Philadelphia Education Fund

What Philadelphia Education Fund does

The Philadelphia Education Fund (PEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 and headquartered at 718 Arch Street, Suite 700N, Philadelphia, PA, that operates a portfolio of college access, career exploration, scholarship, and STEM education programs targeting Philadelphia students from middle school through college completion. Its core delivery model embeds full-time College Access Coordinators in six Philadelphia public high schools (Bartram, Olney, Roxborough, Furness, Frankford, and Kensington CAPA) through federal TRIO Talent Search grants, serving approximately 1,700-2,000 high school students annually, and supports 750+ teachers via professional development. The product portfolio includes the Philadelphia Scholars program (the largest non-university-based scholarship in Philadelphia, awarding $650,000 annually with average awards of $4,500 and $18M cumulative since 1990), Fostering College Readiness for foster youth, Spark for 7th-8th graders, the McKinney Center for STEM Education, and the PhillyGoes2College.org online portal serving 18,000 unique users annually.

More than 90% of students served are first-generation college goers, addressing Philadelphia's position as the nation's poorest big city ranking 92nd of 100 U.S. cities in college attainment. The technology base is modest: PhillyGoes2College.org (a content portal with college prep, financial aid, and GED resources), the Philadelphia STEM Education Directory (searchable map), and standard nonprofit communications—none involve proprietary AI/ML systems. The organization also manages three ecosystem-level initiatives: the Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem (250+ members), the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective (a 10-year, $10M GSK-funded collective impact initiative targeting Black, Latinx, and women Philadelphians in STEM by 2030), and the College Access and Success Ecosystem (CASE).

PEF's revenue model is grant-funded across four streams: federal/state grants (notably the $5M U.S. DOE TRIO Talent Search grant and Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office awards), corporate and foundation grants (GSK, Lincoln Financial, PECO, Lenfest, PwC, Hamilton Family Charitable Trust, C2L PHL), individual and corporate donations channeled through the annual Educate Philly Benefit Luncheon and 40th Anniversary Gala, and the Philadelphia Scholars scholarship fund. All student-facing services are free; scholarship awards range from $500 to $7,500 based on documented unmet financial need. Leadership is President and CEO Farah Jimenez, supported by a board drawing from major Philadelphia institutions including PJM Interconnection, University of Pennsylvania, Vanguard, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock, and Comcast.

Name

Philadelphia Education Fund

Legal name

The Philadelphia Education Fund

Website

https://philaedfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Philadelphia Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that embeds college access coordinators in six Philadelphia public high schools and operates the city's largest non-university-based scholarship program, serving 3,000+ students—predominantly first-generation college goers—through TRIO-funded advising, STEM education, foster youth support, and middle grades career exploration programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support Platforms (EDAFAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ), Field-of-Study & Discipline-Specific Funding (EDAIAOAD)

Keywords

• College access programs
• Scholarship administration
• STEM education services
• Educational consulting services
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Federal and State Grants: PEF receives significant funding through federal TRIO grants from the U.S. Department of Education ($5 million TRIO Talent Search grant), Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office grants, and other federal/state educational funding programs.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: PEF receives substantial support from corporations and foundations including GSK ($10 million over 10 years for Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective), Lincoln Financial ($765,000), PECO (STEM Teaching Fellows), Johnson Matthey, Hamilton Family Charitable Trust, C2L PHL, PwC, and the Brook J. Lenfest Foundation.
3. Individual and Corporate Donations: PEF raises funds through annual giving, major donor cultivation, the Educate Philly Benefit Luncheon, 40th Anniversary Gala, and general donations. The organization has corporate sponsors at Doctorate, Master's, Associate's, Bachelor's, and High School levels.
4. Philadelphia Scholars Scholarship Program: PEF administers the largest non-university based scholarship program in Philadelphia, awarding $650,000 annually through the Last Dollar Scholarship to eligible students with documented unmet financial need between $500 and $7,500. Total awards have exceeded $18 million since 1990.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Philadelphia Education Fund delivers free college access advising, scholarships, STEM education programs, and school consulting to Philadelphia students and schools. Its core offerings include the TRIO College Access Program embedded in six public high schools, the Philadelphia Scholars scholarship program, the Fostering College Readiness program for foster youth, the Spark middle grades career exposure initiative, the McKinney Center for STEM Education, and the PhillyGoes2College.org online portal serving students citywide.

Product overview

The Philadelphia Education Fund operates as a multi-program nonprofit education organization offering a portfolio of distinct products and services unified around college and career success for Philadelphia students. The core offerings include the College Access Program providing TRIO-style in-school advising at six high schools, the Philadelphia Scholars scholarship and persistence program, the Fostering College Readiness initiative for foster youth, and Spark Philadelphia for middle grades career exploration. PEF also delivers the online platform PhillyGoes2College for remote college access support. The STEM Education vertical centers on the McKinney Center for STEM Education, which provides curriculum development, professional development (including STEM Teaching Fellows Programs), and the Ignite STEM student program. Consulting services include the Insight/Postsecondary Success Program for school partnerships and STEM curriculum consulting. PEF convenes the education community through Education First Compact speaker series, the annual Educate Philly Benefit Luncheon, the College Access and Success Ecosystem (CASE) collective impact initiative, and the Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem network. All offerings connect students from middle school through college completion with the shared goal of economic mobility through education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PhillyGoes2College: Online college access platform providing college advising resources, financial aid information, and support for Philadelphia students
• McKinney Center for STEM Education
• Philadelphia Scholars
• Spark
• Fostering College Readiness
• CASE (College Access and Success Ecosystem)
• Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem

Products and services

• College Access Program (TRIO)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 90% of students served are first-generation college goers
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, major and core.

