What Above & Beyond does

Above & Beyond Teaching (DBA Above & Beyond; formerly the Carlston Family Foundation) is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 68-0154752) headquartered in San Rafael that recognizes, supports, and develops exceptional public high school educators serving disadvantaged urban and rural communities. The organization runs a portfolio of programs anchored by the Carlston Outstanding Teachers of America Award, which distributes $10,000 prizes to five California teachers annually, and the Teacher Leadership Academy, a yearlong mentorship and professional development program pairing early-career teachers with past honorees through subject- and geography-matched mentorship, twice-monthly webinars, and a summer in-person conference at CSU Fullerton. Additional programs include a free Spring Conference, a community Symposium, and the Future Teacher Clubs program aimed at pre-service educators. Reported outcomes include 95% teacher retention, 88% reporting meaningful professional and personal growth, 84% rating the professional learning as the most impactful they have experienced, and 95% willingness to recommend the programs.

The operating model is donation-funded and community-led. Revenue is generated through individual charitable contributions processed on the Kindest digital fundraising platform, with publicly listed giving tiers ranging from $10 one-time donations to a $10,000 full Carlston Award cycle campaign goal, alongside recurring and board-member fundraising pages. Teacher acquisition flows primarily through public nominations on the organization\u2019s Squarespace-hosted website, while engagement is driven by in-person signature events (Awards Ceremony at Acqua Hotel in Mill Valley, TLA Summer Conference at CSU Fullerton), monthly webinars, and digital outreach including a #ATeacherChangedMyLife social campaign and a July 14, 2026 partnership with the Teacher Stories Podcast. There are no software products, APIs, or proprietary technology platforms; the technology footprint is limited to off-the-shelf fundraising and content management tools.

The organization operates with 38 employees under Executive Director Beverly Young and a Board chaired by Kathy Williams, with directors including Broderbund co-founder Doug Carlston, current and former leaders of California K-12 institutions, and a representative of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Geographic reach is California-only, with honorees and program participants cited across Los Angeles, San Diego, and other regions. Customer base is dispersed across many school districts and individual donors rather than concentrated in a small number of institutional accounts, and no institutional funders or major capital campaigns are disclosed in available sources.

Name

Above & Beyond

Legal name

Above & Beyond Teaching

Website

https://abovebeyond.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Above & Beyond Teaching is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recognizes and develops exceptional public high school teachers through the Carlston Award ($10,000 prizes to five teachers annually), the Teacher Leadership Academy mentorship program, conferences, and donor-funded community initiatives across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Educational Leadership & Administration Programs (EDAHAFAD)

Keywords

• Teacher recognition programs
• Educator professional development
• Nonprofit teacher support
• Teaching excellence awards
• Teacher mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals supporting teacher recognition and professional development programs. Donation tiers range from $10 to custom amounts, with specific impact levels: $250 sponsors a teacher's Spring Conference attendance, $500 funds one teacher's full Teacher Leadership Academy participation, $2,000 goes directly to a Carlston Award winner's school, and $10,000 funds a full award cycle for five exceptional teachers annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Above & Beyond Teaching is a California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that recognizes, supports, and elevates exceptional public high school educators through a portfolio of programs including the Carlston Outstanding Teachers of America Award (a $10,000 annual prize for five teachers), the yearlong Teacher Leadership Academy with mentorship and webinars, a Spring Conference, a Symposium, and Future Teacher Clubs. The organization raises funds through individual donations to sustain teacher recognition, professional development, and a statewide community of practice.

Product overview

Above & Beyond Teaching operates as a unified nonprofit programs portfolio rather than a technology platform. The core offerings consist of the Carlston Outstanding Teachers of America Award (a $10,000 annual prize recognizing five exceptional teachers), the Teacher Leadership Academy (yearlong mentorship and professional development for early-career educators), Spring Conference (free one-day professional development workshops), Symposium (community learning events), and Future Teacher Clubs (aspiring teacher programs). These programs are delivered through in-person events, webinars, and direct teacher recognition—no software modules, APIs, or SaaS products are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carlston Outstanding Teachers of America Award Annual award recognizing exceptional California public high school teachers who serve in disadvantaged urban and rural communities and help students transcend academic expectations. Recipients receive a $10,000 prize, with $2,000 sent directly to each winner's school.
• Teacher Leadership Academy Yearlong professional development program for early-career teachers, providing mentorship matching with past honorees by subject area and geography, twice-monthly webinars, and an in-person summer conference. Participants can earn university credit.
• Spring Conference Free one-day professional development workshop open to California educators, featuring subject-area workshops, interdisciplinary sessions, and Professional Learning Community participation.
• Symposium Educational event bringing together educators, students, families, and education leaders to learn, reflect, and honor the impact of great teaching.
• Future Teacher Clubs Program for aspiring teachers providing mentorship, professional development, and community connection to support the next generation of educators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of Above & Beyond educators remain in the teaching profession
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Teacher Stories PodcastcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 July 2026Partnership to elevate the stories of extraordinary teachers and the profound impact they have on students and communities. Collaboration includes joint #ATeacherChangedMyLife campaign during Teacher Appreciation Week, with both organizations amplifying teacher impact stories through their respective platforms.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NEA Foundation: Philanthropic arm of the National Education Association funding teacher-led professional development and grants. Comparable as a nonprofit that funds teacher recognition, PD, and innovation in public schools.
• Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: Established education nonprofit working on teacher preparation, recognition, and systemic reform. Comparable in the broader teacher-excellence and education-equity space, though with a much longer history and larger endowment footprint.
• TNTP: National nonprofit focused on teacher quality and development in underserved schools. Comparable mission around teacher excellence in high-need communities and offers adjacent professional development programs.
• Teach For America: Large national nonprofit placing teachers in high-need schools with a focus on educational equity and teacher leadership development. Overlaps with Above & Beyond's focus on teachers serving disadvantaged communities, though at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ): Nonprofit dedicated to advancing teacher leadership and voice in education policy. Overlaps with Above & Beyond's teacher-leadership development focus and recognition of educator expertise.
• DonorsChoose: Crowdfunding nonprofit that channels individual donations directly to public school teachers for classroom needs. Closely comparable on the donation-driven, teacher-support business model, though DonorsChoose focuses on classroom resources rather than teacher recognition/PD.
• Hope Street Group: Nonprofit that cultivates teacher leadership and policy voice through fellowships and state-level coalitions. Comparable in elevating teacher voice and connecting educators to leadership opportunities.
• 100Kin10: National network focused on recruiting, preparing, and retaining excellent STEM teachers. Comparable in mission around teacher excellence, retention, and recognition, particularly in high-need schools.
• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards: Nonprofit that certifies and recognizes accomplished teachers through a rigorous national board certification process. Closely comparable on the teacher-recognition value proposition, with overlap on professional standards.
• Fund for Teachers: Nonprofit that awards fellowships and grants to preK-12 teachers for self-designed professional development. Highly comparable to Above & Beyond's mission of funding teacher growth and recognition, with a similar donation-supported model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/above-beyond-teaching
• Facebookfacebook.com/AboveBeyondTeaching

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Above & Beyond