China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF)

What China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF) does

China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF) is a Bellevue, Washington-based 501(c)(3) non-profit charity (Registered Charity Number 91-2006735) founded in 1999 and operated primarily by unpaid volunteers on both sides of the Pacific. Over 26 years it has funded more than $4 million USD across approximately 400 school projects in 20+ Chinese provinces, established over 100 libraries, and provided uniforms to more than 30,000 students. Its mission is to improve rural education in China by renovating schools, establishing libraries, supporting teachers, funding scholarships, and raising public awareness of rural education conditions.

CTEF delivers this mission through a portfolio of programs: the School Renovation Program (rebuilding structures, dormitories, bathrooms, and providing desks and equipment); the 1+1 Student Sponsorship Program providing roughly $450/year for high school and $700/year for college to prevent dropout; the Teacher Awards Program recognizing long-serving rural educators; and the annual Art Contest used for community engagement and donor cultivation. Since 2022, the flagship Glory Plan (荣光计划), co-developed with Zhenro Foundation, has added child-friendly micro-renovations, Tomorrow's Classrooms with live-stream teaching, and Sunshine Children's Play Gardens across 15 schools in Fujian, Qinghai, and Yunnan, directly serving over 21,000 children. Partner network includes Zhenro Foundation, OFS, Soar Foundation, Shanghai Sunrise, Shanghai Lianquan Mingde, FAIHPP, Sowers Action, Tree Flower Education Foundation, Beijing Chengying, and others.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable contributions: individual donations via PayPal, Zelle, check, and Amazon Smile, plus corporate matching programs such as Microsoft Giving via Benevity and partner foundation co-funding. Tiered contribution levels (e.g., $1 per library book, $20 per desk-and-chair set, $170–$400 per student sponsorship, $40,000–$60,000 per school building) structure the giving funnel. Distribution is field-based, executed through Chinese implementation partners and volunteer networks, with no proprietary technology platform beyond standard donation rails and a Wix-hosted web presence.

Name

China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF)

Legal name

China Tomorrow Education Foundation

Website

https://ctef.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF) is a Bellevue, WA-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that funds school renovations, student sponsorships, teacher awards, and rural education programs across 20+ Chinese provinces, operated primarily by unpaid US and China volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Education Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Services (611), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Rural education funding
• Student scholarship programs
• School renovation services
• Teacher support programs
• Nonprofit charitable giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: CTEF generates revenue through individual donations, corporate matching programs (e.g., Microsoft Giving Program via Benevity), and partnership-based funding. The foundation accepts donations via PayPal, Zelle, check, and Amazon Smile.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CTEF is a volunteer-run non-profit charity that improves rural education in China by renovating school infrastructure, establishing libraries, funding student scholarships through the 1+1 Student Sponsorship Program, and supporting teachers via awards and professional development. All programs are funded by individual donations, corporate matching, and partner grants, with cumulative funding exceeding $4 million USD across approximately 400 school projects in 20+ provinces.

