Garden School Foundation
Garden School Foundation is a Pasadena-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers hands-on garden, cooking, and composting education to K-5 students at eleven Title I elementary schools across Los Angeles, reaching more than 3,800 students annually through its Seed to Table and Cafeteria to Compost programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersPasadena, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Garden School Foundation does
Garden School Foundation (GSF) is a Pasadena-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers hands-on garden, cooking, and composting education to K-5 students at eleven Title I elementary schools across Los Angeles. Its four core programs — Seed to Table, Cafeteria to Compost, Community Garden Days, and School Farmers Markets — operate directly on school campuses during the instructional day and reach 3,800+ students annually. The Seed to Table curriculum comprises 120 grade-specific, Standards-aligned lessons and 60 recipes developed with chefs, educators, nutritionists, and Master Gardeners; the Cafeteria to Compost program diverts roughly 80,000 lbs of food waste per year and generates on-campus compost that feeds school gardens, creating a closed-loop sustainability system.
Underlying technology is modest: a Squarespace-hosted website handles donations, volunteer sign-ups, e-commerce, and distribution of free curriculum resources (composting manuals, K-2 and 3-5 curriculum sets, Compost Club materials, and a 2024 white paper on school-based composting). The service itself is delivered physically on school grounds by approximately 30 staff including Site Leads, Site Assistants, and California Climate Action Corps Service Members, with programming embedded in the instructional day.
The revenue model is donation-driven and diversified across individual donors (one-time and monthly recurring, DAFs, employer gift matching), corporate partnerships (Angel City FC, LA Galaxy Foundation, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, LA Dodgers Foundation, Rothschild & Co, Health-Ade, Califia Farms, HMC Architects), grant funding (LA2050 Grants Challenge 2024 and 2025, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation), and a small merchandise e-commerce storefront. Distribution is community-led and event-driven: programs are delivered at partner LAUSD sites, produce is shared with families at on-campus farmers markets, and volunteer engagement is driven by Community Garden Days and corporate work days.
Garden School Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Garden School Foundation
- Legal name
- Garden School Foundation
- Website
- https://gardenschoolfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Garden School Foundation is a Pasadena-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers hands-on garden, cooking, and composting education to K-5 students at eleven Title I elementary schools across Los Angeles, reaching more than 3,800 students annually through its Seed to Table and Cafeteria to Compost programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Garden School Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Environmental and Nutrition Education Services
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainability, Waste Reduction & Composting Programs (EDALADAL), Catering for School Events & Functions (On-Campus Catering) (EDAEAEAH), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD)
Keywords
Where Garden School Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pasadena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Garden School Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individual supporters. Donations accepted online, by mail (check), wire transfer, Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), and employer gift matching programs.
- Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships and donations where companies support GSF's mission. Includes gift matching programs and dedicated corporate partnership outreach.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts ($30), bucket hats ($25), beanies ($25), and caps ($25) through the GSF store. Products are made on demand to reduce overproduction.
- Grant Funding: Funding from foundations including Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation (for C2C program and 2024 white paper research), and LA2050 Grants Challenge (2024 and 2025 winner).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Volunteer engagement - free participation |
| Subscription | Monthly | Individual donations - variable amounts |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Corporate partnerships - custom amounts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branded merchandise - fixed prices |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Garden School Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Garden School Foundation delivers garden-based environmental and nutrition education programming to Title I elementary schools in Los Angeles, reaching 3,800+ students annually across 11 partner school sites through hands-on Seed to Table curriculum, Cafeteria to Compost food-waste diversion, Community Garden Days, and student-run School Farmers Markets. The organization also retails program-branded merchandise through an online store to support fundraising.
Product overview
Garden School Foundation operates as a nonprofit offering garden-based education programs to Title I elementary schools in Los Angeles. The core offerings include the Seed to Table Program (120 lesson curriculum combining gardening and cooking education), the Cafeteria to Compost food waste diversion program, Community Garden Days volunteer events, and School Farmers Markets for produce distribution. The organization also sells branded merchandise through an online store and provides free educational resources including composting manuals, curriculum materials, and white papers for educators. Programs serve 11 Title I elementary schools reaching over 3,800 students annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Seed to Table
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,532 youth served with Seed to Table education in 2024-2025 school year
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Garden School Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Garden School Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Garden School Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship, core and supporting.
