District 279 Foundation

What District 279 Foundation does

District 279 Foundation is a Minnesota-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Maple Grove, Minnesota, that exists exclusively to fundraise and grant money to Osseo Area Schools (District 279), the fifth-largest school district in the state. The foundation serves scholars across all or parts of eight municipalities — Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Corcoran, Dayton, Maple Grove, Osseo, Plymouth, and Rogers — and operates with a small staff of 11–50 employees under Executive Director Brian Siverson-Hall and a Board of Trustees led by President Joan Lunceford.

The foundation's core product is a Grants Program that funds innovative projects, experiential learning, and curriculum enhancements not covered by the district budget, accepting applications from district employees, volunteers, and community members. This grant-making is funded by a portfolio of three signature annual events: the Reading is Fun 5K (a fall 5K run supporting school media centers, which has raised over $140,000 cumulatively over 15 years), A Night Out (a winter gala event that raised over $80,000 in 2026), and the Investment in Youth celebration (a spring recognition ceremony honoring 72 scholars, volunteers, and staff). Additional offerings include partnership scholarships channeled through institutions such as North Hennepin Community College and Hennepin Technical College, online and mail-based donation processing via a Bloomerang donation widget, and a structured volunteer program covering event committees, board support, and school-site liaison roles.

The revenue model is purely donation-based with no products or services sold. Income is generated from individual contributions, corporate sponsorships (tiered Platinum/Gold/Presenting structures anchored by partners such as First Student, ICS, Education Minnesota-Osseo, and Maple Grove Lions), event proceeds, and institutional grants (including a 2024 grant from ECMC Foundation). The foundation has no proprietary technology stack, no AI/ML capability, and no geographic ambitions beyond its eight-municipality district boundary. Strong Start, a surfaced website section, suggests modest programmatic expansion beyond the core grants-and-events portfolio.

Name

District 279 Foundation

Legal name

District 279 Foundation

Website

https://district279foundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

District 279 Foundation is a Minnesota 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1991, that fundraises through donations, sponsorships, and signature events to fund grants and scholarships exclusively for scholars in Osseo Area Schools, the fifth-largest district in Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

Keywords

• Educational grants
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Scholarship programs
• Community foundations
• School district support

Headquarters

HQ city

Maple Grove

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. Donations and Contributions: Individual and business donations directed to support current needs in Osseo Area Schools. Donations fund the grants program which provides learning opportunities not currently funded through the district's budget.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

District 279 Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds through donations, sponsorships, and community events, then redistributes those funds as grants to support innovative projects and experiential learning opportunities for scholars in Osseo Area Schools. Its core deliverables include the Grants Program, three signature fundraising events (Reading is Fun 5K, A Night Out, Investment in Youth Celebration), partnership scholarships for post-secondary education, donation processing, and volunteer programs, all directed at scholars in the fifth-largest school district in Minnesota.

Product overview

District 279 Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that has been supporting scholars in Osseo Area Schools since 1991. The Foundation operates as a unified grant-making and fundraising organization that connects community donors with educational opportunities. Its core portfolio consists of a Grants Program that funds innovative projects and experiential learning not covered by the district budget, paired with signature fundraising events (Reading is Fun 5K, A Night Out, and Investment in Youth Celebration) that generate the resources needed for these grants. Additional offerings include partnership scholarships for post-secondary education and structured volunteer programs. The Foundation serves the fifth-largest school district in Minnesota, covering scholars in Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Corcoran, Dayton, Maple Grove, Osseo, Plymouth and Rogers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $140,000 raised through Reading is Fun 5K over 15 years to support media centers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First StudentcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 February 2026Presenting sponsor and awards sponsor for A Night Out 2026 and Investment in Youth events. Provides transportation services and supports foundation events.
• ICS (ICS Builds)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 February 2026Platinum sponsor and program sponsor for foundation events. Supports grant programs for students in Osseo Area Schools.
• Maple Grove LionscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 February 2026Gold sponsor and ice bar/sculpture donor. Longstanding community supporter of foundation initiatives.
• Northwest Area JayceesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity organization providing generous support to District 279 Foundation.
• CCX MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Investment in Youth celebration. Records and broadcasts the program.
• Leopold's Mississippi GardensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent venue host for A Night Out Winter Wonderland gala event.
• Education Minnesota-OsseocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum and dinner sponsor for foundation events. Union representing education professionals supporting the foundation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Minneapolis Foundation: Large regional community foundation in the same Twin Cities geography as District 279 Foundation; while not a single-district education foundation, it competes for the same local philanthropic and corporate donor dollars and funds education initiatives across the metro.
• Greater Twin Cities United Way: Major regional nonprofit in the same Twin Cities philanthropic ecosystem that funds education and youth programs, representing a broader incumbent that competes for community-wide charitable giving relevant to District 279 Foundation's donor pool.

Direct peers

• Wayzata Public Schools Foundation: Foundation supporting Wayzata Public Schools, which serves parts of Plymouth — a community also served by District 279 Foundation — making it a directly comparable district-affiliated educational foundation in the same region.
• Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation: Education foundation serving Anoka-Hennepin School District, the largest district in Minnesota and a direct geographic and operational peer to District 279 Foundation, with the same model of community-based fundraising and grants to a single public school district.
• Robbinsdale Area Schools Education Foundation: Education foundation for Robbinsdale Area Schools in the same Twin Cities northwest suburbs as Osseo Area Schools, operating a comparable model of grants, scholarships, and event-driven fundraising for a single school district.
• Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation: Foundation serving Saint Paul Public Schools, comparable in mission to District 279 Foundation as a community-funded grants and scholarships vehicle for a single Minnesota public school district.
• Foundation for Milwaukee Public Schools: National model of a public school district education foundation raising private funds for innovative projects and scholarships, structurally analogous to District 279 Foundation but operating at a larger urban scale.
• Education Foundation of Minneapolis Public Schools: Twin Cities education foundation supporting Minneapolis Public Schools with grants and scholarships for innovative projects outside the district budget, mirroring District 279 Foundation's mission and operating approach at a larger urban scale.
• Bloomington Public Schools Foundation: Minnesota-based school district education foundation operating a similar grants, scholarships, and community fundraising model for Bloomington Public Schools students, staff, and programs.

Others

• Education Minnesota Foundation: Statewide education-focused foundation affiliated with the teachers union that is also a current platinum and dinner sponsor of District 279 Foundation's events; thematically aligned as an ecosystem partner and potential collaborator rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/district279foundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/D279F
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/district-279-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/district279foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 District 279 Foundation