Public School Forum of North Carolina

What Public School Forum of North Carolina does

The Public School Forum of North Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think-and-do tank founded in 1986 and headquartered in Raleigh, NC, that serves as the state's only nonpartisan cross-sector convener on K-12 public education policy. The organization brings together individuals and institutions from business, education, and government to study education issues, develop consensus, and shape policy. It operates three wholly-owned programmatic centers — the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity, the NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP), and the NC Center for Resilience & Learning — alongside flagship programs including the Education Policy Fellowship Program, the Rural Teacher Leader Network, NC Education Partners (a network of 40+ local education organizations), and the long-running Education Matters weekly television show (217+ episodes) airing on WRAL-TV, FOX 50, and UNC-TV's NC Channel.

Its core outputs are evidence-based research and convening assets rather than technology products: the annual Local School Finance Study (30+ years of county-level data), the Roadmap of Need whole-child assessment covering all 100 NC counties, the NC Education Policy Primer, and four recurring newsletters (The Friday Report, The Resilience Reader, The Afterschool Observer, The Equity Digest). The organization hosts signature events including the Eggs & Issues legislative breakfast and the Jay Robinson Education Leadership Award & Gala. It does not develop proprietary technology, APIs, or software products.

The revenue model is entirely donation-based: individual giving (including the 40 for 40 anniversary campaign), foundation and corporate grants from a concentrated set of NC-based funders (Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Duke Endowment, Oak Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, Dogwood Health Trust, Leon Levine Foundation, Anonymous Trust), state employee workplace giving via SECC, and corporate event sponsorships. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors chaired by Dr. Bill Harrison and led as of July 2026 by President & CEO Dr. Anthony Jackson, Ed.D. Approximately 50 staff operate across centers, programs, research, communications, and operations.

Name

Public School Forum of North Carolina

Legal name

Public School Forum of North Carolina

Website

https://ncforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Public School Forum of North Carolina is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think-and-do tank, founded in 1986 in Raleigh, that convenes business, education, and government leaders to conduct nonpartisan K-12 education policy research, advocacy, and professional development serving North Carolina's 1.4 million public school students across 115 districts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Advocacy

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education (EDADALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI), Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Education policy advocacy
• Nonprofit think tank
• Education research services
• Teacher professional development
• Afterschool program support

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations through annual and monthly giving campaigns including the 40 for 40 campaign celebrating 40 years of impact. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN #581654064) and accepts donations via its website, phone, and through workplace giving programs.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Major funding from foundation and corporate supporters including Anonymous Trust, Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, Dogwood Health Trust, Duke Endowment, Leon Levine Foundation, Oak Foundation, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, and others. The State Employees Combined Campaign (SECC) provides workplace giving access for state employees and retirees.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate and foundation sponsorships for major events including Eggs & Issues breakfast, Jay Robinson Gala, and Education Matters show. Sponsors receive recognition and various package benefits including commercial spots and segment sponsorships on the television program.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Public School Forum of North Carolina is a nonpartisan nonprofit think-and-do tank that produces evidence-based education policy research, convenes stakeholders, and runs professional development programs. It operates three centers (Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity, NC Center for Afterschool Programs, and NC Center for Resilience & Learning) and delivers programs such as the Education Policy Fellowship, Rural Teacher Leader Network, and the weekly Education Matters television show. Its core deliverables are research publications, fellowship and leadership programs, advocacy resources, and convening events for North Carolina's public school community.

Product overview

The Public School Forum of North Carolina is a nonpartisan think-and-do tank that operates as a unified organization with three dedicated Centers: the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity, the NC Center for Afterschool Programs, and the NC Center for Resilience & Learning. The Forum offers a portfolio of programs including the Education Policy Fellowship, Rural Teacher Leader Network, NC Education Partners, and Education Matters (a weekly television show). It publishes research resources including the Local School Finance Study, Roadmap of Need, and Top Education Issues reports. The organization distributes four newsletters (The Friday Report, The Afterschool Observer, The Resilience Reader, and The Equity Digest) and hosts signature events including Eggs & Issues and the Jay Robinson Education Leadership Award Gala. The organization does not operate as a technology company with products; rather, it provides advocacy, research, convening, and professional development services focused on strengthening North Carolina's public schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity & Opportunity

Quantifiable outcome

• Convened over 400 educators, policymakers, and business leaders at Eggs & Issues 2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core network, program partner, supporting partner and media partner.

