Fund for Teachers
Fund for Teachers is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that awards grants of up to $10,000 to PreK-12 educators for self-designed professional learning fellowships. It is the only nationwide organization investing exclusively in teacher-designed learning, having funded 10,562 educators with $40.5 million cumulatively.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Fund for Teachers does
Fund for Teachers is a Houston-headquartered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 that awards grants to PreK-12 educators for self-designed professional learning fellowships. Since inception the organization has invested $40.5 million in 10,562 teachers across public, private, and charter schools, with fellowships spanning 176 countries. The organization positions itself as the only nationwide program of its kind, inviting individual teachers (up to $5,000) or teacher teams (up to $10,000) to design and pursue learning experiences on any topic, anywhere, to address classroom and student needs.
The core product set comprises Teacher Fellowship Grants (the flagship offering), an FFT Application Portal that runs an annual cycle from October through January, an Online Learning Center providing applicant toolkits and resources, and secondary Innovation Circle Grants for alumni fellows. Supporting products include a monthly newsletter (The Current), a podcast, the Educator Advisory Council, and a calendar of regional events and webinars. The technology footprint is deliberately minimal: operations rely on standard web-based application systems rather than proprietary platforms, and there is no disclosed AI/ML capability, mobile app, or third-party API surface.
The business model is a philanthropy-driven donation and grant-partnership structure rather than a traditional commercial revenue model. The organization raises funds from individual donors and philanthropic foundations — including Dalio Philanthropies, Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, John P. Ellbogen Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, The Ford Family Foundation, Tulsa Community Foundation, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, and others — and distributes those funds as fellowships. Selection is performed by a committee of community members, past grant recipients, educators, and donors. A federated distribution model uses 15+ regional program partners to localize marketing, applicant support, and selection across program areas including Alabama, Boston, Connecticut, Houston, New York, Oklahoma, Ohio, Oregon, Saint Paul, Vadnais Heights, and Wyoming. Annual grantmaking has held in the $1.56M-$1.625M range across the 2024-2026 cycles, with a small employee base of 1-10 staff supported by an active board led by Chair Jonas Zuckerman.
Fund for Teachers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fund for Teachers
- Legal name
- Fund for Teachers
- Website
- https://fundforteachers.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Fund for Teachers is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that awards grants of up to $10,000 to PreK-12 educators for self-designed professional learning fellowships. It is the only nationwide organization investing exclusively in teacher-designed learning, having funded 10,562 educators with $40.5 million cumulatively.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fund for Teachers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Grantmaking (Nonprofit)
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)
Keywords
Where Fund for Teachers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Fund for Teachers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Fund for Teachers operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds through donations and partnerships with philanthropic foundations to award grants to PreK-12 educators for self-designed professional learning fellowships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Individual Teacher Grant |
| Other | Annual | Team Grant |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Fund for Teachers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fund for Teachers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards self-designed professional learning fellowships to PreK-12 educators in U.S. public, private, and charter schools, providing up to $5,000 to individual teachers and up to $10,000 to teams. Teachers design their own fellowships on any topic, anywhere in the world, to address student learning gaps. Since 2001, the organization has invested $40.5 million in 10,562 teachers across 176 countries.
Product overview
Fund for Teachers operates as a non-profit grant-making organization rather than a traditional software company. The organization offers a unified portfolio of programs centered on teacher professional development through self-designed fellowships. The core offering consists of Fellowship Grants (individual or team grants of up to $10,000) supported by an Online Learning Center and FFT Application Portal. Additional offerings include Innovation Circle Grants for alumni fellows, The Current newsletter, a podcast series, an Educator Advisory Council, and regional events/webinars. The products work together to provide a complete cycle of grant application support, fellowship execution, and ongoing professional development for PreK-12 educators.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Teacher Fellowship Grants Self-designed professional learning fellowships awarded to PreK-12 educators in U.S. public, private, and charter schools, providing up to $5,000 for individual teachers and up to $10,000 for teams of two or more to pursue experiential learning opportunities on any topic, anywhere in the world.
- Innovation Circle Grants Secondary grants available to previously awarded FFT Fellows, providing opportunities to dive deeper into topics alongside other FFT Fellows through summer individual work followed by virtual cohort sessions throughout the fall.
