Cape Eleuthera Foundation

What Cape Eleuthera Foundation does

The Cape Eleuthera Foundation, Inc. is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation established in 1996 (with its first donation received in 1997) and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with operational programs centered on The Island School campus in South Eleuthera, The Bahamas. The foundation functions as the primary charitable grantor for a portfolio of educational and research programs, providing funding that closes the gap between operating expenses and tuition/endowment income for The Island School, Deep Creek Middle School, Cape Eleuthera Institute, and the Bahamas Environmental Stewards Scholarship (BESS).

The foundation's core programmatic assets include The Island School (transformative experiential education serving 500+ students annually from pre-K to PhD), Deep Creek Middle School (serving 45 local Bahamian students with 80%+ tuition offset), and the Cape Eleuthera Institute (marine conservation research home to the largest coral nursery in The Bahamas). Supporting programs include the Annual Fund, Osprey Opportunity Fund, Jon Bates Environmental Stewardship Grant, Young Men's Leadership Program, and the Loggerhead Society planned-giving platform.

Revenue is generated exclusively through voluntary charitable giving across multiple channels: individual donations (44% from Island School alumni), corporate matching gifts via Double the Donation, donor-advised fund gifts, gifts of stock/securities, planned giving/bequests, and grants from institutional foundation partners (Builder's Initiative, Prince Charitable Trusts, Leon Levy, Templeton, Save our Seas, Lyford Cay, Alumbra, TK Foundation, and others). The foundation held a $7M endowment as of 2022 and has executed two major campaigns — Sharing Solutions ($22M, 2011-2016) and Anti-Fragility Fund ($3M, 2020) — alongside recurring annual Giving Day events. The organization operates with an 11-person advancement team.

Name

Cape Eleuthera Foundation

Legal name

Cape Eleuthera Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://capeeleutherafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cape Eleuthera Foundation is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that funds The Island School, Deep Creek Middle School, and Cape Eleuthera Institute in The Bahamas, supporting experiential education, marine conservation research, and scholarships for over 500 students annually through donations, grants, and a $7M endowment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education and Conservation Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Nonprofit education funding
• Marine conservation research
• Experiential education programs
• Scholarship financial aid
• Endowment planned giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The foundation receives gifts from individuals including alumni, parents, friends, and supporters. Donations can be one-time or recurring, made via credit card, PayPal, Venmo, or check. The foundation holds annual campaigns and Giving Day events to acquire new donors.
2. Corporate Matching Gifts: Many employers sponsor matching gift programs that match charitable contributions made by employees, effectively doubling the impact of individual donations.
3. Endowment Income: Endowed gifts are invested to grow over time and generate annual income. The endowment stood at $7M in 2022 and provides permanent funding to support the foundation's mission.
4. Planned Giving: Bequests, endowment gifts, and beneficiary designations allow donors to establish legacy support through the Loggerhead Society membership.
5. Donor-Advised Fund Gifts: Donors can give directly from their donor-advised funds to support foundation programs and scholarships.
6. Gifts of Stock and Securities: The foundation accepts gifts of stock or mutual funds, providing tax benefits to donors while generating revenue.
7. Grants: The foundation receives grants from foundations and organizations including The Builder's Initiative ($243,540 over 3 years), and has received support from Alumbra Innovations Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, Lyford Cay Foundation, and others.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cape Eleuthera Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that serves as the primary grantor for The Island School in South Eleuthera, The Bahamas. It raises and distributes charitable donations, grants, and endowment income to fund student scholarships, faculty opportunities, marine conservation research, and community development programs operated through The Island School, Deep Creek Middle School, and Cape Eleuthera Institute.

Product overview

The Cape Eleuthera Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation supporting a portfolio of educational and research programs centered around The Island School campus in The Bahamas. The organization functions as a charitable grantor rather than a technology product company, providing funding through its Annual Fund, Osprey Opportunity Fund, and endowment programs to support The Island School (experiential education for pre-K to PhD), Deep Creek Middle School, Cape Eleuthera Institute (marine conservation research), Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholarship, Young Men's Leadership Program, and various scholarship and grant programs. The foundation also manages planned giving through its Loggerhead Society legacy program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Island School: The primary grantee of the Cape Eleuthera Foundation, providing transformative experiential education for learners pre-K to PhD. Each year, more than 500 students from around the world visit the campus for an array of programs and projects with a focus on conservation and sustainability.
• Cape Eleuthera Institute
• Deep Creek Middle School