• Johnson Controls IncorporatedsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Johnson Controls partnered with PEF to create grade-specific clean energy lesson plans complementing JCI's school building modifications in Philadelphia public schools.
• PECOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPECO sponsors PEF's STEM Teaching Fellows Programs, intensive professional development series for classroom teachers and informal educators seeking to enrich students' STEM content knowledge, skillsets, and literacy.
• Johnson MattheysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohnson Matthey sponsors PEF's STEM Teaching Fellows Programs, supporting professional development for educators in STEM content and pedagogy.
• Philadelphia Energy AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEF partnered with Philadelphia Energy Authority on Bright Solar Futures, a solar energy CTE curriculum ensuring access to solar careers for young Philadelphians.
• Pennsylvania Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEF partners with PDE on the Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem (PSSE), a collection of Pennsylvania STEM Ecosystems facilitating cross-sector convenings, amplifying resources, drafting policy recommendations, and stewarding a community of practice.
• School District of PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEF maintains a long-standing partnership with SDP, embedding college access coordinators in six high schools, consulting on college-going cultures, and supporting FACT (Family Academy: Courses & Training) initiatives.
• University of PennsylvaniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEF Vice Chair Joann Mitchell serves as SVP at UPenn. PEF works with UPenn's Everyone Graduates Center and maintains connections for college access and research collaboration.
• Mastery Charter SchoolssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEF's Ignite STEM program serves students at participating Mastery Charter Schools alongside CAP schools, providing project-based learning and career pathway exploration.
• PennonimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPennoni received PEF's 2025 Corporate Partnership Award. Chuck Pennoni was a stalwart supporter who served on PEF's board for many years. Pennoni has had continuous board representation guiding scholarship growth and STEM education expansion.
• ComcastsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple Comcast representatives serve on PEF's Board (Phillip Gabler in Xfinity Solutions Architecture, Shawn Samuel in Solution Marketing), supporting PEF's technology and STEM initiatives.
• Morgan StanleysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRichard Corcoran, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, serves on PEF's Board. Morgan Stanley PWM is a gala sponsor supporting PEF's fundraising events.
• PJM Interconnection LLCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEF Board Chair Asim Haque serves as SVP of State Policy & Member Services at PJM Interconnection LLC.
• BlackRocksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBranden Sweetser, VP of US iShares Product Management at BlackRock, serves on PEF's Board.
• Evonik Industries AGsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTom Ball, Retired VP and General Manager at Evonik Industries AG, serves as PEF's Treasurer on the Board of Directors.
• Deloitte ConsultingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThomas Morrison, Retired Principal at Deloitte Consulting, serves on PEF's Board. Deloitte is also a gala sponsor.
• Vanguard GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Ginelli, Department Head of Control at Vanguard Group, serves on PEF's Board. The Ginelli family is also a gala sponsor.
• Ballard SpahrsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMark Blaskey, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, serves on PEF's Board. Ballard Spahr is a gala sponsor.
• Saint-Gobain North AmericasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa-Toya P. Hackney, SVP, General Counsel & Secretary at Saint-Gobain North America, serves on PEF's Board.
• MercksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlquon Hodges, Director of Project Management at Merck, serves on PEF's Board and is a gala sponsor.
• La Salle UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKimberly Taylor-Benns, Assistant Vice President and Dean for Enrollment Management at La Salle University, serves on PEF's Board.
• PwCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKimberly Tombasco, Experience Leader at PwC, serves on PEF's Board. PwC is also a gala sponsor and Ignite STEM funder.
• National Baseball Hall of Fame and MuseumsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMargaret 'Peggy' Steele, Founder of Steele Internship Program at National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, serves on PEF's Board.

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• College Possible: National nonprofit providing intensive college access coaching and persistence support to low-income and first-generation students using a near-peer AmeriCorps coaching model — directly comparable to PEF's College Access Program in mission, target population, and college access service model.
• Bottom Line: Nonprofit serving low-income and first-generation college students from high school through degree completion, with one-on-one advising and college success programming. Closely comparable to PEF's combination of college access advising plus Philadelphia Scholars persistence support.
• uAspire: National nonprofit focused on college affordability and financial aid advising for low-income students — directly analogous to PEF's PhillyGoes2College financial aid/FAFSA support platform and scholarship navigation work.
• College Track: National college access and success nonprofit with long-term student persistence programming beginning in 9th grade — directly comparable to PEF's four-year embedded advising plus Philadelphia Scholars persistence model.
• iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income students with college-educated mentors for college access support — comparable to PEF's relationship-driven advising model in Fostering College Readiness and embedded school coordinator work.
• Steppingstone Scholars: Philadelphia-based nonprofit preparing low-income, first-generation students for admission to and graduation from selective colleges — a direct regional peer with overlapping mission, geography, and target population.
• Philadelphia Futures: Philadelphia nonprofit providing college access programming, advising, and scholarship support to low-income high school students — direct regional peer to PEF's college access and scholarship work in the same metro.

Regional players

• Philadelphia Youth Network: Philadelphia-based intermediary organization coordinating youth workforce development, education, and opportunity programs across the city — comparable in regional ecosystem-building role to PEF's STEM Ecosystem and CASE backbone work.

Others

• National College Attainment Network (NCAN): National membership and advocacy organization supporting college access programs including TRIO programs — comparable as a peer network/convening body for PEF's college access and success mission.
• STEM Ecosystems (TIES): National network of STEM Ecosystems with a backbone model that mirrors PEF's role as convener of the Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem and Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/fosteringpef
• Xx.com/PhilaEdFund
• Facebookfacebook.com/PhiladelphiaEducationFund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Philadelphia Education Fund