Quantifiable outcome
- Since 2001, invested $40.5 million in 10,562 teachers
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Fund for Teachers
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Fund for Teachers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Fund for Teachers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Alabama Public TelevisionminorPartner organization supporting Fund for Teachers grants in Alabama, with local contact for grant process inquiries.
- Boston Teachers UnionminorPartner organization for Fund for Teachers grants in Boston area, supporting teacher professional development.
- Math for America, New YorkminorPartner supporting math teacher fellowships in New York City with local contact for Fund for Teachers grant process.
- Oklahoma Foundation for ExcellenceminorAdministrative partner for Fund in Oklahoma, also managing other teacher professional development programs.
- Public Education Foundation – ChattanoogaminorPartner foundation improving student achievement in Hamilton County schools; partners on Chattanooga program area.
- Red Wing Public Schools FoundationminorNonprofit building endowment to supplement Red Wing Public Schools; partners on local program area.
- Saint Paul & Minnesota FoundationminorCommunity foundation created in 1940; partners on Saint Paul program area with local contact.
- Tulsa Community FoundationminorPublic charity managing $3.6 billion in charitable funds; partners on Oklahoma program area.
- Vadnais Heights Area Community FoundationminorEndowment fund supporting education and community improvement in Minnesota; partners on local program.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Fund for Teachers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program: Awards fellowships to PreK-12 educators for professional learning expeditions, directly comparable to FFT's self-designed global teacher fellowships in both purpose and delivery model.
- DonorsChoose: Crowdfunding platform that funnels philanthropic dollars directly to public school teachers for classroom needs and projects, making it the closest direct peer in channeling donor money to PreK-12 teachers.
- Learning Forward: National professional learning association focused on educator professional development, overlapping with FFT on the demand side (teacher PD) though operating as a membership/standards body rather than a grantmaker.
- The NEA Foundation: Philanthropic arm of the National Education Association awarding grants to educators for classroom and professional development projects, the most direct peer in the teacher-grantmaking category.
Broad incumbents
- Teach For America: Large national education nonprofit operating broadly in teacher pipeline and development; overlaps with FFT on supporting educators but addresses teacher recruitment rather than in-service PD funding.
- National Board for Professional Teaching Standards: Sets and certifies advanced teaching standards; FFT's board includes NBPTS's CEO, indicating close ecosystem ties, though NBPTS focuses on certification rather than direct grantmaking.
Others
- Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation): Foundation-funded media organization promoting K-12 innovation and best practices; comparable as an adjacent education philanthropy but delivers content rather than direct teacher grants.
- Spencer Foundation: Major education research funder; comparable as a foundation deploying philanthropic capital in the education sector but oriented toward research rather than direct teacher fellowships.
- Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: Major education philanthropy addressing teacher development and improvement at a systems level, comparable as an ecosystem participant though operating at much larger scale and breadth than FFT.
Emerging players
- 100Kin10: National funder collaborative focused on STEM teacher recruitment and development, partially overlapping with FFT on teacher PD but concentrating on the STEM subset.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Fund for Teachers social profiles
Digital presenceFund for Teachers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Fund for Teachers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fund for Teachers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Fund for Teachers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fund for Teachers 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 Fund for Teachers
What does Fund for Teachers do?
Fund for Teachers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards self-designed professional learning fellowships to PreK-12 educators in U.S. public, private, and charter schools, providing up to $5,000 to individual teachers and up to $10,000 to teams. Teachers design their own fellowships on any topic, anywhere in the world, to address student learning gaps. Since 2001, the organization has invested $40.5 million in 10,562 teachers across 176 countries.
Is Fund for Teachers a public or private company?
Fund for Teachers is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Fund for Teachers founded?
Fund for Teachers was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Fund for Teachers based?
Fund for Teachers is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fund for Teachers make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Who are Fund for Teachers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program, DonorsChoose, Learning Forward and The NEA Foundation. Broad incumbents are Teach For America and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Others are Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation), Spencer Foundation and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. 100Kin10 is listed as an emerging player.
Does Fund for Teachers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fund for Teachers.
What industry is Fund for Teachers in?
Fund for Teachers's product category is Education Grantmaking (Nonprofit). Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAK, Education Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8200.