Products and services

• The Island School Transformative experiential education program for learners pre-K to PhD, hosting more than 500 students annually from around the world with a focus on conservation and sustainability.
• Deep Creek Middle School A local middle school connecting South Eleuthera students with high-quality education, with tuition offset by over 80%.
• Cape Eleuthera Institute Formal marine conservation research and sustainable development program, home to the largest coral nursery in The Bahamas.
• Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholarship (BESS) Scholarship program placing Bahamian students in post-program internships at partner organizations like BREEF, supporting four scholars each year.
• Jon Bates Environmental Stewardship Grant Grant awarded to students for environmental action work and to attend The Island School Semester.
• Young Men's Leadership Program Program supporting young men through mentorship, academic support, and life preparation.
• Annual Fund Annual giving program providing essential support for student scholarships, faculty and staff opportunities, and program resources.
• Osprey Opportunity Fund Annual fund providing financial support to families, aiming to support a minimum of 30% of Island School students each year.
• Loggerhead Society Legacy giving society for planned gifts, named after the Loggerhead sea turtle found in Eleuthera waters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ students experience transformative education annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• One Eleuthera FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013One Eleuthera Foundation focuses on holistic sustainable community development including educational advancement through Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI), health and wellness, environmental protection, and economic empowerment. Foundation collaborates on education and conservation initiatives.
• Bahamas Reef Environmental Education Foundation (BREEF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007BREEF is a leader in marine conservation and education in The Bahamas. Foundation supports the Bahamas Environmental Stewards Scholarship (BESS) partnership, which places Bahamian students in post-program internships. Two BESS Scholars supported annually with continued expansion.
• The Island SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996The Island School is the primary grantee of the Cape Eleuthera Foundation. The foundation provides charitable funding to support student scholarships, faculty opportunities, and operational resources. The Island School provides transformative experiential education for learners pre-K to PhD with focus on conservation and sustainability.
• Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York CityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished partnership in 2013 supporting two scholars each academic year in The Island School Semester program.
• Earthwatch InstitutesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting environmental research and education initiatives.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner supporting marine conservation research initiatives.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Chewonki Foundation: Operates a semester school, summer camps, and outdoor education programs from a coastal Maine campus. Comparable as a small nonprofit foundation supporting a residential experiential education campus with strong scholarship and conservation programming.
• Bahamas Reef Environmental Education Foundation (BREEF): Active partner of Cape Eleuthera Foundation via the BESS scholarship. Comparable as a Bahamas-based marine conservation education nonprofit relying on grants and individual donors to fund education and conservation programs.
• Boys Hope Girls Hope: Partner that places scholars at The Island School each year. Comparable as a college-access nonprofit funding transformative, residential educational experiences for underserved youth through scholarships and donor support.
• The Mountain School (Vershire): Run by a nonprofit foundation, this Vermont semester program mirrors The Island School's gap-semester model focused on place-based experiential learning. Highly comparable nonprofit structure and small-staff fundraising model.
• Sea Education Association: Runs semester and summer ocean-based experiential programs in Woods Hole, MA with a strong marine science/conservation curriculum. Directly comparable to The Island School's semester model and to the foundation's role funding marine-focused residential education.
• Earthwatch Institute: Named partner of Cape Eleuthera Foundation; runs citizen-science expeditions and funds research with an experiential/environmental focus. Comparable as a nonprofit funding experiential marine and environmental research while cultivating a donor base around immersive learning.
• One Eleuthera Foundation: Active partner of Cape Eleuthera Foundation in South Eleuthera. Comparable as a Bahamas-based nonprofit foundation funding community education, health, and conservation programs through grants and donations.

Broad incumbents

• Ocean Conservancy: Large US marine conservation nonprofit with broad donor base. Comparable as a marine conservation grantmaker and educator, though operating at significantly greater scale and geographic scope.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest environmental grantmaking nonprofit globally. Comparable as a sophisticated environmental funder with significant endowment and broad donor base, though far larger and more diversified than Cape Eleuthera Foundation.
• National Geographic Society: Major nonprofit funder of exploration, conservation, and education. Comparable in funding ocean research and field-based experiential education, including grantee relationships with Cape Eleuthera Institute-style institutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cape-eleuthera-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cape Eleuthera Foundation