Education Foundation

What Education Foundation does

The Education Foundation of Alachua County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1986 and headquartered at 2802 NE 8th Avenue, Gainesville, Florida, with a 9-person paid staff. It operates as a community-led funding intermediary that channels donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and event revenue into programs supporting Alachua County Public Schools. Its service portfolio includes the Take Stock in Children mentoring and 2-year Florida Prepaid scholarship program (currently serving 270 students including 64 new inductees), Senior Scholarships for graduating high school seniors ($1,000–$6,300 awards), the Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year annual recognition, Catalyst for Change classroom grants ($2,000–$5,000 per project), Thank a Teacher recognition, and the ElevatEd teacher professional development conference.

Revenue is derived from individual donations (including payroll deduction for ACPS employees), tiered corporate sponsorships ($2,500–$15,000), foundation grants, Florida Support Education specialty license plate fees ($20 per plate), and annual events such as the Education Gala and the Beyond the Arc basketball campaign with Florida Credit Union. The Take Stock in Children program receives 1-for-1 matching from the State of Florida, effectively doubling sponsor contributions. Since founding, the Foundation has awarded over $12.5 million in total scholarships; in 2025 alone it disbursed more than $180,000 to over 86 students and $98,528.72 across 24 Catalyst for Change teacher grants.

The organization is governed by a ~20-member volunteer Board of Directors and led by Executive Director Tia Brock-Paul, an alumna of the Take Stock in Children program. Partnerships include Alachua County Public Schools (district-wide), Florida Credit Union, HCA Florida Healthcare, First Federal Foundation, the University of Florida, Publix Charities, VyStar Credit Union, and the Able Trust. Its programs have produced a 100% high school graduation rate for the Take Stock senior class of 2025 and 10 consecutive Gold Awards for program excellence.

Name

Education Foundation

Legal name

The Education Foundation of Alachua County

Website

https://edfoundationac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Education Foundation of Alachua County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds scholarships, mentoring, and teacher grants for Alachua County Public Schools students and educators in Gainesville, Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• College scholarship programs
• Teacher grant programs
• Youth mentoring services
• Nonprofit education foundation
• Classroom innovation grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainesville

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: Direct donations from individuals through the website donation portal, payroll deduction programs for Alachua County Public Schools employees, and planned giving options including IRA QCD distributions and estate bequests.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorships from businesses at various levels ($3,500-$500 for Teacher of Year, $15,000-$2,500 for corporate outreach, $8,000 for Take Stock in Children, $8,000 for Teacher Support). Companies receive recognition on website, event materials, and social media.
3. Specialty License Plate Program: Florida Support Education specialty license plates generate $20 per plate purchase for local school programs.
4. Annual Events: Revenue generated through annual Education Gala ticket sales, silent auctions, and fundraising events. Sponsorships for events like 'Beyond the Arc' basketball campaign where Florida Credit Union donates $25 per three-point basket.
5. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations such as the $10,000 grant from First Federal Foundation for scholarships and teacher recognition, and $60,000 from HCA Healthcare.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Education Foundation of Alachua County is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates scholarship, mentoring, and teacher-support programs for Alachua County Public Schools. Its principal offerings include the Take Stock in Children mentoring and 2-year Florida Prepaid scholarship program, Senior Scholarships ($1,000–$6,300), Catalyst for Change classroom grants ($2,000–$5,000), the Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year recognition program, Thank a Teacher monthly recognition, and the Teacher Leadership Council for professional development.

