in partnership with the Synopsys Outreach Foundation. The program brings near-peer mentors to assist with Maker Mobile van events at schools. The second cohort of mentors was welcomed in 2025.
• AONminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022AON presented the STEAM Teacher of the Year award to Kim Brown at RAFT's 2022 Hall of Fame event.
• DeloitteminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Deloitte presented the STEAM Teacher of the Year award to Tom Carvey at RAFT's 2022 Hall of Fame event.
• AdobeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Adobe presented the STEAM Teacher of the Year award to Margie Wysocki at RAFT's 2022 Hall of Fame event.
• IntuitminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Intuit presented the RAFT Hero award to Donna Whitney at RAFT's 2022 Hall of Fame event.
• DolbyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Dolby presented the Volunteer of the Year award to Lakshmi Avanasiappan & Aravind Saminathan at RAFT's 2022 Hall of Fame event.
• Rebuilding Together Silicon ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley partnered with RAFT to remodel the Educator Workroom in September 2022, providing volunteers and support to rebuild and repaint the space.
• DPR ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022DPR Construction volunteers participated in the September 2022 Educator Workroom remodel project alongside Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley and RAFT staff.
• Alum Rock Union School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022RAFT formed a formal partnership with Alum Rock Union School District to offer various services enriching STEAM learning initiatives throughout the school year, including hands-on activities, workshops, and events. Alum Rock also hosts STEAM Dream Summer Camp sites.
• Hope ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Hope Services, a San Jose nonprofit serving people with developmental disabilities, partnered with RAFT to provide weekly volunteer opportunities. Hope Services' participants assemble hands-on learning kits, help in the retail space, and gain real-life workplace experience. People with developmental disabilities face an 87% unemployment rate in California; this partnership provides meaningful employment experience.
• GooglecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2005Google has been a key partner to RAFT for 20+ years (since 2005). Google's generosity with donations and employee volunteering time has helped bring hands-on learning resources to underserved students and schools. Over the past year, 250+ Googlers volunteered nearly 1,000 hours and donated over $60,000. Google was named RAFT Partner of the Year in 2025.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kiwico: Kiwico designs and ships subscription STEAM/STEM activity kits for kids across multiple age lines (Koala Crate, Kiwi Crate, Tinker Crate, Eureka Crate). It competes directly with RAFT's STEAM Project Kits on the consumer/parent side, though as a venture-backed for-profit with national e-commerce scale versus RAFT's regional nonprofit model.
• Educational Insights: Educational Insights designs and distributes educational toys, games, and STEM/STEAM activity kits for classrooms and homes. Comparable to RAFT as a K-8 hands-on learning kit provider, though operating as an established commercial brand with broader retail distribution.
• Steve Spangler Science: Steve Spangler Science produces STEM kits, science activities, and professional development resources for K-8 educators, with strong brand recognition in hands-on science experiments. Directly comparable to RAFT's hands-on STEAM kit and workshop portfolio, though delivered as a for-profit commercial brand.
• DonorsChoose: DonorsChoose is a nonprofit crowdfunding platform that lets teachers post classroom project requests (including STEAM supplies and kits) and donors fund them directly. It is highly comparable to RAFT as a nonprofit addressing educator STEAM supply gaps, but executes via a digital marketplace rather than physical kit assembly and corporate upcycling.
• Pitsco Education: Pitsco Education provides K-12 STEM/STEAM curriculum, kits, makerspace solutions, and project-based learning materials to schools and districts. It is highly comparable to RAFT's STEAM kit, makerspace build, and curriculum-aligned offerings, with deeper K-12 institutional reach but a similar hands-on maker philosophy.
• hand2mind: hand2mind manufactures and sells hands-on math, science, and literacy manipulatives and STEAM kits directly to educators and parents. It is a comparable for-profit supplier of curriculum-aligned hands-on learning materials — overlapping with RAFT's Idea Sheets and STEAM Project Kit offerings on subject matter and K-8 target buyer.

Broad incumbents

• Lakeshore Learning: Lakeshore Learning is a large for-profit retailer and manufacturer of educational supplies, furniture, and STEAM materials for K-8 classrooms, with both a national e-commerce site and physical stores. It competes with RAFT's store and online retail business at a far larger scale across a broader product catalog.
• Carson Dellosa Education: Carson Dellosa Education is a large publisher and supplier of classroom décor, workbooks, activity books, and educational manipulatives for K-8 educators. Comparable as a broad-line supplier serving the same educator buyer with curriculum-aligned materials, though at greater scale and across more categories than RAFT.
• Crayola Experience / Crayola Education: Crayola is a major arts-and-education brand offering creative learning kits, lesson plans, and makerspace/drawing products targeted at K-8 educators and parents. Comparable to RAFT on the arts/STEAM educational supply side and on curriculum-aligned lesson content, though at vastly larger brand and distribution scale.

Emerging players

• MEL Science: MEL Science offers subscription science experiment kits with VR/AR-enabled lessons for children, blending hands-on experiments with digital content. Overlaps with RAFT on the hands-on STEAM kit concept but competes via a premium subscription model and an AI/digital layer similar to RAFT's emerging chatbot strategy.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/raftbayarea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raft-resource-area-for-teaching
• Instagraminstagram.com/raftbayarea
• Xx.com/raftbayarea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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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 Resource Area For Teaching