What Clark-Pleasant Education Foundation does

Clark-Pleasant Education Foundation (CPEF) is a private nonprofit organization incorporated in 2012 and headquartered in Whiteland, Indiana, that exists solely to raise and distribute funds that enhance educational opportunities within Clark-Pleasant Community School Corp. The foundation operates two core program lines: Pathways to the Future Scholarships (including named scholarships such as the Doub Family, Jerry Lasiter, McElwain, and Haveman Family Agricultural awards) providing renewable $1,000 scholarships to Whiteland Community High School seniors, and Classroom Grants (Fall Grants, Spring Fine Arts Grants, Legacy Awards) funding teacher-initiated projects that cannot be supported by local, state, or federal money. The organization also produces fundraising events including the Blue Jeans Ball, Harlem Wizards Basketball Game, Kids Prom, Fit at the Farm, and a Pickle Ball Tournament.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit mix: individual donations (including an employee payroll deduction program that enrolled 67 new district employees), tiered corporate sponsorships ranging from $250 (Warrior Way) to $10,000 (Platinum), private foundation grants (notably from the Elba L. and Gene Portteus Branigin Foundation, Johnson County Community Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation, CenterPoint Energy Foundation, Forum Credit Union, and Dollar General Foundation), retail affiliate programs (Kroger Community Rewards, Walmart round-up), and an endowment fund invested with Koon Financial Planning & Consulting that surpassed $290,000 by October 2025 with a $500,000 target by June 2027. Distribution is executed through direct grant cycles, an annual Fall Grant Tour that visits schools in person alongside district leadership, and scholarship ceremonies.

Since incorporation, CPEF has distributed more than $536,000 in grants and scholarships. The organization is governed by a volunteer board led by President Michael Benefield, Vice President Wendy Preilis, Treasurer Tracy McCarty, and Secretary Tanya Pugh, with Executive Director Jenny Zahm (7-year tenure) overseeing a small operational team of 3-5 including interns. A $200,000 title gift from Bailey & Wood Financial Group in 2024 marked the foundation's largest single donation to date and is materially reshaping its long-term capacity.

Name

Clark-Pleasant Education Foundation

Legal name

Clark-Pleasant Education Foundation

Website

https://clarkpleasanteducationfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clark-Pleasant Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization in Whiteland, Indiana, that raises and distributes funds through scholarships, classroom grants, and community fundraising events exclusively for students and teachers within Clark-Pleasant Community School Corp.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Education foundation services
• Scholarship programs
• Classroom grants
• K-12 fundraising
• Nonprofit education support

Headquarters

HQ city

Whiteland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Contributions from individuals, families, alumni, and community members to support grants and scholarships. Includes online credit card donations and payroll deduction programs for district employees.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Tiered sponsorship packages ranging from $250 to $10,000, providing recognition at multiple foundation events including Fit at the Farm, Wizards, Pickle Ball Tournament, Kids Prom, and Blue Jeans Ball.
3. Fundraising Events: Profit from events including Harlem Wizards Basketball Game, Kids Prom, and Blue Jeans Ball. Generated $80,632.60 in 2024-2025.
4. Private Foundation Grants: Grants received from organizations including Elba L. and Gene Portteus Branigin Foundation ($17,500), Johnson County Community Foundation, CenterPoint Energy Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation, Forum Credit Union, Dollar General Foundation, and others.
5. Endowment Management: Endowment fund invested to generate ongoing returns. Currently over $290,000 as of October 2025, goal of $500,000 by June 2027. Partners with Koon Financial Planning & Consulting for investment management.
6. Retail Programs: Proceeds from Kroger Community Rewards and Walmart round-up programs where shoppers designate the foundation to receive a percentage of purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clark-Pleasant Education Foundation is a private nonprofit organization that raises funds from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and other foundations to provide scholarships to college-bound Whiteland Community High School seniors and classroom grants to teachers within the Clark-Pleasant Community School Corp. Since 2012, the foundation has distributed more than $536,000 in scholarships, grants, and staff recognition, supported by fundraising events such as the Blue Jeans Ball and an endowment now exceeding $290,000.