Product overview

The Education Foundation of Alachua County is a nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of education-focused programs designed to support students and teachers in the Alachua County Public School district. The organization offers a suite of programs centered around three pillars: Student Scholarships (Senior Scholarships and Take Stock in Children mentoring program), Teacher Support (Catalyst for Change classroom grants, Teacher of the Year recognition, Teacher Leadership Council, Thank a Teacher program), and Community Engagement (Education Gala, Beyond the Arc campaign, Core of Education Partners monthly giving). Programs are funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants, with the Take Stock in Children program receiving state matching funds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Take Stock in Children A mentoring and scholarship program that identifies high-achieving, low-income Alachua County Public School students (maintaining a 2.5 GPA), pairs them with volunteer mentors, and provides a 2-year Florida Prepaid college scholarship plus college tours, career exploration, and financial literacy services.
• Senior Scholarships College scholarship program for graduating high school seniors in Alachua County Public Schools, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 to $6,300 and a minimum $1,000 sponsor commitment for new scholarships.
• Catalyst for Change Teacher Grants Classroom grants awarded to Alachua County teachers and schools in amounts of $2,000–$5,000 to fund innovative projects in Career/Technical Education, Literacy, Low-Performing Students, Teaching Quality, Increasing Graduation Rates, and Student Resiliency.
• Robert W. Hughes Teacher of the Year Program Annual recognition program that honors outstanding teachers from each of Alachua County's 39 public schools with $500 awards, culminating in a Teacher of the Year Reception and corporate-sponsored recognition event.
• Thank a Teacher Monthly teacher recognition program sponsored by HCA Florida Healthcare that celebrates outstanding teachers in Alachua County Public Schools through featured recognition and community visibility.
• Teacher Leadership Council Professional development initiative that identifies, recruits, and develops teacher leaders through activities at the school and district level, including the ElevatEd conference.
• Nancy V. Perry Take Stock Legacy Fund Endowment fund that provides perpetual funding for Take Stock in Children students through mentorship, scholarships, and college readiness services, with a $2.5 million 5-year goal to fund 25 students annually.
• Beyond the Arc Fundraising Campaign Cause-marketing campaign in partnership with Florida Credit Union that donates $25 per University of Florida Gators three-point basket during the basketball season to support foundation programs.
• Education Gala Annual signature fundraising event that brings together business leaders and community supporters for ticket sales, silent auctions, and corporate sponsorships raising funds for student scholarships and teacher programs.
• Core of Education Partners Sustaining monthly giving program that provides recurring donations to support students and schools in Alachua County throughout the year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduation rate for Take Stock senior class of 2025, with all accepted to college
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Florida Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsor of Education Gala 2026 and 'Beyond the Arc' campaign donating $25 per UF Gators three-point basket. Sponsor of Teacher Support & Professional Development programs including Catalyst for Change and ElevatEd conference.
• HCA Florida HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of 'Thank a Teacher' monthly award program recognizing outstanding teachers in Alachua County Public Schools
• Florida KidCaresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing low-cost health insurance for local students, helping increase number of insured Florida children and access to quality healthcare
• Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as community partner supporting The Education Foundation programs
• VyStar Credit UnionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as community partner supporting The Education Foundation programs
• University of FloridasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Take Stock program involving UF professors and College of Engineering for student projects; UF employee giving campaign (UFCC) generating nearly $1 million annually for local charities
• Community Foundation of North Central FloridasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Amazing Give 24-hour community day of giving campaign
• Alachua County School BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep partnership with school district for all programs including payroll deduction for employees, volunteer clearance, and district-wide program delivery
• COX CommunicationssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent sponsor for Teacher of Year program
• The Able TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide partner for High School High Tech program expanding to more Florida counties; Able Trust provides $22,000 checks to partner organizations

Scale indicators26 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• United Way of North Central Florida: Regional nonprofit operating in the same Alachua County geography with overlapping donor pools, corporate sponsorship relationships, and education grantmaking focus. Comparable as a regional fundraising nonprofit but with a broader mission beyond education.

Direct peers

• Orange County Public Schools Foundation: District-affiliated education foundation providing scholarships, classroom grants, and teacher recognition in Orange County, FL. Operates the same three-pillar model (student scholarships, teacher grants, community events) at a larger scale.
• Community Foundation of North Central Florida: Regional grantmaking foundation that partners with the Education Foundation on the Amazing Give community day of giving. Comparable as a regional nonprofit fundraiser with education grantmaking, but operates broader (not solely education).
• Take Stock in Children (statewide organization): Statewide umbrella organization for the Take Stock in Children mentoring and scholarship program that the Education Foundation operates locally. Same program model, same target population (low-income high-achieving students), same mentor-driven delivery; the Foundation is essentially a regional franchisee.
• Pinellas Education Foundation: County-level education foundation serving Pinellas County Public Schools with scholarships, teacher grants, and Take Stock in Children delivery. Directly comparable mission, structure, and revenue model to the Education Foundation of Alachua County.

Broad incumbents

• Helios Education Foundation: Large statewide education philanthropy focused on college access and student success in Florida and Arizona. Operates at significantly larger scale but pursues the same college-access and Latino student success outcomes that drive Take Stock in Children.
• Scholastic Scholarships Florida (Step Up For Students): Florida statewide scholarship organization administering tax-credit and Gardiner scholarships. Comparable as a Florida-focused K-12 education scholarship intermediary, though its scale and policy-driven funding model differ from a community foundation.

Emerging players

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Florida: Youth mentoring organization serving the same Alachua County geography with similar mentor-pairing and college-readiness outcomes. Comparable on the mentoring delivery model but lacks the foundation's scholarship funding layer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theeducationfoundationofal4864
• Facebookfacebook.com/EdFoundationAC
• Instagraminstagram.com/edfoundationac
• Xx.com/TheEdFoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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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 Education Foundation