Product overview

China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF) operates as a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity focused on improving rural education in China. The organization offers a portfolio of education support programs including school renovation, student sponsorship (1+1 Program), teacher awards, and an annual art contest. CTEF partners with organizations like Zhenro Foundation on the Glory Plan, which encompasses rural school micro-renovation initiatives such as Tomorrow's Classrooms (live-stream equipped), child-friendly restroom upgrades, and preschool play spaces. The foundation also supports teacher development through insurance and certification programs and funds early childhood education classroom renovations. All programs are operated primarily by unpaid volunteers in the US and China, with the organization having funded over $4 million across approximately 400 school projects in 20+ provinces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Renovation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Funded over $4 million USD across ~400 school projects in 20+ provinces
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zhenro Foundation (正荣公益基金会)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor strategic partner for the 'Glory Plan' (荣光计划), a comprehensive rural education development program. The partnership focuses on rural school micro-renovations, teacher support, and student scholarships. Projects include Tomorrow's Classrooms, Child-Friendly Restroom Program, and Sunshine Children's Playground. The Glory Plan has been implemented across 15 schools in Fujian, Qinghai, and Yunnan provinces, directly serving over 21,000 children.
• Soar FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for the 1+1 Student Sponsorship Program. Soar Foundation supports students through scholarship funding and receives thank-you letters from sponsored students and their families.
• Ourfreesky (OFS/我们的自由天空)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for 1+1 Student Sponsorship and scholarship programs. OFS conducts field visits in Hunan province, distributing scholarships and conducting home visits to sponsored students. The partnership also includes the '地势坤' scholarship program.
• Shanghai Sunrise (上海初阳)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership initiated in 2025 for student sponsorship programs. First batch of sponsored students' thank-you letters shared through CTEF blog.
• Shanghai Lianquan Mingde Public Welfare Fund (上海联劝公益基金会明德公益基金)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the Glory Plan rural education initiatives, supporting school micro-renovations and teacher programs.
• HumanAi / FAIHPP (互满爱人与人国际运动联合会)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementation partner for preschool education projects in Yunnan province. FAIHPP's Yunnan Representative Office executes classroom renovation projects and teacher support programs for rural preschool classes, particularly in Tengchong area. The partnership supports the 'Future Hope Kindergarten Class' program covering 50 kindergarten classes across 8 townships.
• Sowers Action (苗圃行动)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementation partner executing the Baoshan Han Ying Runze School support project in Yunnan province. The Hong Kong-based organization manages facility donations and student assistance programs, with Yunnan office handling on-ground execution.
• Yuan Ping Love Student Support Station (原平市爱心助学站)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner for student sponsorship and scholarship distribution in the Yuan Ping area.
• Tree Flower Education Foundation (树华教育基金会)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia-based partner supporting 1+1 student sponsorship programs.
• Beijing Chengying Public Welfare Foundation (北京成英公益基金会)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the 'Dong Pattern Art in Campus' (侗锦艺术进校园) project in Tongdao County, integrating intangible cultural heritage into art education for rural students.
• Jingdezhen Little Master Volunteer Service Center (景德镇小大师志愿者服务中心)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner executing the 'WeLight Companion Camp' (微光公益伴学营) in Jingdezhen, conducting academic tutoring, interest development, and traditional culture education activities. In Q1 2026, conducted 74 activities serving 810 child attendances with 359 volunteer participations.
• Wild Flower Education Foundation (西部阳光基金会)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Glory Plan implementation, contributing to rural education development programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Soar Foundation: Scholarship-focused foundation supporting rural and disadvantaged Chinese students. Already a core CTEF partner on the 1+1 Student Sponsorship program, with directly overlapping beneficiary profiles and donor channels.
• Room to Read: Global nonprofit focused on literacy and girls' education in low-income communities, including rural China. Comparable in scale, school-renovation-plus-scholarship model, and US-headquartered international education philanthropy.
• BuildOn: US nonprofit that builds schools in developing countries and runs adult literacy programs. Directly comparable to CTEF's school-building program and rural education beneficiary model, with a similar donor-supported construction approach.
• Amity Foundation: US-headquartered nonprofit with deep operations in China delivering education, social welfare, and rural development programs. Highly comparable to CTEF in cross-border funding model, China rural education focus, and volunteer-supported execution.
• Sowers Action: Hong Kong-based charity supporting rural Chinese education through school construction and student assistance. Direct implementation partner of CTEF in Yunnan, with overlapping beneficiary base and rural school focus.
• Half the Sky Foundation: US-based nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children in China through educational and developmental programs. Closely mirrors CTEF's mission, geographic focus, and volunteer-supported US-China funding model.
• Pencils of Promise: US-based nonprofit that builds schools and funds education programs in developing regions. Closely comparable to CTEF's school construction program ($40K-$60K per school) and donor-supported model for rural education infrastructure.
• Shanghai Sunrise: Shanghai-based charity focused on student sponsorship and scholarship programs for underprivileged Chinese youth. Already a CTEF partner and operates the same 1+1 sponsorship model with similar volunteer-driven structure.
• Ourfreesky (OFS): Volunteer-driven organization funding scholarships and rural education in China. Direct partner of CTEF on student sponsorship programs in Hunan, with overlapping operating model and donor base.

Broad incumbents

• China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation: Large-scale Chinese state-affiliated foundation funding rural poverty alleviation including education infrastructure. Overlaps with CTEF's rural school renovation and student support programs but operates at materially larger scale within China.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/china-tomorrow-education-foundation-ctef-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 China Tomorrow Education Foundation (CTEF)