Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation

What Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation does

Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation (CUSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education foundation established in 1988 that serves the students, teachers, and families of Champaign Unit 4 School District and Urbana School District 116 in Illinois. Its mission is to mobilize community financial support to enhance public education by providing classroom grants to teachers, scholarships to students, and recognition awards throughout the school year.

CUSF's core products are competitive teacher grants, student scholarships, and discretionary awards funded through community donations. Notable programmatic channels include the 365 Club ($365/year recurring giving), annual fundraising events, and a vehicle donation program. The foundation has distributed approximately $402,698 in cumulative scholarships since 2001 and has issued teacher grants ranging from $60,000 to $110,000+ in recent years, reaching 182 teachers in 2021-22 alone. New initiatives include the On-Call Teacher Allies program for year-round educator engagement.

The business model is donation-driven: CUSF raises funds from individual donors, local businesses, and community members through recurring commitments, one-time gifts, and event-based fundraising, then redistributes approximately the majority of proceeds back into the two partner districts. It operates with 1-10 employees under the leadership of Executive Director Michelle Gonzales, who was appointed in July 2024. The organization is geographically constrained to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and has no disclosed technology platform or digital infrastructure beyond a standard organizational website.

Name

Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation

Legal name

Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation

Website

https://cuschoolsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 that mobilizes community donations to fund teacher grants, student scholarships, and recognition awards for Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana School District 116.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Foundation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Education foundation grants
• Teacher recognition awards
• Student scholarship programs
• School community fundraising
• Nonprofit education support

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: CUSF raises funds through individual donations, corporate partnerships, and annual fundraising events to provide grants to teachers, scholarships to students, and support for school programs.
2. 365 Club Membership: The 365 Club is a recurring donor program where members pledge $1 per day ($365 annually) to support culturally responsive educational opportunities and experiences for educators and students.
3. Event-based Fundraising: Revenue generated through ticket sales and sponsorships for events including Distinguished Alumni Reception, Spring Fling, and Busey Youth Run.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation that raises charitable funds from individuals, local businesses, and community partners and redistributes them as competitive classroom grants to teachers, scholarships to students, and recognition awards to outstanding teachers and support staff in Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana School District 116 public schools. Core programmatic offerings include the teacher grants program, Shining Star and Super Star staff recognition awards, the Mann-Hankel and Gene Amberg teaching excellence awards, student scholarships, the recurring 365 Club donor program, the Connections Fund for homeless students, and the Adopt-A-School corporate partnership program.

