What Princeton Education Foundation does

The Princeton Education Foundation (PEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Cincinnati (Sharonville), Ohio, that raises and deploys private donations to supplement the budget of the Princeton City School District, a single K-12 public school system serving approximately 1,600+ students. The foundation's mission is to bridge the funding gap between district revenue and educational need by funding programs, equipment, and out-of-classroom experiences not provided by the district, while sustaining "Princeton Pride" through alumni recognition and community events. PEF was seeded by a $250,000 bequest from a retired teacher and is governed by a board of trustees; current President Alexis Bayrak assumed the role in 2024.

PEF's core programmatic offerings are Princeton Advantage Scholarships (one-time, non-renewable $1,000 awards for graduating seniors from Princeton High School, Scarlet Oaks, and the Princeton Innovation Center, usable at colleges or trade schools) and a Grants Program capped at $2,000 per elementary school or Innovation Center and $4,000 per middle/high school annually for projects benefiting students. Supporting products include the Apples for Education Gala wishlist program, the Princeton Pavers engraved brick sales at Viking Village ($100-$175 per brick), the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame recognition program, the Homecoming Tailgate, and the signature annual Princeton Pride Gala, which the foundation merged with the Alumni Banquet into one combined event in March 2025. PEF operates no proprietary technology product; its technology footprint consists of standard donation processing integrations (PayPal, Venmo) and a website built by Legend Web Works.

PEF is 100% donor-funded, with revenue streams spanning direct donations (including stocks, bonds, and bequeathed funds managed via a partnership with Omega Financial Group), the annual Gala (ticket sales and auction items), Kroger Community Rewards passive rebates (Organization HT746), and paver sales. Go-to-market is community-led, reaching parents, alumni, and local businesses through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, email newsletter, and signature events. The foundation distributes services at no cost to recipients via direct application through its website, mail, and school district partnerships.

Name

Princeton Education Foundation

Legal name

Princeton Education Foundation

Website

https://princetoneducationfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Princeton Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises and deploys private donations to fund Princeton Advantage Scholarships, school grants, and enrichment programs supplementing the budget of the Princeton City School District (K-12) in the Cincinnati/Sharonville, Ohio area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Education foundation
• School grant funding
• Student scholarship programs
• Alumni recognition awards
• Community fundraising events

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations: 100% funded by donations from parents, alumni, local businesses, and various friends of Princeton throughout the calendar year. Accepts monetary donations, stocks, bonds, and bequeathed funds.
2. Annual Gala: Primary fundraiser through the Princeton Pride Gala held annually in February or March, generating significant revenue through ticket sales and auction items.
3. Kroger Community Rewards: Partnership with Kroger where a percentage of purchases made with registered Kroger Plus Cards is donated to the foundation (Organization number HT746).
4. Paver Sales: Sale of personalized engraved bricks at Viking Village - 4x8 bricks for $100 (or $125 with logo) and 8x8 bricks for $150 (or $175 with logo). Proceeds support the Princeton Advantage mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Princeton Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises donations and event revenue to fund programs, materials, and experiences beyond what the Princeton City School District budget provides. It awards Princeton Advantage Scholarships (one-time $1,000 awards to graduating seniors), school-level grants (up to $2,000 for elementary/Innovation Center schools and up to $4,000 for middle/high schools), engraved paver sales, and runs the annual Princeton Pride Gala and Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony.

