Oakland Public Education Fund

What Oakland Public Education Fund does

The Oakland Public Education Fund (the Ed Fund) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 as the Oakland Small Schools Foundation and rebranded under its current name in 2013 when it assumed the role of fiscal sponsor for the Oakland Unified School District. Headquartered at 520 3rd Street, Suite 109 in Oakland, California, the Ed Fund operates as an intermediary that channels community resources — philanthropic dollars, corporate partnerships, and volunteer labor — into Oakland public schools, with the explicit goal of advancing educational equity across the district. The organization runs a portfolio of interconnected programs: the Oakland School Volunteers program (17,000+ lifetime volunteer placements), the A to Z Fund mini-grant program ($1.4M+ granted to 1,000+ educator projects since 2017), career pathway initiatives TechLink and ConstructionLink, the Equity Fund targeting the 20 highest-stressed OUSD schools, Restorative Justice implementation (250,000+ circles since 2015), the Youth Beat media arts program with KDOL-TV, and emergency response programs including OaklandUndivided and COVID-19 relief efforts that delivered 3M+ meals.

The Ed Fund generates operating revenue through three streams: donations and corporate sponsorships (anchored by a Salesforce partnership contributing $52M+ since 2016), fiscal sponsorship fees on pass-through funds (10% on Model A transactions under $1M and Model C donation-processing arrangements), and special events including the annual Ed Fund Gala ($426,000 raised at the 20th anniversary in September 2023) and the Oakland Grown: Student Art & Music Festival. Services are distributed free of charge to OUSD schools and educators, with a secondary client base of education-focused projects and organizations that contract for fiscal sponsorship services to obtain 501(c)(3) status, financial management, HR, and compliance support without bearing $10K–$100K in nonprofit startup costs. The Ed Fund has cumulatively raised over $275M for Oakland kids and currently fiscally sponsors 150+ education-related projects.

Technology infrastructure is conventional nonprofit stack — Classy for donation processing, Salesforce CRM, Zoom for virtual programming, and a Salesforce-based client portal — with no proprietary software or AI/ML capabilities. The organization is led by Executive Director Ali Medina and governed by an independent Board of Directors with operational leadership including Director of Technology Nathan Bellet and Associate Director of Programs Geral Lowe (joined August 2024). Recent strategic emphasis has been on endowment-building (A to Z Fund Endowment launched in 2023 targeting $5M), deepening anchor partnerships (Salesforce $5.5M renewal in 2023), and broadening governance (board additions in 2025).

Name

Oakland Public Education Fund

Legal name

Oakland Public Education Fund

Website

https://oaklandedfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Oakland Public Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that channels donations, volunteers, and fiscal sponsorship services to Oakland public schools, having raised $275M+ since 2003 and sponsored 150+ education projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Education nonprofit services
• Volunteer coordination programs
• Fiscal sponsorship services
• Classroom mini-grants
• Education equity funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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. Donations and Fundraising: The organization raises funds through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events. The Ed Fund Gala is an annual fundraising event that raised over $426,000 at the 20th anniversary celebration.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: Revenue generated from fiscal sponsorship services. Model A charges 10% contribution upon award or pledge of funds for transactions under $1 million. Model C charges 10% contribution upon receipt of funds. Additional fees apply for fundraising events and employee hiring fees.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from special events including the annual Ed Fund Gala and Oakland Grown: Student Art & Music Festival.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Oakland Public Education Fund is a nonprofit that leads the development of community resources in Oakland public schools. Its core offerings include volunteer coordination through Oakland School Volunteers, career pathway programs (TechLink, ConstructionLink), direct educator mini-grants via the A to Z Fund, fiscal sponsorship services providing 501(c)(3) status to education projects, and emergency relief initiatives for families and students.

Product overview

The Oakland Public Education Fund operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected education support programs. Core offerings include volunteer coordination (Oakland School Volunteers), career pathway programs (TechLink, ConstructionLink, Linked Learning), grant programs (A to Z Fund, Equity Fund, New Teacher Supply Fund), and fiscal sponsorship services. The organization also manages significant partnerships including the Salesforce Oakland Partnership and supports district initiatives like Restorative Justice and Youth Beat media arts training. These programs work together to connect funds, volunteers, and community resources with Oakland public schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oakland School Volunteers (OSV) Program that recruits, screens, trains, and matches volunteer community members and businesses with opportunities to support OUSD students and schools across all volunteer tracks (parent, community, one-time, and group volunteers).
• TechLink Technology career pathway program partnering with Intel to provide mentorship, internships, and summer programs for Oakland high school students.
• A to Z Fund Mini-Grants Mini-grant program providing direct grants to OUSD educators for professional development and student enrichment opportunities since 2017, having granted over $1.4M for over 1,000 projects.
• ConstructionLink Construction career pathway program providing internships and job training for Oakland high school students in the construction industry.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Services 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship service offering Model A (Ed Fund owns project) and Model C (separate legal entity) options for education-focused projects and organizations, charging 10% contribution upon funds receipt/award.
• Community United for Educational Success (CUES) Grant initiative to increase attendance and engagement of disconnected students and families, strengthening partnerships between CBOs and the school district.
• Youth Beat Media arts and technology training program working with KDOL-TV and OUSD's TV station, providing free accredited training through OUSD and Laney College for Oakland youth.
• Restorative Justice Program OUSD initiative supported by Ed Fund implementing a 3-tier school-wide model (Relate, Repair, Restore) for building community and responding to harm through indigenous-inspired practices, with over 250,000 restorative justice circles facilitated since 2015.
• Adopt an Oakland School Program pairing businesses with schools for one-year volunteer commitments and ongoing partnerships, used by partners such as the Oakland Athletics, KTGY Architecture, and Salesforce's Latinoforce ERG.
• New Teacher Supply Fund Program providing $500 grants to new Oakland public school teachers to help set up their classrooms.
• Emergency Response Funds (COVID-19 Rapid Response) COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund providing cash assistance, food, and vital resources to underserved Oakland families during the pandemic.
• OaklandUndivided Digital divide initiative distributing laptops and wireless hotspots to Oakland families to address connectivity gaps in OUSD communities.
• Equity Fund for OUSD Schools Grant program providing $5,000 donations to highest-stressed OUSD schools based on Equity Index ranking, operated by fiscally sponsored project Equity Allies for OUSD.
• Salesforce Oakland Partnership Multi-component partnership including Computer Science, Mathematics, Whole Child Support, Principal's Innovation Fund, and Educator Support programs, supported by $52M+ in Salesforce investment since 2016.

