Foundations For A Better Oregon
Foundations for a Better Oregon is a Portland-based nonprofit that advances educational equity for Oregon children and families through policy advocacy, research, coalition building, and storytelling, funded by philanthropic grants from major Oregon foundations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Foundations For A Better Oregon does
Foundations for a Better Oregon (FBO) is a Portland-based nonprofit advocacy organization that works to advance educational equity for Oregon's children, families, and communities. Founded in 2004 and previously operating as Chalkboard Project, FBO rebranded in December 2020 to reflect an expanded mission centered on disrupting historical and emerging injustices in Oregon's education system. The organization operates as a convener, researcher, advocate, storyteller, and bridge builder between community, policymakers, and philanthropy, with a staff of 1–10 employees headquartered at 123 NE 3rd Avenue in Portland.
FBO's core offerings include a research library cataloging Oregon education policy and equity analyses, policy advocacy services targeting Oregon legislators and the Governor's office, and operation of the Oregon Partners for Education Justice (OPEJ) coalition—a cross-cultural network of over 20 community-based organizations. Recent research outputs include a five-part series on Student Success Act implementation and co-designed studies with partners such as REAP Inc., CFAP, and KairosPDX examining youth leadership, culturally specific summer learning, and educational disparities for Black/African-American students. The organization has a documented track record of policy outcomes, including advocacy supporting the 2019 Student Success Act (approximately $1.6 billion in K-12 investment), Senate Bill 182 establishing the Educator Advancement Council, and House Bill 2845 for statewide ethnic studies standards.
FBO does not sell products or services and operates as a project of Oregon philanthropy, funded by grants and donations from five core foundation partners: The Ford Family Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, Collins Foundation, James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, and Oregon Community Foundation. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The organization's geographic scope is limited to Oregon state, and it maintains no commercial technology product, mobile application, or API offering. Distribution is mediated through direct policy engagement, coalition participation, research publications, and community outreach rather than commercial channels.
Foundations For A Better Oregon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Foundations For A Better Oregon
- Legal name
- Foundations for a Better Oregon
- Website
- https://betteroregon.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Foundations for a Better Oregon is a Portland-based nonprofit that advances educational equity for Oregon children and families through policy advocacy, research, coalition building, and storytelling, funded by philanthropic grants from major Oregon foundations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Foundations For A Better Oregon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Policy Advocacy & Research
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Foundations For A Better Oregon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Foundations For A Better Oregon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Grants and Donations: FBO operates as a nonprofit organization supported by Oregon philanthropy, receiving grants and donations from foundation partners to fund their advocacy, research, and community engagement work.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Foundations For A Better Oregon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Foundations For A Better Oregon (FBO) is a nonprofit advocacy and research organization that advances educational equity in Oregon. It produces policy research, conducts legislative and budget advocacy, builds coalitions with community-based organizations, and amplifies community-driven solutions to disrupt historical and emerging injustices facing Oregon children and families in the education system.
Product overview
Foundations for a Better Oregon (FBO) is a nonprofit organization that does not offer a commercial technology product. Instead, FBO provides advocacy services, research publications, and coalition-building to advance educational equity in Oregon. The organization produces research reports through its Research Library, facilitates the Oregon Partners for Education Justice (OPEJ) coalition network, and offers policy advocacy services. Key products include the five-part 'Oregon's Student Success Act' research series, youth leadership studies, and community engagement analyses. FBO's work centers on bridging community, policymakers, and philanthropy to drive systemic change for children and families.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Research Library An online catalog of research reports and publications on Oregon education policy, previously produced under the Chalkboard Project brand, covering topics including Student Success Act implementation, youth voice and leadership, community engagement, and educational equity.
- Oregon's Student Success Act: Illuminating Five Years of Implementation and Impact A five-part research series exploring how the Student Success Act of 2019 is reshaping K-12 public education in Oregon through data analysis, public opinion research, systems change research, and field voices.
- Growing Youth Voice and Leadership Through Responsive Programming A co-designed study with REAP Inc. and FBO examining how REAP reached and responded to young people through programming that fosters belonging, voice development, and youth leadership.
- It's a Place to Belong: Connecting Summer Learning to Community A co-designed study with CFAP and FBO examining culturally specific and community-led efforts serving Chinese, Asian American, and Pacific Islander youth and families in Portland Metro.