• NC Education Partners Networkcore networkStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of over 40 local education organizations across North Carolina including Alamance Citizens for Education, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Foundation, Wake Education Partnership, and others. Forum serves as convener and facilitator, providing state-level expertise while partners work locally.
• Leading EDge Learningprogram partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partner for the Rural Teacher Leader Network, providing programmatic leadership in partnership with the Dudley Flood Center to develop sustainable network of rural educators.
• Southeast Education Alliance (RESA)supporting partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides additional outreach and convening support for the Rural Teacher Leader Network, including districts represented by rural educators in the program.
• WRAL-TVmedia partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadcast partner for Education Matters television show, airing weekly programming on WRAL-TV (Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville) approximately 40 times per year.
• UNC-TV / North Carolina Channelmedia partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide broadcast partner for Education Matters, airing on UNC-TV's North Carolina Channel for statewide reach across North Carolina.
• FOX 50media partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadcast partner for Education Matters television show airing in Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): National nonpartisan association of public officials who lead state education departments. Broad incumbent because it convenes state-level education policymakers at much greater scale, addressing similar policy issues (funding, equity, standards) that the Forum engages on in NC specifically.
• Bellwether Education Partners: Large national nonprofit that provides research, consulting, and policy analysis across the full P-20 education spectrum. Broad incumbent because it operates at much greater scale across many states and issue areas than the Forum's NC-only scope, but shares the think-and-do tank model.
• National School Boards Association: National federation of state associations of school board members representing K-12 governance. Broad incumbent because it engages at a much larger scale across all 50 states on public school governance and funding — the same broad policy domain the Forum targets in NC.
• AASA (The School Superintendents Association): National professional association for school superintendents and district leaders across the U.S. Broad incumbent because it represents the same district-level K-12 leadership segment the Forum engages with through its Education Policy Fellowship and superintendent networks.

Direct peers

• The Education Trust: National nonprofit that advocates for high academic achievement for students of color and low-income students through policy research, advocacy, and convening. Direct peer because it operates a similar think-and-do tank model centered on equity-focused education policy research and state-level advocacy.
• Teach Plus: National nonprofit that develops teacher leaders to drive policy changes that improve educational equity and opportunity. Direct peer because it runs fellowships and leadership programs for educators engaged in policy advocacy — comparable to the Forum's Education Policy Fellowship Program.
• Hunt Institute: North Carolina-based, nonpartisan education policy institute affiliated with former Governor Jim Hunt. Direct peer because it focuses on state-level education policy leadership development and convening policymakers on K-12 issues in NC and beyond.
• Public Agenda: Nonpartisan research and public engagement organization that helps communities deliberate on education and other public issues. Direct peer because it shares the Forum's nonpartisan identity and focus on connecting citizens and policymakers around education policy.
• 50CAN: National nonprofit that builds local education advocacy campaigns in multiple states to support policies expanding high-quality school options. Direct peer because it pursues state-level education policy advocacy through a network of local campaigns — a structurally similar model to the Forum's NC Education Partners.
• EdNC: North Carolina-focused nonprofit education news and policy organization that covers K-12 public schools, policy debates, and educator voice. Direct peer because both organizations operate as independent NC-focused education policy/advocacy nonprofits covering the same state-level policy agenda.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thencforum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwVOBRSeiyIGeOkxEpcUwDg/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/Public-School-Forum-of-North-Carolina-170419382972678
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/public-school-forum-of-nc
• Instagraminstagram.com/thencforum/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Public School Forum of North Carolina