Cheshire Education Foundation

What Cheshire Education Foundation does

Cheshire Education Foundation, Inc. (CEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded on December 6, 1995, in Cheshire, Connecticut, that raises and deploys private funds to enhance programs in the Cheshire Public Schools district. Its core offerings are administered across three service lines: scholarships for Cheshire High School seniors (12 annual scholarship programs as of 2026, including memorial and endowed awards such as the Balso Foundation Scholarships), Innovation Grants for teachers seeking funding beyond standard district budgets, and Major Program Funding for district-wide initiatives such as the original video production studio (1996), the elementary robotics program (2024), and COVID-era Extended Engagement classroom technology (2020). CEF is governed by a 15-member all-volunteer board of directors, supported by student ambassadors from Cheshire High School since the 2019-2020 school year and a Board of Education liaison, with no paid staff.

CEF's revenue model is diversified nonprofit fundraising rather than product sales: individual donations accepted via PayPal, credit card, Venmo, and check; annual fundraising events such as the Trivia Challenge ($80 per team of four, held at venues including Cheshire Academy and Rebel Interactive Group) and the Celebration Concert; corporate and foundation grants (notably the John G. Martin Foundation's $100,000 inaugural grant); and management fees absorbed by administering externally endowed scholarships such as those from the Balso Foundation and Dodd PTA. Over its 30-year history, CEF reports raising more than $2 million, funding over 50 educational projects, helping more than 200 CHS graduates, and disbursing more than $250,000 in scholarships over the past five years. The foundation operates from a P.O. Box in Cheshire, CT, restricts all impact to a single school district, and maintains no proprietary technology platform, parent company, or M&A history.

Name

Cheshire Education Foundation

Legal name

Cheshire Education Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://cheshireeducationfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cheshire Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises private funds to administer scholarships, Innovation Grants, and major program funding for the Cheshire Public Schools district in Cheshire, Connecticut, having raised over $2 million since 1995.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Foundation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Aid Administration & Packaging (EDALAJAA)

Keywords

• Education foundation grants
• Student scholarship administration
• Teacher innovation grants
• School program funding
• Community education philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheshire

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The foundation receives donations from individuals in the Cheshire community who want to support enhanced educational opportunities for local students. Donations can be made via PayPal, credit card, or Venmo.
2. Fundraising Events: The foundation hosts annual fundraising events such as the Trivia Challenge, where teams of four pay $80 to participate. These events raise money for scholarships and programs.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: The foundation receives grants from organizations like the John G. Martin Foundation and manages scholarship programs endowed by families and organizations (e.g., Balso Foundation, Don Wailonis scholarships sponsored by Dodd PTA).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Cheshire Education Foundation (CEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that procures and distributes private funds to support the Cheshire Public Schools district. Its core offerings are (1) scholarships for Cheshire High School seniors pursuing higher education, (2) CEF Innovation Grants that fund innovative classroom projects proposed by teachers, and (3) major program funding for district-wide initiatives such as robotics programs, science centers, and distance-learning technology. CEF sustains these offerings through individual donations, corporate/foundation grants, and annual fundraising events like the Trivia Challenge.

Product overview

Cheshire Education Foundation (CEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1995 that supports Cheshire Public Schools through three core service areas: administering scholarships for high school seniors, providing innovation grants to teachers for classroom enrichment, and funding major educational programs and projects. CEF has raised over $2 million since its founding to enhance educational opportunities. The organization also hosts annual fundraising events including the Trivia Challenge and Celebration Concert.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarships for Students
• CEF Innovation Grants for Teachers
• Major Program Funding
• Trivia Challenge Fundraiser
• Celebration Concert

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2 million raised in 30 years for educational projects and scholarships
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Dodd PTAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Dodd PTA sponsors the Donald Wailonis Scholarships, awarding $500-600 scholarships to two CHS seniors who attended Dodd Middle School. CEF administers these scholarships.
• Rebel Interactive GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRebel Interactive Group, a local digital marketing agency headquartered at 535 South Main Street, Cheshire, hosted the 6th annual Trivia Challenge at their facility, providing space and technical resources for the event.
• Cheshire Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEF works closely with the Cheshire Public Schools district, including Superintendent Dr. Jeff Solan, to identify funding priorities and implement programs. The foundation provides grants for classroom technology, robotics, science centers, and other educational enhancements.
• Cheshire High School National Honor SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudents from the CHS National Honor Society volunteer to assist at CEF events including the annual Trivia Challenge, helping with score tabulation and event administration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Foundation for Westwood Education: Massachusetts-based education foundation supporting Westwood Public Schools. Comparable to CEF as another small suburban district foundation with scholarship and innovation grant programs run by community volunteers.
• Greenwich Alliance for Education: Connecticut-based nonprofit supporting Greenwich Public Schools through grants, scholarships, and enrichment programs. Directly comparable to CEF in mission, geographic context (affluent CT suburb), and operational structure as a district-specific education foundation.
• Bellevue Schools Foundation: Washington state-based foundation supporting Bellevue School District through scholarships, classroom grants, and program funding. Comparable to CEF in operational structure and mission, though serving a larger district and operating at greater fundraising scale.
• Needham Education Foundation: Massachusetts-based education foundation supporting Needham Public Schools through grants and scholarships. Comparable to CEF as a suburban public school district foundation with analogous operating model, though outside Connecticut.
• Darien Education Foundation: Darien, CT-based education foundation funding innovative programs and scholarships for Darien Public Schools. A near-perfect structural peer to CEF—similar district size, similar affluent Connecticut suburb profile, similar grantmaking model targeting teachers and students.
• Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools: A Connecticut-based education foundation supporting West Hartford Public Schools through teacher grants, scholarships, and program funding. Highly comparable to CEF as a similarly structured suburban Connecticut district foundation with overlapping mission, donor base characteristics, and grantmaking scope.
• Wilton Education Foundation: Wilton, CT-based nonprofit supporting Wilton Public Schools through grants for educational programs and scholarships. Comparable to CEF as another small-town Connecticut education foundation with similar community-fundraising model and district-partnership approach.
• Palo Alto Partners in Education: California-based nonprofit supporting Palo Alto Unified School District through grants, scholarships, and program funding. Comparable to CEF as a high-performing suburban district education foundation with similar funding mechanisms and grantmaking focus.
• Bethel Education Foundation: Connecticut-based education foundation supporting Bethel Public Schools through grants and scholarships. Direct regional peer to CEF—similar Connecticut geography, similar suburban district size, similar community-driven fundraising model.

Broad incumbents

• DonorsChoose: National crowdfunding platform enabling teachers to fund classroom projects through individual donations. Comparable to CEF's Innovation Grants function but operating at massive national scale and with a digital-first model rather than district-specific community foundation structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CheshireEducationFoundation
• Xx.com/CheshireEdFound

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Cheshire Education Foundation