Product overview

The Clark-Pleasant Education Foundation operates as a unified nonprofit service organization offering two interconnected core programs: Pathways to the Future Scholarships (including various named scholarships like Doub Family, Jerry Lasiter, McElwain, and Haveman Family Agricultural) providing financial assistance to college-bound students, and Classroom Grants (featuring Fall Grants, Spring Fine Arts Grants, and Legacy Awards) funding teacher-initiated educational projects. Supporting these programs are fundraising events including the Blue Jeans Ball. The foundation connects community donors with students and educators to enhance educational opportunities within Clark-Pleasant Community Schools Corp.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pathways to the Future Scholarships A scholarship program awarding $1,000 one-year renewable scholarships to Whiteland Community High School seniors pursuing higher education or career certification, offered as two-year or four-year tracks with several named scholarship variants honoring specific values, fields, and family legacies.
• Classroom Grants Program A grant program funding innovative teacher-initiated classroom projects across the Clark-Pleasant Community School Corp that cannot be supported by public budgets, including Fall Grants and Spring Fine Arts Grants cycles.
• Legacy Awards An annual recognition ceremony that honors staff members across the Clark-Pleasant school district who have made meaningful differences in students' lives, featuring heartfelt letters presented by students.
• Blue Jeans Ball An annual signature fundraising event featuring dinner and gaming, supported by tiered sponsorships from Platinum to Warrior Way, that generates the majority of the foundation's event-based revenue.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $536,000 in grants and scholarships distributed since 2012
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Bailey & Wood Financial GroupmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor contributing $200,000 gift directly benefiting students and teachers. Gold-level event sponsor for Blue Jeans Ball gaming.
• Lancer and Associates ArchitecturemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for Blue Jeans Ball. Platinum-level sponsor providing event sponsorship recognition.
• Skillman CorporationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDinner sponsor for Blue Jeans Ball. Corporate sponsor providing event support. Also co-sponsors Kevin Starnes Scholarship.
• Clark-Pleasant Community School CorpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school district that CPEF serves exclusively. CPEF generates new revenue to fund teacher-initiated educational projects within the corporation. Strong operational partnership with Dr. Tim Edsell (district support) and school administrators.
• Ron Wallman / Horace MannminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors Legacy Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding staff members. Dinner table sponsor at Blue Jeans Ball.
• CorientminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum/Gold-level sponsor with logo on foundation website. Dinner table and game table sponsor at Blue Jeans Ball.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AdoptAClassroom.org: National nonprofit that distributes classroom supply credits to teachers, addressing the same funding-gap-for-educators problem CPEF targets through its grants program.
• DonorsChoose: National nonprofit crowdfunding platform funding teacher classroom project requests — addresses the same teacher-grant need as CPEF but at national scale.
• Johnson County Community Foundation: Regional community foundation that itself grants into Clark-Pleasant-area schools; a broader grantmaking incumbent with overlapping donor base and partial programmatic overlap.
• Public Education Foundation (Nevada): Long-established school-district-affiliated education foundation funding scholarships, teacher grants, and innovation programs — a broader-scale analog of CPEF's model.

Direct peers

• Center Grove Education Foundation: Johnson County, Indiana K-12 education foundation operating the same single-district grantmaking and scholarship model as CPEF; directly comparable in geography, mission, and program structure.
• Zionsville Education Foundation: Indiana community education foundation supporting classroom innovation and scholarships within a single school district; directly comparable to CPEF's model.
• Franklin Community Education Foundation: Indiana community education foundation providing teacher grants and scholarships for a single school district; near-geographic and operational peer to CPEF.
• Brownsburg Education Foundation: Single-district Indiana education foundation raising funds for teacher grants and student scholarships; directly comparable mission and fundraising approach.
• Hamilton Southeastern Schools Education Foundation: Indiana public-school education foundation funding classroom grants, scholarships, and teacher innovation programs for a single district — same operating model, larger scale.
• Perry Township Education Foundation: Indianapolis-area single-district education foundation funding teacher grants and student scholarships, structurally identical to CPEF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/YOUR.CPEF
• Xx.com/YOUR_CPEF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Clark-Pleasant Education Foundation