Product overview

Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation (CUSF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as an independent educational foundation enhancing the quality of education in Champaign-Urbana through community support of public schools. The organization operates as a unified grant-making and recognition foundation rather than a software platform. Its core offerings include competitive grants for teachers (IDEA grants, cultural programs), teacher and staff recognition awards (Shining Star, Super Star, Mann-Hankel Teaching Excellence, Gene Amberg Excellence in Teaching), student scholarships, distinguished alumni recognition, and community engagement programs (365 Club daily giving, Connections Fund for homeless students, Adopt-A-School, On-Call Teacher Allies). CUSF also organizes signature events including the Busey Youth Run and Spring Fling teacher appreciation celebration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grants for Teachers Competitive grant program providing funding to teachers in Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana School District 116 to support innovative classroom projects and educational initiatives. Grants are distributed through a formal application process with twice-yearly checks (October) presented directly to schools.
• Shining Star Awards Peer-nominated teacher recognition award honoring teachers in Unit 4 and District 116 who demonstrate exemplary service, extra effort, enthusiastic attitude, and innovative ideas that benefit students. Each recipient receives a $250 cash award plus a $250 classroom grant.
• Super Star Awards Recognition award for Unit 4 and District 116 support staff and paraprofessionals who help schools run effectively, including teaching aides, office managers, food service assistants, nurses, bus drivers, and custodial workers. Each recipient receives a $250 thank you award.
• Mann-Hankel Teaching Excellence Award Annual $1,500 award for a Unit 4 tenured teacher with at least 10 years of teaching experience and 5 years at Unit 4, established by Barbara Mann and Steven Hankel. Recognizes distinguished teaching excellence in the district.
• Gene Amberg Excellence in Teaching Endowed Chair Award Annual award recognizing excellence in teaching for a District 116 (Urbana School District) teacher.
• Student Scholarships Scholarship program providing financial assistance to students in Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana District 116, supporting their pursuit of higher education.
• Promising Educator Scholarship Scholarship recognizing students committed to pursuing a career in education, supporting the future educator pipeline.
• Distinguished Alumni Awards Recognition program honoring graduates of Unit 4 and District 116 schools whose achievements, character, and citizenship serve as role models for today's youth. Held as an annual reception event.
• 365 Club Recurring-donor program where members pledge $1 per day ($365 annually, or higher amounts) to support culturally responsive educational opportunities and experiences that inspire educators and motivate students for success. Includes the 365 Club Breakfast and 365 Club Virtual Coffee.
• Connections Fund Program addressing youth homelessness by providing basic clothing, school referrals, and connections to sustainable housing for students in need, in partnership with United Way, the Regional Office of Education, Hickory Point Bank & Trust, and the Kiwanis Club of Champaign-Urbana.
• Adopt-A-School Program Program connecting community and corporate partners with specific schools to provide targeted support, resources, and funding to address school-specific needs.
• On-Call Teacher Allies Program allowing donors to meet specific classroom needs identified by teachers, providing targeted, needs-based giving to individual classrooms.
• Busey Youth Run Annual youth running event promoting health, fitness, and community engagement among local students, serving as a fundraising event for CUSF.
• Spring Fling Annual teacher appreciation social event celebrating educators from Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana District 116, serving as a community engagement and fundraising event.
• Annual Kick-Off Breakfast (365 Club Breakfast) Annual fundraising breakfast event for 365 Club members and other CUSF supporters, used to kick off the giving year and engage recurring donors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $83,000 in grants distributed to teachers in 2024-25 school year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUSF partners with United Way on the Connections Fund, which provides basic clothing for homeless students in need with referrals from school districts and helps families make connections to sustainable housing situations.
• Regional Office of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong partnership supporting the Connections Fund for homeless youth. Regional Superintendent Gary Lewis noted the partnership provides clothing and housing connections for students in need.
• Housing Authority of Champaign CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Lily L. Walton supports CUSF as a deeply invested community partner focused on helping children affected by the pandemic close educational gaps.
• Parkland CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident Pam Lau serves on the CUSF Board. Parkland College's mission to engage the community in learning dovetails with CUSF's work supporting area schools.
• University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships: Assistant Chancellor James 'Rod' Wyatt leads PreK-12 Initiatives; Domonic Cobb serves as AVC for Student Success; Michelle Gonzales previously worked in Chancellor's Office. The university supports school programs and student mentoring.
• GRIT AutomationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business co-founded by Marco Nieto (Central High School Class of 1989) that donated and installed a $41,000 workshop safety and automation system for Central's wood and automotive shops.
• I Hotel and Illinois Conference CenterminorOthersHost venue for the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Honoree Reception on April 10, 2026.
• Champaign County Community CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCountywide network of 100+ stakeholders working for safer, healthier neighborhoods. Leader Tracy Parsons honored as Local Hero for youth programs across Unit 4 and District 116 schools.
• Champaign Unit 4 SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary beneficiary district. Superintendent Dr. Sheila Boozer serves on CUSF Board. CUSF supports all Unit 4 schools with grants, awards, and programs.
• Urbana School District 116coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary beneficiary district. Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Ivory-Tatum serves on CUSF Board. CUSF supports all District 116 schools with grants, awards, and programs.
• Urbana Park DistrictsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner through Anita Purves Nature Center for hands-on science learning experiences. CUSF IDEA grant allowed Ms. Cooper-Peyton's first-grade class to have live animal demonstrations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DonorsChoose: National online crowdfunding platform enabling teachers to fund classroom projects — addresses the same 'teacher grants for innovative projects' use case as CUSF but at a vastly larger scale and through digital channels.
• National Education Foundation: National nonprofit supporting education through scholarships and workforce development — provides broader education philanthropy context comparable to CUSF's scholarship and grantmaking programs.

Emerging players

• AdoptAClassroom.org: National nonprofit that connects donors directly to teachers and classrooms for funding — operates the Adopt-A-Teacher model similar to CUSF's Adopt-A-School program, but serves classrooms nationwide rather than a single community.

Direct peers

• Springfield Education Foundation: Independent K-12 education foundation serving Springfield public schools through teacher grants, scholarships, and recognition awards — directly comparable nonprofit model to CUSF operating in a similar Illinois Midwestern city.
• Rockford Public Schools Foundation: Education nonprofit that funds innovative teacher projects, student scholarships, and school programs for Rockford Public Schools — comparable scale and structure to CUSF as a community-anchored district foundation.
• Peoria Public Schools Foundation: Local education foundation supporting Peoria public schools through grants, scholarships, and community fundraising events — directly comparable mission and operating model in an Illinois community.
• Decatur Public Schools Foundation: Community-led nonprofit foundation supporting Decatur public schools through classroom grants, scholarships, and teacher recognition — closely mirrors CUSF's grantmaking and award structure for a local school district.
• Indianapolis Public Schools Education Foundation: 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing teacher grants, student scholarships, and school program support to Indianapolis Public Schools — directly comparable K-12 community education foundation model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@champaignurbanaschoolsfoun965
• Facebookfacebook.com/4CUSF
• Instagraminstagram.com/cuschoolsfoundation
• Xx.com/CUSF_NOW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/champaign-urbana-schools-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Champaign Urbana Schools Foundation