Hillsborough Schools Foundation

What Hillsborough Schools Foundation does

Hillsborough Schools Foundation (HSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation founded in 1980 in Hillsborough, California, dedicated to raising private funds to supplement public education funding for the Hillsborough City School District (HCSD). The organization was established in direct response to the 1978 passage of Proposition 13, which redirected property tax revenue away from community-funded school districts. HSF is positioning as one of the first public school foundations in the nation and has cumulatively raised over $87 million since founding, with a current annual contribution of $4 million to the district's general budget. The foundation supports four public schools (North, South, West, and Crocker middle school) serving approximately 2,900 students, funding programs equivalent to 17 full-time teachers including iLabs, Makerspaces, literacy programs with dedicated librarians, music programs, hands-on STEM, and teacher professional development.

The foundation operates a diversified fundraising model with no proprietary technology and no AI capabilities. Revenue streams include an Annual Giving Fund with tiered individual donation levels (Supporters up to $2,499 through Visionaries at $50,000+), a Corporate Sponsorship Program with six tiers ranging from Bronze ($2,500) to Diamond ($30,000+), parent-led Give-to-Play events where 100% of ticket sales pass through to the Annual Giving Fund, signature community events (Fun Run in May, Dinner Dance & Live Auction in March, Hillsborough Classic in October), the Fund-a-Need targeted-enhancement program, and the Legacy Society for estate planned gifts. The organization runs with just 3 paid staff members (Executive Director Alicia Isero, Giving Manager Kirsten Patel, Events Manager Hina Maheshwari) and 200+ volunteers, and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with a Board of Trustees representative from the district participating in monthly meetings.

HSF's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging parent networks, alumni engagement through the PATHS program, and a tiered corporate sponsorship program that in 2025-2026 includes CAKE.com (Diamond), Franklin Templeton Investments/Fiduciary Trust International (Platinum), and Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance (Emerald). Donation channels span PayPal, credit card, check, Donor-Advised Funds, electronic fund transfer, stock transfers, and estate planned gifts. The foundation is structurally a single-district nonprofit with limited geographic or vertical expansion potential, but it benefits from a 45+ year track record, deep community relationships, and a formalized operating relationship with HCSD that gives it durable standing as the primary private fundraising arm for the district.

Name

Hillsborough Schools Foundation

Legal name

Hillsborough Schools Foundation

Website

https://hsf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hillsborough Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 that raises private funds — currently $4 million annually — to supplement public funding for the four-school Hillsborough City School District serving approximately 2,900 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public School Education Fundraising

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Public school foundation
• Education fundraising
• Annual giving campaign
• Corporate sponsorship programs
• Community fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

San Mateo

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: Annual giving campaign with donation levels ranging from Supporters ($1-$2,499) to Visionaries ($50,000+). Includes Leadership Circle ($15,000+) and Scholars' Circle ($10,000+) giving circles. Accepts donations via PayPal, credit card, check, DAF, EFT/ACH, stock transfers, and estate planned gifts.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors at multiple tiers: Diamond ($30,000+), Platinum ($15,000+), Emerald ($10,000+), Gold ($7,500), Silver ($5,000), Bronze ($2,500). Includes event sponsorships and in-kind donations.
3. Give-to-Play Events: Parent-led fundraising events where hosts cover all event costs, and 100% of ticket sales go to the Annual Giving Fund. Events include Southside Speakeasy, Crocker Father Son Casino, Bloom & Bond, Carats & Cavier, Mother Son Dance, Heroes Dance, and more.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hillsborough Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises private funds from individual donors, families, alumni parents, and corporate sponsors to bridge the gap between Proposition 13-constrained public funding and the actual cost of education in the Hillsborough City School District. It operates an Annual Giving Fund, Fund-a-Need targeted enhancements, a tiered Corporate Sponsorship Program, parent-led Give-to-Play events, signature community fundraisers (Family Fun Run, Dinner Dance & Live Auction, Hillsborough Classic), a Scholars' Circle recognition society, and a Legacy Society for estate planned gifts.

