Walden West

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.

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

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 industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

SECONDARYEDACADAD

Nature-Based / Forest School Early Learning Programs

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Learning Academies & Montessori/Reggio/Steiner Programs

Keywords

• Outdoor science education
• Environmental education programs
• Tuition assistance scholarships
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Science summer camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Saratoga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Matching Gift Programs: Corporate matching gift programs through major giving portals, allowing donors to double their impact by matching personal contributions.
4. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Santa Clara County Office of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment 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 NurseryminorOthersLocal community partner organization supporting Walden West.
• Orion SecurityminorOthersCorporate community partner supporting Walden West programs.
• PayPal Giving FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnables online donations to Walden West Foundation through PayPal's charitable giving platform.
• RO HealthminorOthersCorporate community partner supporting Walden West programs.
• Serrano TreesminorOthersLocal business community partner.
• Unitarian Fellowship of Los GatosminorOthersReligious community organization supporting Walden West.
• Valley WaterminorOthersLocal water agency supporting environmental education programs.
• Whole Foods Community GivingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery chain community giving program supporting local educational initiatives.
• Dream DinnersminorOthersIn-kind donor providing food samples for Pickleball Challenge event.
• Santa Clara County FirefightersminorOthersSponsored BBQ for Pickleball Challenge event participants and guests.

Scale indicators8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/waldenwestsccoe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/walden-west-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/waldenwest_foundation
• Xx.com/waldenwestfound

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Walden West