Nativity Prep Academy

What Nativity Prep Academy does

Nativity Prep Academy is a San Diego-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) Catholic educational organization founded in 1999 and opened in 2001. It operates a tuition-free, all-scholarship middle school serving grades 6–8, with an extended 11-plus-year longitudinal commitment that follows students through high school and into and through college. In academic year 2025/2026 the program serves 296 students across program stages — 71 in middle school, 90 in high school, 130 as undergraduates, and 5 in graduate programs — supported by approximately $1.5 million in annual scholarships and an 8:1 student-teacher ratio. The organization reports a 100% high school graduation rate over the past six years and states that its students graduate college at five times the rate of comparable peers.

The institution is a member of the NativityMiguel Coalition, a network of 49 schools sharing a similar mission, and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), most recently completing its third accreditation cycle in 2021. The school is affiliated with the Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange's Educational Network (joined 2019) and operates under a 50-year lease with Holy Spirit Church signed in 2010, later purchasing its campus at 4463 College Ave in 2020.

As a 100% donor-funded organization, Nativity Prep Academy's revenue model relies entirely on philanthropic contributions across multiple channels: individual donations, event sponsorships, student sponsorships, planned giving, stock and bond donations, vehicle donations, and IRA distributions. There is no tuition revenue, no fee-for-service component, and no commercial product line; the entire operating budget is sourced from charitable giving directed toward scholarships, instruction, and program operations for students drawn from under-resourced communities in Southeast San Diego.

Name

Nativity Prep Academy

Legal name

Nativity Prep Academy

Website

https://nativityprep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nativity Prep Academy is a San Diego nonprofit Catholic school providing tuition-free middle school education and longitudinal college support to 296 students from under-resourced communities, funded entirely through donor contributions and scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Catholic middle school
• College preparatory education
• Tuition-free schooling
• Graduate support services
• Student mentoring programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Benefactor Contributions: The school relies on generous contributions from individual benefactors and donors to support 100% of annual operating costs. Donors can give one-time or recurring gifts online, by mail, or through Venmo.
2. Event Sponsorships and Corporate Partnerships: The school hosts annual events including a gala and golf tournament where businesses can sponsor and align as strategic partners, providing sponsorship revenue.
3. Student Sponsorship Programs: Donors can sponsor individual students at various levels: $16,500 for middle school (full year), $8,000 for high school scholarships annually, and $2,500 for college student support including textbook scholarships and emergency funds.
4. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: The school accepts planned and structured gifts through vehicles including wills, IRAs, charitable remainder trusts, life insurance, real estate, and revocable trusts. The North Star Giving Society recognizes donors who include Nativity Prep in estate plans.
5. Stock and Bond Donations: Donors can give appreciated securities directly from brokerage accounts, potentially providing tax advantages for gifts of $2,500 or more.
6. Vehicle Donations: Partnership with Charitable Adults Rides & Services (CARS) allows donors to contribute vehicles.
7. IRA Charitable Distributions: Donors aged 70½ or older can donate up to $100,000 directly from IRAs, skipping income tax through Qualified Charitable Distributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nativity Prep Academy is a nonprofit Catholic middle school (grades 6-8) that delivers tuition-free, college-preparatory education to first-generation college students from historically under-resourced families in Southeast San Diego. The school pairs a rigorous private-school academic program with an 11+ year Graduate Support Program that continues to assist students through high school placement and college graduation. All operations and $1.5M in annual scholarships are funded entirely through private donations, sponsorships, planned gifts, and event fundraising.

Product overview

Nativity Prep Academy offers a unified educational program focused on providing comprehensive, 11-year support to first-generation college students from under-resourced communities. The core offering is the middle school education program (grades 6-8) which serves as the foundation, supported by the Graduate Support Program (GSP) that extends through high school and college graduation. The A.M.I.G.O.S. Mentoring Program provides adult mentorship, while Student and Family Services and Faith Formation provide holistic support. All programs work together within a college-preparatory, Catholic educational framework to achieve the organization's mission of breaking generational poverty through education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Graduate Support Program (GSP): A comprehensive program supporting students from sixth grade through college graduation, covering topics such as careers, college preparation, and growth mindset.
• A.M.I.G.O.S. Mentoring Program

