PrincipalsConnect

What PrincipalsConnect does

PrincipalsConnect is a Kansas City, Missouri-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects urban school principals in the Kansas City Public Schools district and local charter schools with a network of 35+ retired and semi-retired professionals who serve as volunteer advisers. Founded by Carol Hallquist — a 32-year Hallmark Cards executive and former President of the Hallmark Corporate Foundation — through her 2016 Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative fellowship, the organization launched in September 2017 with six advisers and three principals and has since expanded to 14+ schools across the KC metro.

The organization's portfolio of seven signature programs operates without any proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-mediated through the adviser–principal relationship. Programs include: Food Hugs, a monthly take-home family dinner program delivered through food partner Cosentino's (more than 700–900 family meals per month, 4,413 family meals in 2022–2023); Special Teacher Discounts aggregating 25+ local and regional companies; Exclusive Teacher Experiences (appreciation events at the Kansas City Zoo and retailers); Social Gatherings for principals and advisers; Consulting pairing principals with retired HR, finance, and project management professionals; Principal Requests for school-specific projects (renovations, clothes closets, bike programs); and A+ Advocates, launched in fall 2023 to address teacher housing affordability in partnership with Driven Development and the Diggz roommate-matching platform.

PrincipalsConnect is funded entirely through donations and grants from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Core financial supporters include the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Hallmark Corporate Foundation, JE Dunn Construction, United Way of Greater Kansas City, SchoolSmartKC, and the Sherman Family Foundation, with individual donor tiers ranging from $20 to $1,000. The organization operates with no paid staff — relying instead on a volunteer Board of Directors and adviser network — and provides all services free of charge to schools and principals. There is no public revenue disclosure, no app product, and no parent company or subsidiaries.

Name

PrincipalsConnect

Legal name

Principals Connect

Website

https://principalsconnect.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PrincipalsConnect is a Kansas City nonprofit that connects urban school principals with 35+ retired and semi-retired professionals who serve as volunteer advisers, delivering programs such as Food Hugs take-home dinners, teacher discounts, appreciation events, and the A+ Advocates housing affordability initiative to 14+ Kansas City Public Schools and charter schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Function & Learning Coaching (Organization/ADHD Coaching) (EDAJALAI)

Keywords

• Education nonprofit services
• Teacher support programs
• Volunteer matching
• School leadership support
• Community education initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: PrincipalsConnect is a nonprofit organization that operates through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Major supporters include Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Hallmark Corporate Foundation, JE Dunn Construction, United Way of Greater Kansas City, SchoolSmartKC, and the Sherman Family Foundation. Individual donors contribute at various levels ($20, $50, $100, $250, $1,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PrincipalsConnect is a Kansas City-based nonprofit that links urban school principals with retired and semi-retired professional volunteers who provide free, confidential advisory support in areas such as human resources, project management, finance, and marketing. The organization also operates complementary programs that address teacher retention and morale, including a monthly take-home family dinner delivery (Food Hugs), a teacher discount network, exclusive appreciation events, and an affordable housing and roommate-matching service (A+ Advocates).

Product overview

PrincipalsConnect is a nonprofit that links urban Kansas City school principals with retired and semi-retired professionals (advisers) who provide volunteer support. The organization operates a portfolio of seven interconnected programs: Food Hugs delivers monthly take-home family dinners to teachers; Special Teacher Discounts aggregates 25+ local business discounts for educators; Exclusive Teacher Experiences hosts appreciation events; Social Gatherings convenes principals and advisers quarterly; Consulting provides one-on-one advisory in areas like HR and finance; Principal Requests addresses individual school needs like renovations and classroom support; and A+ Advocates helps teachers secure affordable housing and find roommates via the Diggz platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Hugs A take-home dinner delivery program that provides fully prepared family meals to Kansas City Public School teachers and staff each month, alleviating the burden of meal preparation after long workdays. The program delivered more than 700 family dinners per month.
• Special Teacher Discounts A curated directory of discounts from 25+ local and regional companies, including Royals Foundation, Starlight Theatre, Kansas City Ballet, Gates BBQ, Planet Fitness, providing free and discounted products, food, and entertainment exclusively for Kansas City educators.
• Exclusive Teacher Experiences One-of-a-kind appreciation events created in partnership with local organizations for Kansas City teachers, including exclusive shopping nights at retailers, Zoo days with breakfast and special animal demonstrations, and other special events hosted by partners such as Kansas City Zoo, The Gerson Companies, and Indigo Wild.
• Social Gatherings Quarterly social events for PrincipalsConnect principals and advisers to connect, celebrate wins, share concerns, and decompress away from school, fostering peer support and community among school leaders.
• Consulting One-on-one advisory support pairing school principals with retired professionals (advisers) who have skills in human resources, project management, finance, marketing, and other business disciplines. Advisers provide confidential outside perspective, help facilitate team building, and role-play difficult conversations with principals.
• Principal Requests Custom school-improvement projects identified and driven by individual principals' unique needs, including starting clothes closets, classroom renovations, teacher lounge updates, bike donations, internship coordination, and letterman jacket programs.
• A+ Advocates A housing support program that helps Kansas City Public School teachers find affordable, safe housing and compatible roommates. The program researched 85+ apartment buildings, narrowed options to 16 verified apartments, and partnered with Diggz to provide a free teacher-specific roommate matching tool accessible via KCPS email.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,413 family meals delivered to 15 schools in 2022-2023 school year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration1 record

