Peoria Public Schools Foundation

Name

Peoria Public Schools Foundation

Legal name

Peoria Public Schools Foundation

Website

https://ppsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Foundation / K-12 Nonprofit Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Education foundation grants
• K-12 student scholarships
• Classroom grant programs
• School fundraising events
• Community education philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Peoria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting students and teachers in Peoria Public Schools. Donors can contribute to general funds or specific programs.
2. Stadium Sign Advertising: Revenue from digital billboard advertising at the Peoria Stadium on War Memorial Drive. Proceeds support the campaign to improve stadium property.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Year-long and event sponsorships from businesses. The foundation has A+ Sponsors and event sponsors that contribute financially.
4. Scholarship Endowments: Organizations and individuals can establish scholarship endowments, with funds held at Community Foundation of Central Illinois. For a $1,000 annual scholarship, at least $20,000 must be invested.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The foundation raises charitable contributions from individuals, businesses, and event sponsors and deploys those funds as direct educational support for Peoria Public Schools District 150. Core offerings include teacher classroom grants (Traditional, STEM, Field Experience), student scholarships funded by a $1.5M endowment, district-wide programs such as Adopt-A-School, Basic Needs, Horizons Club, See It Be It, Career Exploration, and Principal Experience, plus revenue-generating services such as Peoria Stadium sign advertising.