Product overview

Hillsborough Schools Foundation operates as a nonprofit public school foundation offering a portfolio of fundraising programs and community events to bridge the funding gap for Hillsborough City School District. The core offering is the Annual Giving Fund, supplemented by Fund-a-Need for specific enhancements and Give-to-Play parent-led events. Signature fundraising events include the Hillsborough Classic (racquet games/golf), Dinner Dance & Live Auction, and Family Fun Run. The organization also manages a Corporate Sponsorship Program with tiered giving levels and a Legacy Society for estate planned gifts. Together these programs raised over $87 million for schools since 1980, with annual contributions exceeding $4 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Giving Fund Primary fundraising campaign where donations go directly to HCSD's general budget for four public schools, funding iLabs, literacy programs with dedicated librarians, music, teacher professional development, and other educational programs. Donations accepted at tiered levels from Supporters (up to $2,499) through Visionaries ($50,000+).
• Fund-a-Need (FAN) Targeted giving program supporting specific educational enhancements determined jointly by the district and HSF, such as hands-on STEM assemblies, science equipment, microscopes, Bunsen burners, and virtual reality technology for science education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% increase in test scores leads to 2.5% increase in home values
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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 and minor.

• CAKE.comcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Diamond-level corporate sponsor ($30,000+) for 2025-2026. Major community partner providing significant financial support to HSF's annual fundraising goals.
• Franklin Templeton Investments/Fiduciary Trust InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Platinum-level corporate sponsor ($15,000+) for 2025-2026. Financial services firm providing major event sponsorship.
• Hillsborough Concours d'ElegancecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Emerald-level sponsor ($10,000+) and associated event (June 28, 2026). Annual luxury car event that partners with HSF for community benefit.
• Orthodontics of San MateominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Silver-level corporate sponsor ($5,000) for 2025-2026.
• Peninsula Dermatology Medical Group, IncminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Silver-level corporate sponsor ($5,000) for 2025-2026.
• Yung Chen, MD: San Mateo Spine & Sports | DrMedSpaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Gold-level corporate sponsor ($7,500) for 2025-2026.
• The Laugesen TeamminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Emerald-level sponsor ($10,000+). Real estate team providing financial sponsorship.
• The Sharp GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Emerald-level sponsor ($10,000+). Real estate group providing financial sponsorship.
• Mollie Stone's MarketsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Bronze-level sponsor. Local grocery chain supporting HSF events.
• Hillsborough City School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary beneficiary partner. HSF works directly with the district to identify funding priorities including iLabs, literacy programs, music, STEM, and teacher professional development. The district's Board of Trustees representative participates in monthly HSF meetings.
• Battle OsteosarcomaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization formed to honor Charlotte Murdoff, Dylan Toma, and Tyler Yamagishi (Hillsborough students who passed from osteosarcoma) and raise funds for research. Honored at HSF Fun Run event.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• DonorsChoose: Adjacent nonprofit enabling individual donations to fund K-12 public school classroom projects nationwide. While operating at a different scale and tech-enabled model, it competes for the same donor dollars supporting public school enrichment that HSF channels through Hillsborough.

Regional players

• San Francisco Education Fund: Regional peer — Bay Area public school foundation serving San Francisco Unified School District. Larger geographic scope and student population than HSF, but operates the same private-funding-for-public-schools model.

Direct peers

• Redwood City Education Foundation (RCEF): Direct peer — public school foundation raising private funds for the Redwood City School District. Operates an analogous K-12 educational enrichment funding model through community donations, events, and corporate sponsorships.
• San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF): Direct peer — public school foundation raising annual funds for the San Carlos School District on the peninsula. Operates the same Prop 13-era model of bridging state funding shortfalls for K-12 programs.
• Palo Alto Partners in Education (PAPE): Direct peer — another Bay Area public school foundation raising private funds for the Palo Alto Unified School District. Operates on the same community-funded model for affluent district K-12 schools, with similar annual giving campaigns and corporate sponsorship programs.
• Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF): Direct peer foundation funding K-12 programs for the Los Altos School District on California's peninsula. Closely comparable geography, donor demographics, and Prop 13-era community-funded model to HSF.
• Burlingame Community Education Foundation (BCEF): Direct peer — peninsula-based public school foundation serving the Burlingame School District with comparable parent-volunteer fundraising model, annual giving campaign, and Prop 13-driven funding gap rationale.
• Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation (MPAEF): Direct peer — adjacent peninsula public school foundation serving the Las Lomitas and Menlo Park City school districts. Same Prop 13-driven funding gap rationale, same donor profile, same parent-led event model.
• Las Lomitas Education Foundation (LLEF): Direct peer — small peninsula foundation for the Las Lomitas Elementary School District. Nearly identical mission to HSF (bridge public-funding gap for an affluent K-8 district) with similar parent-volunteer fundraising structure.

Broad incumbents

• PTAs and Booster Clubs (national network): Broader incumbent — national PTA network is the long-established, scaled analogue to local K-12 school foundations like HSF, raising parent contributions to fund school programming across the U.S.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hillsborough-schools-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Hillsborough Schools Foundation