Freedom Education Project Puget Sound

What Freedom Education Project Puget Sound does

Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011-2012 that delivers accredited higher-education programs to women and gender-expansive individuals incarcerated at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) in Gig Harbor, Washington. The organization offers an Associate of Arts degree accredited by Olympic College (transferred from Tacoma Community College in 2024) and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies accredited by the University of Puget Sound — the first BA-in-prison program in Washington State, which graduated its inaugural cohort of 10 students in June 2024. All instruction is delivered in-person at WCCW using paper-based materials, as students have no internet access. Coursework spans roughly 100 unique disciplines and is taught by 140+ volunteer faculty drawn from 25+ Puget Sound colleges and universities, with 75 of those from UPS alone.

FEPPS operates a community-led, event-driven go-to-market model targeting donors, foundations, and volunteers rather than tuition-paying students. The program is entirely free to participants; FEPPS receives no state funding and is supported by individual donations, foundation grants (notably a $1 million Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant supporting the BA program), corporate sponsorships, and in-kind gifts. Revenue streams include tax-deductible donations, foundation grants, corporate matching-gift programs, and Amazon Wishlist in-kind donations. Fundraising events include the 'Graduating to Greatness' annual gala (raising $52K+ in 2017), Back to School Bash events, and Community Connections events.

Beyond degree programs, FEPPS operates the Pathways Re-Entry Program (post-release advising, FAFSA support, laptop provision), the Womxn's Higher Education in Prison Consortium (WHEP) — a national consortium of 10-11 women's-prison higher-education programs led by FEPPS — and enrichment activities including Study Hall, Creative Writing Workshop, Film Series, and Critical Inquiry discussions. The 16-person staff is led by Executive Director Jennifer Bright and Faculty Director (founding ED) Tanya Erzen.

Name

Freedom Education Project Puget Sound

Legal name

Freedom Education Project Puget Sound

Website

https://fepps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Freedom Education Project Puget Sound is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing accredited AA and BA college degrees, plus re-entry support, to women incarcerated at Washington Corrections Center for Women, taught by 140+ volunteer faculty from Puget Sound institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education in Prison Services

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Parole Offices and Probation Offices (922150)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Correctional Education Programs (Community College-Delivered) (EDAHADAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management) (BPAKANAH), Alternative Education & Dropout Prevention / Re-Engagement Programs (EDANAJAF), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA), Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry) (BPAIAFAE)

Keywords

• College in prison
• Higher education in prison
• Incarcerated student programs
• Reentry education support
• Liberal arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission. Donors can give online, via printable donation form, or through employer matching programs.
2. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation ($1 million grant for BA program), Seattle Foundation, AAUW, and Washington Women's Foundation (3-year Pooled Fund Grant).
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors interested in sponsoring events or programs. Also includes matching gift programs where employers match employee donations.
4. In-Kind Gifts: School supplies, technology, laptops, tablets, and composition notebooks donated via Amazon Wishlist or direct coordination with staff.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FEPPS provides accredited, tuition-free college education to women and gender-expansive individuals incarcerated at Washington Corrections Center for Women, offering an Associate of Arts degree (accredited by Olympic College) and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (accredited by University of Puget Sound). The program also delivers Pathways post-release re-entry advising, enrichment activities such as Study Hall, Creative Writing, Film Series, and Critical Inquiry, and convenes the Womxn's Higher Education in Prison Consortium (WHEP).

