Jacksonville Public Education Fund

What Jacksonville Public Education Fund does

Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) is an independent nonprofit think-and-do tank founded in 2009 and headquartered at 40 East Adams Street in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The organization operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and functions as a research-and-advocacy intermediary for public education in Duval County, convening educators, school system leaders, parents, students, funders, and community organizations to pilot and scale evidence-based practices. Its portfolio spans three core strategies: independent research and policy advocacy (including the 1-Mill Property Tax Referendum campaign), community partnership facilitation (Parents Who Lead, Advocacy Nights, the Urban Education Symposium with My Village Project and 904ward, EDTalks, and Stuff the Bus with United Way), and strategic educator initiatives (Teacher Leadership Initiative, School Leadership Initiative, the Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, and ReconnectED outdoor learning piloted at three schools with Project One Health JAX funding).

JPEF does not develop proprietary technology products; its core technology stack is limited to a Classy.org donation portal, a content-managed website, and standard social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The organization's outputs are programmatic (fellowships, workshops, recognition events) rather than software-based, with measurable outcomes including 100% of participating teachers reporting workshop support for improvement, 83% citing program-driven retention, and DCPS earning its first state 'A' rating in 2025 following the 1-mill referendum campaign.

Revenue is generated exclusively through nonprofit funding mechanisms: individual donations via Classy.org, corporate and foundation grants (e.g., $350,000 from Project One Health JAX, administered endowments via The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida), and event sponsorships (VyStar Credit Union as EDDY Awards title sponsor). Programs are provided at no cost to Duval County educators, parents, and community members, and the organization carries a Charity Navigator four-star rating for 2026 in lieu of any public financial disclosure.

Name

Jacksonville Public Education Fund

Legal name

Jacksonville Public Education Fund

Website

https://jaxpef.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jacksonville Public Education Fund is an independent nonprofit think-and-do tank founded in 2009 that convenes educators, parents, students, funders, and community partners in Duval County, Florida, to research, pilot, and advocate for evidence-based public education improvements through programs like EDDY Awards, Parents Who Lead, and ReconnectED.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Equity, Access & Inclusion Policy Research (EDADADAF), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Education advocacy services
• Public education fund
• Teacher professional development
• Community education programs
• Education research and policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization accepts individual donations through its Classy.org portal, supporting initiatives that transform public education and create opportunities for students.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: JPEF receives grant funding from partners such as Project One Health JAX ($350,000 for ReconnectED initiative) and operates endowed funds such as the Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship supported by The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors like VyStar Credit Union provide title sponsorship for the EDDY Awards and other events, contributing to operational funding while gaining visibility.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Jacksonville Public Education Fund (JPEF) is an independent nonprofit think-and-do tank that advances public education in Duval County, Florida. It conducts independent research and policy advocacy, convenes educators, parents, students, and community stakeholders, and pilots strategic initiatives for educators. Core offerings include teacher recognition and fellowship programs (EDDY Awards, Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, Teacher Leadership Initiative), parent empowerment (Parents Who Lead), outdoor learning (ReconnectED), and community advocacy events (Advocacy Nights, Urban Education Symposium, EDTalks).

Product overview

Jacksonville Public Education Fund is an independent think-and-do tank focused on closing opportunity gaps in public education in Duval County. The organization operates through three core strategies: research and advocacy, community partnership facilitation, and strategic initiatives for educators. Its portfolio includes teacher recognition programs (EDDY Awards, Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, Teacher Leadership Initiative), parent empowerment (Parents Who Lead), school leader development (School Leadership Initiative), outdoor learning (ReconnectED), youth engagement (Youth Participatory Action Research), and community advocacy events (Advocacy Nights, Urban Education Symposium, EDTalks). The organization also advocates for policy initiatives like the 1-Mill Property Tax Referendum for teacher compensation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EDDY Awards: Annual awards gala honoring exceptional educators across Duval County's public and charter schools, recognizing outstanding contributions to student achievement.
• Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship
• EDTalks
• Urban Education Symposium
• Parents Who Lead
• Powering Potential