Product overview

Peoria Public Schools Foundation is a private, independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1992 that supports the Peoria Public Schools District. The foundation offers a portfolio of educational support programs including Classroom Grants (Traditional, STEM, and Field Experience grants), Student Scholarships, Adopt-A-School partnerships, Basic Needs assistance, and Career Exploration programs (Horizons Club and See It, Be It). Additional offerings include the Principal Experience community engagement program, Stadium Sign Advertising, and annual fundraising events (Schoolhouse Open, 365 Breakfast, and Golf Outing). The foundation focuses on providing resources and opportunities to enhance educational experiences and outcomes for students and teachers in Peoria Public Schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Traditional Classroom Grant A grant program that provides funding up to $1,000 to Peoria Public Schools District 150 teachers for traditional classroom materials, supplies, and instructional resources. Applications are reviewed by a dedicated teacher grants committee.
• STEM Grant A grant program that provides funding up to $3,000 to District 150 teachers specifically for STEM-related classroom projects, equipment, and instructional resources.
• Field Experience Grant A grant program that funds out-of-classroom field experiences for District 150 students, supporting transportation, admission, and experiential learning activities.
• Student Scholarships Annual scholarships for District 150 students, funded by the foundation's approximately $1.5 million endowment, generating roughly $30,000 per year in scholarship awards.
• Adopt-A-School A district-wide corporate and community partnership program in which businesses or organizations are matched with specific District 150 schools to provide sustained financial and in-kind support.
• Basic Needs Program A wraparound support program that addresses essential student needs (such as food, clothing, and supplies) so that District 150 students can fully participate in learning.
• Horizons Club A district-wide enrichment program serving District 150 students, providing extended learning and engagement opportunities beyond the standard classroom.
• See It, Be It A career-exploration initiative that exposes District 150 students to career pathways and professional role models across central Illinois.
• Career Exploration Program A district-wide program providing District 150 students with structured career awareness, exposure, and preparation opportunities.
• Principal Experience A community-engagement program that places business and community leaders inside District 150 schools as guest principals to deepen civic support for public education.
• Stadium Sign Advertising A paid advertising offering in which businesses purchase signage placement at Peoria Stadium, with proceeds supporting the foundation's education programs.
• Annual Golf Outing An annual fundraising golf event that generates revenue and community engagement for the foundation through registration fees and corporate sponsorships.
• Schoolhouse Open A recurring signature fundraising event supporting the foundation's education programs through ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations.
• 365 Breakfast A recurring signature fundraising breakfast event that raises funds and community awareness for the foundation's education programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• $533,776 awarded in Classroom Grants since 1998
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Foundation of Central Illinois (CFCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2013, the PPS Foundation and CFCI jointly offer classroom grants to Peoria Public Schools teachers through one application process. CFCI holds the Yeomans Fund (created 1998 by Murray and Rena Yeomans) which funds Traditional Classroom Grants, and the Peoria NEXT Foster Fund which funds STEM grants through the Glen A. Barton Science and Technology Education Grants.
• Bard OpticalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement with Bard Optical to provide eyeglasses for PPS students through the Basic Needs program, addressing vision needs for students who require corrective lenses.
• K2 BenefitsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerYear-long A+ Sponsor of the PPS Foundation, providing financial support and making a difference in the community through their sponsorship.
• First United Methodist ChurchcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-standing Adopt-A-School partner for over 30 years, originally with Irving School and now with Lincoln K-8 School. Provides academic support, after-school club assistance, staff appreciation events, and volunteer coordination.
• Prairie Home AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecial recognition given for contributions to the PPS Foundation. Steve Jackson, Owner & CEO, was honored as Foundation Hero in January 2025.
• Elger Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo AdvisorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Schoolhouse Open 2026 golf event. Alex Elger serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chicago Public Education Fund: An independent nonprofit that raises private funds to support Chicago Public Schools students through scholarships, classroom grants, and career programs. Direct peer because both are district-specific education foundations operating in Illinois with comparable grantmaking and student-support models.
• Denver Public Schools Foundation: An independent 501(c)(3) that supports Denver Public Schools through classroom grants, scholarships, basic-needs programs, and career exploration. Direct peer because of structurally identical mission (private foundation supporting a single urban school district) and matching program mix.
• Fund for Public Schools (NYC): An independent nonprofit that funds innovative programs for New York City public school students, including grants to teachers and scholarships. Direct peer because both are district-aligned independent 501(c)(3)s with similar donor and grantmaking models, just at vastly larger scale.
• Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation: A private 501(c)(3) supporting Indianapolis Public Schools through scholarships, classroom grants, and student enrichment programs. Direct peer because of nearly identical structure, mission scope, and program portfolio to Peoria Public Schools Foundation.
• St. Louis Public Schools Foundation: An independent nonprofit supporting St. Louis Public Schools through teacher grants, scholarships, and student programs. Direct peer because both operate as district-specific 501(c)(3) foundations in Midwestern urban districts with comparable grantmaking and donor-development models.
• Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools: An independent 501(c)(3) that supports Oklahoma City Public Schools through classroom grants, scholarships, basic-needs support, and teacher initiatives. Direct peer because the program mix (classroom grants, scholarships, basic needs, career exploration) and district-tied structure mirror Peoria's foundation closely.
• The Foundation for Cincinnati Public Schools: An independent nonprofit supporting Cincinnati Public Schools students through scholarships, classroom grants, and enrichment programs. Direct peer because both function as district-aligned grantmaking foundations with comparable revenue models and program portfolios.

Others

• Community Foundation of Central Illinois: Regional community foundation holding the Yeomans Fund and Peoria NEXT Foster Fund that supply grant capital to Peoria Public Schools Foundation. Comparable as an enabling/ecosystem partner that administers the endowed funds underwriting the foundation's largest grant programs.

Emerging players

• DonorsChoose: A national crowdfunding platform that lets individual donors fund public school classroom project requests. Comparable as a partial-overlap alternative channel for teacher classroom funding — addressing the same need as PPS Foundation's Traditional, STEM, and Field Experience grants, but through a national rather than district-tied model.
• AdoptAClassroom.org: A national nonprofit that enables individuals and businesses to directly fund K-12 classroom supply needs. Comparable because it solves a closely overlapping problem (classroom resource funding) at scale, and competes for the same donor mindshare as Peoria's Classroom Grant program.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ppsfoundationrocks
• Instagraminstagram.com/peoriapublicschools_foundation?igsh=MXU5NDAxZjZ5NzkyaQ==

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Peoria Public Schools Foundation