Product overview

Princeton Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports excellence in education for the Princeton City School District. The foundation offers a unified portfolio of programs centered on bridging funding gaps for educational initiatives. Core offerings include Princeton Advantage Scholarships (one-time $1,000 awards for graduating seniors) and a Grants Program (up to $2,000-$4,000 per school annually). Additional services include Apples for Education (classroom item donations via Gala), Princeton Pavers (engraved brick sales), Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame recognition, and the annual Princeton Pride Gala as the primary fundraiser. These programs work together to fund educational experiences beyond what the school district budget provides.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Princeton Advantage Scholarships One-time, non-renewable $1,000 scholarships awarded to graduating seniors from Princeton High School, Princeton students at Scarlet Oaks, and from the Princeton Innovation Center. Can be used for college or trade schools.
• Grants Program Funding grants for educational enrichment initiatives supporting and enhancing educational programs at Princeton City School District schools. Maximum $2,000 per elementary school/Innovation Center or $4,000 per middle/high school per year, focused on out-of-classroom experiences, broad student participation, and parental/community involvement.
• Princeton Pavers Engraved brick program allowing supporters to purchase personalized bricks to honor students or memorialize alumni. 4x8 bricks for $100 ($125 with logo) and 8x8 bricks for $150 ($175 with logo), with proceeds supporting the Princeton Advantage mission.
• Princeton Pride Gala Annual premier fundraising event and primary fundraiser for the foundation, typically held in February or March, combining with the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Ceremony. Generates significant revenue through ticket sales and auction items.
• Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Recognition program honoring Princeton High School alumni in categories including Arts/Humanities, Business/Industry, Community Service, Education, Public Service, and Special Recognition. Also includes Distinguished Emeritus Award for former staff and Friend of Princeton award for community/business partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 678 attendees at 2014 Princeton Pride Gala, demonstrating strong community engagement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Foundation Group (Nashville, TN)minorOthers · 1 October 2011Contracted in October 2011 to write the bylaws and file paperwork for the formation of the Princeton Education Foundation as a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status.
• KrogercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKroger Community Rewards partnership where supporters can designate PEF as their charitable organization (Organization number HT746). Kroger donates a percentage of purchases made with registered Kroger Plus Cards to support Princeton students.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Public School Foundation of North Carolina: Statewide coalition supporting local public school foundations across North Carolina. Thematically related as a network supporting district-level education foundations, though not directly comparable to a single-district operating foundation.

Direct peers

• Oak Hills Foundation for Excellence: Cincinnati-area school district foundation supporting Oak Hills Local School District with grants and scholarships. Comparable geographic scope and community-funded model.
• Wyoming School Foundation: Wyoming, OH school district foundation supporting enrichment grants and scholarships. Directly comparable in scale and mission; notably, PEF's former Director Pat Seuberling came from Wyoming Foundation.
• Sycamore Community School District Education Foundation: Greater Cincinnati suburban school district foundation funding classroom grants, scholarships, and enrichment programs. Same geographic region and same district-foundation operating model as PEF.
• Indian Hill Schools Foundation: Indian Hill, OH district education foundation supporting enrichment grants and student scholarships. Compares as a similarly-sized suburban Ohio district-foundation with community-driven fundraising.
• Lakota Local Schools Foundation: Greater Cincinnati-area education foundation supporting Lakota Local Schools with teacher grants, scholarships, and community fundraising events. Directly comparable as a district-specific education foundation serving a suburban Ohio district.
• Mason Schools Foundation: Mason, OH school district foundation providing classroom innovation grants, scholarships, and alumni programming. Direct comparable in suburban Ohio district-foundation structure.
• Forest Hills Foundation: Cincinnati-area school district education foundation funding teacher grants and student scholarships. Highly comparable community-led fundraising model serving a single Ohio district.

Broad incumbents

• DonorsChoose: National crowdfunding platform that enables teachers to fund classroom project requests from donors. Comparable in that it funnels individual donations to K-12 educational needs, but operates at vastly greater scale and across all districts.

Emerging players

• AdoptAClassroom.org: National nonprofit connecting donors directly to teachers and classrooms for funding of supplies and enrichment. Adjacent model to PEF's Apples for Education program but at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PrincetonEdFndn
• Facebookfacebook.com/PrincetonEducationFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/princetonedfndn?igsh=Mtdzdm40dDJsNDZ3dw==
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/princeton-music-boosters-incorporated

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Princeton Education Foundation