- Policy Advocacy Services Legislative and administrative advocacy to advance racial justice and educational equity through Oregon's legislative, administrative, and budget processes, including advocacy agendas and blueprints for reimagining systems.
- Oregon Partners for Education Justice (OPEJ) Coalition A cross-cultural network of over 20 community-based organizations, culturally specific service providers, and education advocates that develops and advocates for legislative agendas advancing educational equity at the Oregon State Capitol.
Quantifiable outcome
- Successfully advocated for nearly $40 million for the Educator Advancement Council
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Foundations For A Better Oregon
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Foundations For A Better Oregon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Foundations For A Better Oregon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Oregon Partners for Education Justice (OPEJ)coreCross-cultural network of over 20 community-based organizations, culturally specific service providers, and education advocates. FBO is a proud member and supporter of OPEJ, working together to champion a community-driven legislative agenda at the Oregon State Capitol.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Foundations For A Better Oregon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- TNTP: National education nonprofit focused on teacher and leader effectiveness; broader in scope than FBO (workforce + policy) but with overlapping interest in teacher-quality legislation and Educator Advancement Council-style investments.
Direct peers
- Chiefs for Change: Bipartisan network of state and district education leaders advancing equity-centered policy — closely mirrors FBO's bridge-building role between community, system leaders, and policymakers.
- Teach Plus: National nonprofit that develops teacher leaders and advocates for equity-driven education policy — comparable to FBO's educator-advancement focus (~$40M EAC win) and coalition-based policy approach.
- Education Trust: National nonprofit advocacy organization promoting high academic achievement for students of color and low-income students through research, data, policy advocacy, and litigation — closely aligned with FBO's mission of advancing educational equity for underserved communities.
- 50CAN: 50-state Campaign for Achievement Now — a nonprofit that advocates for high-quality K-12 education through state-level policy campaigns, mirroring FBO's state-focused legislative advocacy model.
- Stand for Children: Education advocacy nonprofit that builds grassroots power to push for policy changes at the state and local level — directly comparable to FBO's combination of community organizing, lobbying, and coalition building around K-12 equity.
Others
- Bellwether Education Partners: National nonprofit that produces research and consulting for the education sector — peer to FBO in the research-and-advise function and a potential research-licensing peer, but consulting-led rather than grant-funded advocacy.
Regional players
- Public Schools First NC: North Carolina advocacy coalition promoting strong public schools and equitable funding — comparable state-focused advocacy+coalition model to FBO, but oriented to NC's policy environment.
- EdVoice (Indiana): Indiana-based education advocacy nonprofit that builds coalitions and shapes state education policy — a state-level analog to FBO's Oregon-centered model, operating in a different geography.
Emerging players
- Hope Center for College, Children, and Communities: Research and policy nonprofit addressing students' basic needs as a foundation for educational success — adjacent to FBO's community-rooted equity framing and a potential research-partner peer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Foundations For A Better Oregon social profiles
Digital presenceFoundations For A Better Oregon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Foundations For A Better Oregon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Foundations For A Better Oregon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Foundations For A Better Oregon 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 Foundations For A Better Oregon
What does Foundations For A Better Oregon do?
Foundations For A Better Oregon (FBO) is a nonprofit advocacy and research organization that advances educational equity in Oregon. It produces policy research, conducts legislative and budget advocacy, builds coalitions with community-based organizations, and amplifies community-driven solutions to disrupt historical and emerging injustices facing Oregon children and families in the education system.
Is Foundations For A Better Oregon a public or private company?
Foundations For A Better Oregon is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Foundations For A Better Oregon founded?
Foundations For A Better Oregon was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Foundations For A Better Oregon based?
Foundations For A Better Oregon is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Foundations For A Better Oregon make money?
One revenue line is on record: philanthropic Grants and Donations.
Who are Foundations For A Better Oregon's main competitors?
TNTP is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Chiefs for Change, Teach Plus, Education Trust, 50CAN and Stand for Children. Bellwether Education Partners is listed as an others. Regional players are Public Schools First NC and EdVoice (Indiana). Hope Center for College, Children, and Communities is listed as an emerging player.
Does Foundations For A Better Oregon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Foundations For A Better Oregon.
What industry is Foundations For A Better Oregon in?
Foundations For A Better Oregon's product category is Education Policy Advocacy & Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of EDAJAGAJ, Title I & Compensatory Education Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8300.