Products and services

• Middle School Education Private, Catholic middle school serving grades 6-8 with a comprehensive, college-preparatory curriculum offered at no cost to qualifying families from under-resourced communities.
• Graduate Support Program (GSP) An 11+ year commitment program providing ongoing educational assistance, college preparation workshops, career guidance, and family support services to students from sixth grade through college graduation.
• A.M.I.G.O.S. Mentoring Program Adult Mentors Inspiring Growth in Our Students - provides 6th-8th grade students with positive adult role models who build trusting relationships while encouraging continued education.
• Student and Family Services Comprehensive services supporting students and their families throughout the educational journey, including the Family Association Network, parent workshops, and ongoing family support services.
• Faith Formation Catholic identity and faith-based education program rooted in Jesuit tradition and the charisms of the Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% high school on-time graduation rate over the past six years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange Educational NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Joined in 2019, this partnership enhanced Nativity Prep's Catholic Identity by incorporating the charisms of the Sisters of St. Joseph alongside the Jesuit traditions already in place.
• NativityMiguel CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 49 Nativity-model schools across 16 U.S. states, District of Columbia, and two Canadian Provinces. All member schools share mission, governance structure, core beliefs, and outcomes. Coalition provides mission standards, membership identity framework, and shared best practices for serving historically under-resourced communities with college-prep, tuition-free education.
• Holy Spirit ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoly Spirit Church provided a 50-year lease, enabling Nativity Prep to establish its campus at 2755 55th Street in 2010 before moving to its current owned facility in 2020.
• GuideStar (Candid)minorOthersNonprofit profile and rating platform that provides organizational transparency verification and visibility to donors.
• Charitable Adults Rides & Services (CARS)minorOthersVehicle donation partner that handles vehicle pickup and transfer for donors wishing to contribute vehicles to Nativity Prep.
• Academy of Our Lady of Peace (OLP)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate Catholic high school where Nativity Prep graduates receive 4-year scholarships with ongoing Graduate Support Program weekly classes and workshops. Multiple Nativity Prep alumni attended OLP with full scholarships.
• The Bishop's SchoolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate college-prep high school where Nativity Prep graduates receive scholarships and continued GSP support. Samuel Gonzalez attended with bus transportation from Old Town La Jolla.
• University of San Diego - Torero Promise ProgramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership creating direct pathway for Nativity Prep alumni (from San Diego diocesan high schools) to attend USD with abundant financial support. Five Nativity Prep Class of 2015 alumni were in inaugural cohort.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Prep for Prep: NYC-based nonprofit that identifies talented students of color and prepares them for placement at independent schools with ongoing support through college. Comparable in mission of serving underserved students through private-school pathways and long-term college support.
• Achievement First: Network of 40+ public charter schools across Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island serving primarily Black and Latinx students with a college-prep mission. Comparable in mission and extended-day model, though not faith-based.
• Uncommon Schools: Network of 50+ public charter schools in the Northeast serving low-income students with a college-prep mission and extended school day. Comparable in mission intensity and longer-term college outcomes tracking, though not faith-based.
• Cristo Rey Network: Network of 38+ Catholic, college-prep high schools serving low-income students with a corporate work-study model. Comparable in mission (Catholic, underserved, college-prep), though Cristo Rey schools emphasize high school and work-study while Nativity Prep has a longer 11+ year commitment.
• SEED Schools: National network of college-prep boarding schools serving underserved students with 24-hour learning environments. Comparable in mission and extended support model, though SEED uses a boarding/residential model rather than a day school.
• NativityMiguel Coalition Schools: Coalition of 49 Nativity-model schools across 16 states, DC, and two Canadian provinces operating under shared mission, governance, and college-prep tuition-free models. Nativity Prep Academy is a member, making these the most directly comparable peers across the network.
• A Better Chance: National nonprofit that places high-achieving students of color into independent and boarding schools with college prep support. Comparable in mission and college-prep preparation model, though A Better Chance focuses on placement rather than operating a school.
• KIPP Public Schools: National network of 200+ public charter schools serving primarily underserved communities with a college-prep mission. Comparable in mission and outcomes focus, though KIPP is charter-based and much larger in scale than Nativity Prep's single private campus.

Regional players

• Catholic Schools of the Diocese of San Diego: Regional Catholic K-12 schools serving San Diego. Nativity Prep operates in the same regional market and shares the Catholic identity framework, though diocesan schools are typically lower-cost tuition schools rather than fully scholarship-funded.

Broad incumbents

• Jesuit High Schools (USA): Network of 80+ Jesuit secondary schools nationally sharing Ignatian pedagogy and Catholic identity. Nativity Prep draws on Jesuit tradition and has partnered with the Sisters of St. Joseph, making Jesuit schools a comparable faith-based, college-prep peer set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nativityprepSanDiego
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/nativityprepsandiego
• Instagraminstagram.com/nativityprep
• Xx.com/nativityprep

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Nativity Prep Academy