Walden West
Walden West Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that fundraises for the Walden West Outdoor Education programs operated by Santa Clara County Office of Education, supporting tuition assistance and capital improvements serving 7,000+ K-9 students annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersSaratoga, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Walden West does
Walden West Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1996 to support the Walden West Outdoor Education programs operated by the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE). The foundation's primary function is fundraising — generating donations, corporate/foundation grants, matching gifts, and in-kind contributions — to underwrite student tuition assistance and capital improvements for the Walden West campus and programs. Walden West itself is an outdoor environmental science education program with a 70+ year operating history, delivering week-long residential programs for 5th and 6th graders, garden-based lessons at school sites through the "Growing Gardens for Growing Minds" initiative, and seasonal summer programming (Wild Things, Trail Blazers, World of Wonder, Leaders in Training, Junior Counselors, Family Camp). All programs are aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and integrate Common Core objectives.
The foundation supports a 35-acre main campus in the Saratoga hills and a secondary Cupertino location, together serving 5,000+ students annually during the school year and 2,000+ additional students in summer. Capital improvements have been delivered in three completed phases (2003 lodging/pool, 2007 multi-purpose lodge, 2012 science learning lab), with current initiatives including a $45,000 climbing wall replacement, bird observation blinds, and ongoing scholarship funding. The foundation is governed by a board of directors drawing on backgrounds at Google, Apple, NVIDIA, and SCCOE, and is led by Executive Director Andrea Maes (joined January 2023) and Director of Environmental Education Marie Bacher. The organization leverages roughly 1,000 high school and college student volunteers annually for community service hours, which materially subsidizes program delivery.
The revenue model is purely philanthropic: individual donations (structured at $200/student and $600/three students tuition assistance levels), corporate and foundation grants (Google, Sharks Foundation, Farrington Historical Foundation, Sereno Charitable Foundation, etc.), corporate matching gift programs, PayPal Giving Fund online donations, and in-kind contributions. There are no fees for participation charged directly to SCCOE schools; program delivery is funded indirectly via the foundation's fundraising pass-through to SCCOE, supplemented by summer program facility rental revenue. The foundation holds 501(c)(3) status (EIN 77-0450789) and all contributions are tax-deductible.
Walden West firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Walden West
- Legal name
- Walden West Foundation
- Website
- https://waldenwestfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Walden West Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that fundraises for the Walden West Outdoor Education programs operated by Santa Clara County Office of Education, supporting tuition assistance and capital improvements serving 7,000+ K-9 students annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Walden West industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Environmental Science Education
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Nature-Based / Forest School Early Learning Programs (EDACADAD)
Keywords
Where Walden West is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saratoga
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Walden West business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible gifts from individuals supporting student scholarships, tuition assistance, facility improvements, and program funding. $200 provides 1 student with tuition assistance, $600 provides 3 students.
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: Grants from corporate partners and foundations including Google, Sharks Foundation, Farrington Historical Foundation, and Sereno Charitable Foundation for program support and capital improvements.
- Matching Gift Programs: Corporate matching gift programs through major giving portals, allowing donors to double their impact by matching personal contributions.
- In-Kind Donations: Donations of goods and services from community partners including Dream Dinners, The Hub Silicon Valley, and Santa Clara County Firefighters.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | $200 per student tuition assistance |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | $600 per three students tuition assistance |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Walden West product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Walden West Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises charitable funds to support the Walden West Outdoor Education programs serving Santa Clara County students. It finances tuition assistance scholarships for children to attend the week-long residential Outdoor School for 5th and 6th graders, the Growing Gardens for Growing Minds curriculum delivered at school sites, and Summer Programs (K-9th grade). The Foundation also funds capital improvements on the 35-acre Saratoga campus, including the Science Learning Lab, climbing wall, and bird observation structures.
Product overview
Walden West is an outdoor science education organization offering residential and day programs for Santa Clara County students. Its core offerings include the Outdoor School week-long residential program for 5th-6th graders at its 35-acre Saratoga campus, the Growing Gardens for Growing Minds garden-based curriculum delivered at school sites, and Summer Programs serving K-9th grade students and families. The Walden West Foundation supports these programs through fundraising for Student Scholarships, Capital Improvements including a New Climbing Wall, Bird Blind observation structures, and the Science Learning Lab and Classroom Facility completed in 2012.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Outdoor School Week-long residential environmental science program for 5th and 6th grade students based at the 35-acre Saratoga campus, serving over 5,000 students annually during the school year and 2,000 more in summer.
- Growing Gardens for Growing Minds Outdoor garden-based science lessons delivered at students' own school sites, engaging K-12 students in hands-on environmental education outside traditional classroom settings.