Quantifiable outcome

• $275M raised for Oakland kids over organizational history
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

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

• IntelcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Intel Summer Fellowship program - 35 students from Oakland Tech and McClymonds High participated in virtual Intel High Tech Pathways program in collaboration with Hack The Hood. Intel employees served as speakers and mentors. Partnership includes mentorships at McClymonds and Oakland Technical High Schools.
• Hack The HoodmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaborated with Intel and Ed Fund for first virtual Intel High Tech Pathways program during COVID-19 pandemic.
• Equity Allies for OUSDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Fiscally sponsored project that launched the Equity Fund, distributing $5,000 donations to 20 highest-stressed OUSD schools based on Equity Index.
• Oakland AthleticscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Adopt an Oakland School partner supporting Parker Elementary and Vincent Academy. Programs include Home Run Readers and Math Hits, special guest readers for Black and Latinx History months, honor roll celebrations, recess takeovers, and holiday gift-giving.
• KTGY ArchitecturemajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Adopt a School partner - Award-winning international architecture and design firm adopted Madison Park Middle School, providing mentorship and exposure to architecture and planning professions for students.
• Latinoforce (Salesforce ERG)majorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Salesforce's Latinx Employee Resource Group partners with Greenleaf TK-8 School (83% Latinx student population) for career exploration, annual field trips to Salesforce Tower, and Latinx Read-In events. Brenda Martinez from Salesforce leads partnership engagement.
• KDOL-TV (OUSD TV Station)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth Beat operates in partnership with KDOL-TV, Oakland Unified School District's TV station, offering free accredited media arts and technology training programs through OUSD and Laney College.
• Oakland Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProud member of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, supporting business community connections to education.
• Oakland Latino Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProud member of the Oakland Latino Chamber of Commerce, supporting Latino business community connections to education.
• Oakland Starting Smart and StrongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiscally sponsored project of the Ed Fund since 2017, focused on early childhood education initiatives.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tides Foundation: A major fiscal sponsorship provider for nonprofit projects, similar in function to the Ed Fund's fiscal sponsorship service but operating nationally and across causes. Sets competitive benchmarks for fiscal sponsorship fees and service models.
• United Way Bay Area: A larger regional nonprofit operating across multiple cause areas including education, with established corporate fundraising relationships in the same Bay Area geography. Competes for similar corporate CSR dollars and individual donors.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: A large regional foundation managing significant education-giving donor-advised funds and grantmaking programs in the broader Bay Area. Competes for major donor relationships and corporate giving.

Emerging players

• DonorsChoose: A national crowdfunding platform that channels donor dollars directly to public school teachers for classroom projects—analogous to the Ed Fund's A to Z Fund mini-grant program but at vastly larger national scale and digital-first.

Direct peers

• SchoolsRule Oakland: An Oakland-specific education fund that raises corporate donations for Oakland public schools. Operates in the same geographic niche with overlapping corporate donor pool, making it the most direct intra-city competitor.
• Chicago Public Education Fund: Independent nonprofit that invests in Chicago Public Schools through principal and teacher leadership programs, fundraising, and community partnerships. Direct peer in mission and city-district focus.
• San Francisco Education Fund: A nearly identical city-based education nonprofit supporting San Francisco Unified School District through fundraising, volunteer coordination, and grant programs. Operates the same playbook for a neighboring Bay Area district and is the closest functional analog to the Oakland Ed Fund.
• Boston Public Schools Fund: City-level education fund supporting Boston Public Schools through philanthropy, volunteer engagement, and grantmaking. Comparable mission, structure, and operating model focused on a single urban public school district.

Others

• CalNonprofits: California statewide association of nonprofits providing advocacy, training, and resources. Not a direct competitor but an enabling organization that shapes the regulatory environment in which the Ed Fund operates.

Regional players

• East Bay Community Foundation: A community foundation serving the East Bay region, including Oakland, that manages donor-advised funds, makes grants, and supports education nonprofits. Operates in the same geography with overlapping donor base and grantmaking activity.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oaklandedfund
• Facebookfacebook.com/oakedfund
• Instagraminstagram.com/oaklandedfund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Oakland Public Education Fund