- USC Dornsife Wrigley InstituteminorUndergraduate Environmental Studies students intern with GSF to provide nature-based education to elementary schoolers.
- Angel City FCflagshipCommunity partnership with professional women's soccer team. Executive Director Rachel Black featured in Angel City FC content. Partnership highlights food justice and environmental stewardship work.
- LA Galaxy FoundationcorePartnership for garden builds at Annalee Avenue Elementary School (August 2019) and Leapwood Avenue Elementary School. LA Galaxy volunteers participate in garden construction projects. Herbalife Nutrition also involved in Annalee build.
- Food ForwardcoreLong-time collaborator providing produce donations for school-based Farmers Markets. GSF volunteers transport produce from Food Forward's Produce Pit Stop in Bell to school market sites (24th Street and 99th Street). Average of 9,000 lbs fresh produce shared monthly.
- Partnership for Los Angeles SchoolscoreIndependent nonprofit managing 20 LAUSD campuses in Boyle Heights, South L.A., and Watts. GSF partners with 99th Street Elementary through this partnership.
- HMC ArchitectssupportingArchitecture firm partner supporting GSF garden and educational initiatives.
- Mar Vista Farmers MarketsupportingLocal farmers market supporting GSF's work at Grand View Boulevard Elementary school.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Garden School Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Common Threads: National nonprofit delivering cooking and nutrition education to underserved K-12 students. Highly comparable on the cooking-as-curriculum and food-insecurity angles that complement GSF's Seed to Table cooking classes.
- Edible Schoolyard Project: Alice Waters' program (Chez Panisse Foundation) that integrates gardens and kitchens into K-12 curriculum. Direct peer in combining garden education, cooking classes, and standards-aligned curriculum in public schools.
- Life Lab: Long-running Santa Cruz-based organization that trains educators in school garden-based learning and publishes garden-based curriculum. Direct peer in garden-centric K-5 curriculum development and educator resources.
- Green Our Planet: Operates school garden programs and outdoor conservation programming in K-12 schools, with a strong Las Vegas/CCSD base. Comparable on the school-garden-as-classroom model.
- Big Green: Builds Learning Gardens in public schools (originated in Denver) and funds garden-based education. Direct peer on the school garden build + curriculum model, with overlapping Title I/Title I-eligible school focus.
- FoodCorps: National nonprofit placing service members in schools to deliver hands-on gardening, cooking and nutrition education. Closest direct peer to GSF's Seed to Table model, though operating at national scale rather than single-metro.
Broad incumbents
- Slow Food USA: National organization promoting good, clean and fair food, with a school garden and food education pillar. Adjacent incumbent working on the same food-and-education thesis, but at advocacy/policy scale rather than direct school delivery.
Emerging players
- Captain Planet Foundation: Funds hands-on environmental education projects in K-12 schools, including gardens. Comparable on the environmental-education-and-garden intersection, though operating as a grantmaker rather than a direct program operator.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Garden School Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceGarden School Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Garden School Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Garden School Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Garden School 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 Garden School Foundation
What does Garden School Foundation do?
Garden School Foundation delivers garden-based environmental and nutrition education programming to Title I elementary schools in Los Angeles, reaching 3,800+ students annually across 11 partner school sites through hands-on Seed to Table curriculum, Cafeteria to Compost food-waste diversion, Community Garden Days, and student-run School Farmers Markets. The organization also retails program-branded merchandise through an online store to support fundraising.
Is Garden School Foundation a public or private company?
Garden School Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Garden School Foundation founded?
Garden School Foundation was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Garden School Foundation based?
Garden School Foundation is headquartered in Pasadena, United States, in the North America region.
How does Garden School Foundation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, merchandise Sales and grant Funding.
Who are Garden School Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Common Threads, Edible Schoolyard Project, Life Lab, Green Our Planet, Big Green and FoodCorps. Slow Food USA is listed as a broad incumbent. Captain Planet Foundation is listed as an emerging player.
Does Garden School Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Garden School Foundation.
What industry is Garden School Foundation in?
Garden School Foundation's product category is K-12 Environmental and Nutrition Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAB, Public Elementary Schools, with a secondary code of EDALADAL, Sustainability, Waste Reduction & Composting Programs. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.