- Summer Programs Seasonal outdoor education offerings including Wild Things (K-1), Trail Blazers (3rd-5th and 3rd-6th), World of Wonder (2nd-7th), Leaders in Training (8th), Junior Counselors (9th), and Family Camp, led by Walden West naturalists.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,000+ students served annually during school year
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Walden West
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Walden West technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Walden West partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Santa Clara County Office of EducationcoreGovernment partner that operates Walden West Outdoor Education programs. The foundation raises funds specifically to support these programs. Founded in 1996 to support this SCCOE-operated program.
- Los Gatos Saratoga Observation NurseryminorLocal community partner organization supporting Walden West.
- Orion SecurityminorCorporate community partner supporting Walden West programs.
- PayPal Giving FundminorEnables online donations to Walden West Foundation through PayPal's charitable giving platform.
- RO HealthminorCorporate community partner supporting Walden West programs.
- Serrano TreesminorLocal business community partner.
- Unitarian Fellowship of Los GatosminorReligious community organization supporting Walden West.
- Valley WaterminorLocal water agency supporting environmental education programs.
- Whole Foods Community GivingminorGrocery chain community giving program supporting local educational initiatives.
- Dream DinnersminorIn-kind donor providing food samples for Pickleball Challenge event.
- Santa Clara County FirefightersminorSponsored BBQ for Pickleball Challenge event participants and guests.
Scale indicators8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Walden West competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hidden Villa: Bay Area nonprofit operating a wilderness and environmental education center with residential summer camps and school programs. Direct peer offering comparable nature-based science programming for K-8 students in Northern California.
- NatureBridge: National nonprofit providing residential outdoor science education programs in national parks (Yosemite, Olympic, etc.). Closest direct peer - same residential outdoor science school model, similar grade-level audiences, and comparable reliance on foundations and individual donors.
- San Mateo County Office of Education Outdoor Education: Operates San Mateo County's outdoor education program serving Bay Area students with residential science programs. Direct regional peer operating a county-level outdoor science school model analogous to Walden West / SCCOE.
- Community Foundation of Santa Clara County: Santa Clara County's community foundation raising and distributing funds for local causes. Directly comparable community foundation model serving the same geographic donor base as Walden West Foundation.
Emerging players
- Sustainable Silicon Valley: Bay Area environmental nonprofit focused on sustainability and environmental stewardship education. Adjacent peer sharing the environmental science education mission with overlap in Silicon Valley funding partners.
- Education Outside: Bay Area nonprofit that brings outdoor science and garden-based learning to public school sites. Directly comparable to Walden West's Growing Gardens for Growing Minds program in mission and delivery model.
Regional players
- The Tech Interactive: San Jose-based science and technology education nonprofit serving K-12 students. Comparable regional STEM-education nonprofit drawing on overlapping Silicon Valley corporate partnerships and donor pool.
- Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose: Silicon Valley nonprofit providing hands-on educational programming for children, including science-focused exhibits. Comparable regional nonprofit education provider competing for the same corporate and individual donor base.
Broad incumbents
- Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Large regional grantmaking foundation serving the same Silicon Valley donor pool that funds Walden West. Operates in overlapping funding ecosystem, though at much larger scale and with broader mandate than Walden West Foundation.
Others
- Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST): Bay Area land conservation nonprofit that protects open spaces including redwood forests similar to Walden West's setting. Thematically related around environmental education and stewardship, though focused on land conservation rather than direct K-12 programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Walden West social profiles
Digital presenceWalden West financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Walden West leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Walden West funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Walden West M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Walden West
What does Walden West do?
Walden West Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises charitable funds to support the Walden West Outdoor Education programs serving Santa Clara County students. It finances tuition assistance scholarships for children to attend the week-long residential Outdoor School for 5th and 6th graders, the Growing Gardens for Growing Minds curriculum delivered at school sites, and Summer Programs (K-9th grade). The Foundation also funds capital improvements on the 35-acre Saratoga campus, including the Science Learning Lab, climbing wall, and bird observation structures.
Is Walden West a public or private company?
Walden West is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Walden West founded?
Walden West was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Walden West based?
Walden West is headquartered in Saratoga, United States, in the North America region.
How does Walden West make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate and Foundation Grants, matching Gift Programs and in-Kind Donations.
Who are Walden West's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hidden Villa, NatureBridge, San Mateo County Office of Education Outdoor Education and Community Foundation of Santa Clara County. Emerging players are Sustainable Silicon Valley and Education Outside. Regional players are The Tech Interactive and Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose. Silicon Valley Community Foundation is listed as a broad incumbent. Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) is listed as an others.
Does Walden West have an API?
No public API is recorded for Walden West.
What industry is Walden West in?
Walden West's product category is Outdoor Environmental Science Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8200.