Product overview

Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS) provides accredited college degree programs for people incarcerated at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, WA. The organization offers an Associate of Arts degree (accredited by Olympic College) and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (accredited by University of Puget Sound). Supporting programs include the Pathways Re-Entry Program for post-release academic advising and support, the Womxn's Higher Education in Prison Consortium (WHEP) as a national consortium initiative, and enrichment activities including Study Hall, Creative Writing Workshop, Film Series, Critical Inquiry discussions, Community Connections events, and Financial Aid Workshops. FEPPS is a nonprofit organization receiving no state funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 88 students earned AA degrees while incarcerated; 10 graduated with BA degrees in 2024 inaugural cohort; 100+ students continuing education post-release
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Olympic CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Current accreditation partner for AA degree as of 2024. FEPPS transferred accreditation from Tacoma Community College to Olympic College.
• Womxn's Higher Education in Prison Consortium (WHEP) MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023National consortium of 10 higher education in prison programs at women's facilities: Freedom Education Project Puget Sound, Georgetown University Prisons and Justice Initiative, Goucher Prison Education Partnership, MVSU Prison Education Partnership Program, NJ-STEP, Portland State University HEP, Eastern Michigan University College in Prison Program, THEI, Wesleyan Center for Prison Education, UPWARD, Utah Prison Education Project. Led by FEPPS with Mellon Foundation support.
• University of Puget SoundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019Accrediting institution for Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. Board of Trustees approved BA degree in October 2019. First cohort began Winter 2021. FEPPS is a signature initiative of the university.
• The White HouseflagshipOthers · 1 June 2016Executive Director Tanya Erzen and Academic Dean Kris Bartanen participated in round table discussion on criminal justice reform at the White House. FEPPS and UPS became founding partners in the President's pledge to eliminate barriers for those with criminal records.
• Tacoma Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Initial accreditation partner for Associate of Arts degree. Partnership began in 2014 to accredit FEPPS courses. Students transferred to Olympic College in 2024.
• Bard Prison Initiative National ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEPPS is a member of the Bard Prison Initiative National Consortium of Liberal Arts in Prison.
• Henry Art GalleryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with FEPPS to publish 'We Own Our Words' - a zine of poetry and art created by FEPPS students.
• Black and PinkminorOthersNational organization dedicated to ending the prison industrial complex and supporting incarcerated LGBTQ people. FEPPS highlighted as resource and partner organization.
• 75 University of Puget Sound Faculty VolunteerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner75 UPS faculty volunteer their time to teach incarcerated women at WCCW through the FEPPS program.
• Prison Pet PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership inside WCCW where students can train for dog grooming while incarcerated.
• New ConnectionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Wang Symposium presentation at Pacific Lutheran University.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Northwestern Prison Education Program: Northwestern University-led college-in-prison program offering credit-bearing liberal arts courses in Illinois facilities. FEPPS staff (e.g., Anna Dellit) previously worked at NPEP, and the programs share a residential-credit, university-extension structure.
• Goucher Prison Education Partnership: Maryland-based college-in-prison program offering credit-bearing courses and pathways toward a BA. It is a fellow WHEP member and mirrors FEPPS' university-partnered, volunteer-instructor model.
• Bard Prison Initiative: Flagship U.S. college-in-prison program offering full BA degrees to incarcerated students across multiple New York facilities. BPI is the field-defining model that FEPPS explicitly benchmarks against and is a fellow Bard National Consortium member.
• Wesleyan Center for Prison Education: Wesleyan University's college-in-prison program offering a BA pathway at Cheshire and York correctional facilities. Fellow WHEP member with a comparable selective, cohort-based BA model anchored by volunteer faculty.
• Portland State University Higher Education in Prison: PSU's HEP initiative delivers accredited degrees inside Oregon state prisons and is a fellow WHEP member, sharing FEPPS' public-university partnership and re-entry support orientation.
• Eastern Michigan University College in Prison Program: EMU's college-in-prison program offering credit-bearing liberal arts courses in Michigan facilities. Fellow WHEP member serving a women's-prison population and operating on a comparable volunteer-faculty model.
• Utah Prison Education Project: University of Utah-affiliated college-in-prison program offering AA and BA pathways in Utah state facilities. Fellow WHEP member with comparable accreditation-partnership and cohort-admissions structure.
• Georgetown University Prisons and Justice Initiative: Georgetown's college-in-prison program providing accredited coursework to incarcerated students. It is a fellow WHEP member and operates with comparable academic-partnership, volunteer-faculty, and Pell-driven models.
• Rutgers University New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP): Rutgers-affiliated statewide consortium offering college courses in New Jersey prisons. Fellow WHEP member operating a public-university partnership model similar to FEPPS' UPS relationship.

Regional players

• Prison Pet Partnership: Animal-care vocational program operating inside WCCW with which FEPPS partners (e.g., its Pathways Program Manager Tonya Wilson's board service). It shares the same facility and student population but addresses workforce rather than academic higher-education outcomes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freedom-education-project-puget-sound

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Freedom Education Project Puget Sound