Products and services

• Research & Advocacy Independent research and policy advocacy providing analysis of student data and supporting evidence-based practices in Duval County public schools. Targeted at educators, policymakers, and community members.
• Strategic Initiatives for Educators Pilots research-based best practices in direct partnership with Duval County public schools, supporting teacher leaders and school leaders to adopt solutions for educational excellence and teacher retention.
• Community Partnership & Engagement Research-led convener bringing together school system leaders, partner organizations, funders, parents, and community members to work on shared educational goals in Duval County.
• EDDY Awards Annual gala event that honors exceptional educators across Duval County's public and charter schools by recognizing outstanding contributions to student achievement and the educational community.
• Cindy Edelman Excellence in Teaching Fellowship Fellowship program providing up to $6,500 per teacher or $10,000 per teacher team to pursue career-enhancing professional learning experiences, international exchanges, and specialized workshops.
• Parents Who Lead 20-week parent empowerment program that teaches parents about local government structure and empowers them to advocate for changes in the education system on behalf of their children.
• ReconnectED Multi-year outdoor learning initiative cultivating student wellness through intentional, screen-free, standards-aligned outdoor learning, piloted at SP Livingston Elementary, Jacksonville STEM Academy, and North Shore Elementary.
• Advocacy Nights Community events providing updates on educational developments at multiple levels, featuring local education leaders and policymakers discussing recent changes, upcoming initiatives, and their impact on students and schools.
• Teacher Leadership Initiative Professional development program offering unique programming to elevate the teaching profession and support Teacher of the Year nominees in enhancing their leadership skills.
• School Leadership Initiative Program designed to increase school leaders' capacity to support students, improve school climate, and access best practices and resources.
• EDTalks Biennial event bringing together leading voices in education to share innovative ideas, best practices, and successful approaches from across the nation and around the world.
• Urban Education Symposium Annual event hosted by JPEF in partnership with My Village Project and 904ward to advance progress and innovation in urban education, convening educators, students, parents, community advocates, and nonprofit organizations.
• 1-Mill Property Tax Referendum Advocacy Advocacy campaign supporting renewal of the 1-mill property tax to supplement teacher pay and provide additional funding for arts and athletic programs in Duval County.
• Youth Participatory Action Research Initiative helping young people analyze issues, influence policy, and strengthen their schools and neighborhoods through student-led roundtables and youth-led research.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of participating teachers said JPEF workshops support teacher improvement and access to best practices and resources
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VyStar Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVyStar Credit Union serves as title sponsor for the EDDY Awards and VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year program. As the second-largest credit union in Florida with over $14 billion in assets and 1 million members, VyStar collaborates with JPEF to celebrate and elevate teachers in the community. The partnership includes support through VyStar's High School Branch Program.
• Kids Hope AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKids Hope Alliance partners with JPEF and Duval County Public Schools on the Parents Who Lead program, a 20-week initiative that empowers parents and caregivers to become better advocates for their children and the education system.
• Mayo Clinic Simulation CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer Edelman Fellow Denisha Campbell partnered with the Mayo Clinic Simulation Center to create professional development experiences for educators on working with multilingual and culturally diverse learners, simulating immersion experiences similar to her Puerto Rico fellowship.
• United Way of Northeast FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJPEF partners with United Way of Northeast Florida on the annual Stuff the Bus campaign to collect school supplies for Duval County teachers, along with First Coast News as media sponsor.
• The Episcopal Church of the Good ShepherdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe church has partnered with Central Riverside Elementary School to support teachers through school supply donations, staff appreciation events, and community engagement activities since 2022.
• Consortium of Florida Education FoundationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJPEF participates in the statewide consortium of education foundations working to advance public education across Florida communities.
• My Village Project and 904wardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJPEF partners with My Village Project and 904ward on the annual Urban Education Symposium to advance progress and innovation in urban education, convening educators, students, parents, community advocates, and nonprofit organizations.
• Uruguayan Government AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer Edelman Fellow Denisha Campbell will collaborate with Uruguayan government agencies during her Fulbright scholarship to learn practices and policies that have resulted in Uruguay's high literacy rates.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pinellas Education Foundation: Florida-based public education foundation serving Pinellas County schools with teacher recognition, classroom grants, scholarships, and workforce programs — same local public-education fund model as JPEF in a neighboring Florida district.
• Hillsborough Education Foundation: Tampa-based education foundation providing teacher grants, scholarships, and school-community support across Hillsborough County Public Schools — operates an analogous local public-education fund model to JPEF.
• Education Foundation of Sarasota County: Sarasota-based nonprofit raising private funds to support public school teachers and students through grants, scholarships, and educator recognition — directly comparable in structure and program mix to JPEF.
• Foundation for Leon County Schools: Leon County's public education foundation administering teacher grants, classroom funding, and scholarship programs for the local public school district — same locally-embedded public-education fund mission as JPEF.
• Public Education Foundation of Orange County: Orange County, Florida public education foundation providing teacher grants, scholarships, and community-driven support to Orange County Public Schools — directly comparable peer in scale and model.
• Foundation for Orange County Public Schools: Central Florida education foundation supporting Orange County Public Schools through teacher grants, family engagement, and community partnerships — analogous district-embedded public education fund model to JPEF.

Broad incumbents

• Consortium of Florida Education Foundations: Statewide network of Florida's local public education foundations that JPEF belongs to; operates at a statewide level coordinating 70+ district-aligned education funds with overlapping grantmaking and advocacy missions.
• Bellwether Education Partners: National education-focused nonprofit research and policy organization providing research, advocacy, and consulting on K-12 talent, equity, and systems — comparable think-and-do-tank function to JPEF but at national scale.

Emerging players

• Edunomics Lab (Georgetown University): Georgetown University research center focused on education economics, finance, and funding policy — overlaps with JPEF's research/advocacy remit and informs policy work on school funding models like the 1-mill referendum.
• CityBridge Education: Education philanthropy and policy venture investing in and convening around K-12 innovation across U.S. cities — shares the civic/think-tank posture and partnership-convening model with JPEF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jaxpef
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@JaxPEF
• Facebookfacebook.com/jaxpef
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jacksonville-public-education-fund
• Instagraminstagram.com/jaxpef

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Jacksonville Public Education Fund