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JE Dunn ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided hands-on renovation of Border Star Montessori's staff lounge. Sponsors monthly Food Hugs meals. Partners on school improvement projects.
• Jennifer Bertrand (HGTV Design Star)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer educator and HGTV design star who partnered with PrincipalsConnect and JE Dunn to design and lead the Border Star Montessori staff lounge renovation. Provided design expertise and celebrity connection for the project.
• Kenny's TileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated materials and services for Border Star Montessori staff lounge renovation project.
• Staco ElectricminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteered electrical work for Border Star Montessori staff lounge renovation.
• MVP PaintingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteered painting services for Border Star Montessori staff lounge renovation.
• Sherwin-WilliamsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated paint supplies for Border Star Montessori staff lounge renovation.
• Fairwave CoffeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated refreshments for Border Star Montessori staff lounge renovation dedication.
• Nothing Bundt CakesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated cakes for Border Star Montessori staff lounge renovation dedication event.
• Kansas City Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner district where PrincipalsConnect operates. Dr. Jennifer Collier, KCPS Superintendent, has expressed support for the program.
• A+ Advocates (Program of PrincipalsConnect)coreOthersAddresses teacher housing affordability crisis. Partners with Driven Development to provide discounted housing for teachers. Uses Diggz app for roommate matching among KCPS teachers.
• Driven DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKansas City nonprofit providing high-quality housing to educators at 15-30% below market rates. Partners with PrincipalsConnect to connect teachers with affordable housing options.
• Teachers Like MeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram through which Driven Development has placed seven educator families in housing.
• KCPS Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization hosting events like Head Shot Happy Hour where Driven Development connects with educators.
• Cosentino'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood partner that cooks and prepares the family meals for the Food Hugs program, delivering to 15 Kansas City Public Schools.
• Van Trust Real EstateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking on innovative affordable home ownership program with Colleen Hernandez.
• Kansas City ZoominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Zoo Day for educators and their families with free breakfast, entry, and special elephant demonstration.
• The Gerson CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted exclusive shopping nights with discounts for educators during 2022-2023 school year.
• Indigo WildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted exclusive shopping events for teachers from Faxon, Banneker, and Longfellow Elementary schools.
• Royals FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided special discounts and free tickets to games for teachers and staff.
• Starlight TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided free tickets to shows for teachers and staff throughout the summer.
• Kansas City BalletminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided special discounts for educators through the teacher discount program.
• Gates BBQminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Kansas City business providing special discounts for teachers.
• Blessings AboundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community thrift store providing discounts for educators.
• Planet FitnessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided special discounts for teachers through the discount program.
• Roasterie - BrooksideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Kansas City coffee shop providing special offers for educators.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National charter school network that operates its own schools. Comparable as a Kansas City-area charter operator and a major player in urban K-12 outcomes, though KIPP delivers instruction directly whereas PrincipalsConnect provides support services to existing schools.
• City Year: Large national nonprofit that places near-peer volunteer corps members in urban schools to support attendance, behavior, and course performance. Highly comparable to PrincipalsConnect because both deploy volunteer human capital into schools to drive student outcomes, though City Year is paid-staff and far larger.
• Teach for America: Large nonprofit placing recent graduates into urban schools. Operates at a national scale and addresses teacher pipeline differently (placement of new teachers) than PrincipalsConnect (support of existing principals), but shares the urban-education nonprofit space and donor ecosystem.
• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit that places site coordinators inside schools to connect students to community resources. Comparable to PrincipalsConnect because both broker between urban schools and external community resources, with a similar mission of addressing non-academic barriers in school settings.

Direct peers

• AdoptAClassroom: National nonprofit that gives teachers direct funding for classroom supplies. Comparable to PrincipalsConnect as a donor-to-teacher intermediary, though focused on classroom resources rather than morale, food, and advisory services.
• New Teacher Center: Nonprofit that supports teacher retention and development through coaching and mentoring programs in high-need schools. Directly comparable to PrincipalsConnect because both target the teacher-retention crisis in urban schools using structured adult-support interventions.
• DonorsChoose: Teacher-focused nonprofit that channels donor dollars directly to classroom projects and teacher needs. Highly comparable to PrincipalsConnect in mission (teacher morale and support) and revenue model (donor-driven, no fees to schools), though operating at national scale and on a digital platform.

Emerging players

• InnerCity Weightlifting: Nonprofit that uses vocational training and apprenticeships to address urban workforce challenges. Thematically comparable to PrincipalsConnect's A+ Advocates program, which uses housing and partnerships to address teacher attrition from a non-academic angle.

Regional players

• Relay Graduate School of Education: Nonprofit graduate school focused on training teachers and school leaders for high-need schools. Adjacent to PrincipalsConnect's principal-development focus, though Relay is a formal degree-granting institution rather than a volunteer-matching service.

Others

• Education Cities: Network of city-focused education funders and operators collaborating on urban K-12 outcomes. Comparable to PrincipalsConnect as a Kansas City-relevant urban-education stakeholder, though operating as a coalition rather than a direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PCKansasCity
• Facebookfacebook.com/PrincipalsConnect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/principalsconnect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 PrincipalsConnect