What Georgia Foundation for Public Education does

The Georgia Foundation for Public Education (GFPE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2010 by the Georgia General Assembly to support educational excellence across Georgia's K-12 public school system. GFPE serves as the official philanthropic arm of the Georgia Department of Education, with a mission targeting the state's 1.7 million public school students through grant programs, tax-credit-enabled donation mechanisms, and corporate partnerships. The organization is governed by a statewide Board of Directors representing all major Georgia regions and operates with a small staff of approximately 5 employees, the most senior of which—Executive Director Paige Buzbee—is described as the foundation's first full-time hire.

GFPE's core offerings center on the PEACH Education Tax Credit, a dollar-for-dollar Georgia state income tax credit allowing individual taxpayers, corporations, and pass-through entities to redirect state tax liability to public education. Surrounding the tax credit is a portfolio of competitive grant programs: the Innovative Education Fund ($25,000–$50,000 for program pilots and expansions), Workforce for Georgia Grants (up to $50,000 for CTAE and College and Career Academy programs, funded by the Georgia Power Foundation), the Rural Education Fund (up to $10,000 for rural districts with populations of 35,000 or fewer), Early Literacy Alignment Mini-Grants (up to $5,000), and Teacher Grants for Innovation ($500–$2,500). The foundation also runs the Educators License Plate Program, generating funds through specialty license plate sales distributed via Georgia county tag offices. Underlying technology is limited to an online grant portal (grants.gfpe.org), a tax-credit pre-approval application system, and the public website; there is no proprietary software, AI, or technology platform.

The foundation's revenue model is donation-driven across four streams: PEACH Education Tax Credit donations, direct charitable contributions, corporate partnership grants, and license plate proceeds. Distribution is handled through direct grant-making and a network of 80+ School Fundraising Plan Partners that actively raise funds through the PEACH Tax Credit. Grant distributions scaled from $2.35 million in FY2022 to $7.12 million in FY2025, with $7.4 million in PEACH Tax Credit requests fulfilled in 2025 and total organizational expenses of $7.81 million in FY2025. Strategic partners include Georgia Power Foundation, the College Football Playoff Foundation, Synovus, AT&T, Google, Cognia, and CodeHS, plus operational alignment with the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning.

Name

Georgia Foundation for Public Education

Legal name

Georgia Foundation for Public Education

Website

https://gfpe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Georgia Foundation for Public Education (GFPE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created by the Georgia General Assembly in 2010 to channel tax-credit-enabled donations and competitive grants to Georgia's K-12 public schools and districts, serving all 1.7 million public school students statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government Student Financial Aid Agencies (EDADAHAA), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Education philanthropy
• K-12 public education
• School grant funding
• Education tax credit
• Nonprofit foundation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta, Georgia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PEACH Education Tax Credit Donations: Georgia taxpayers apply for pre-approval to redirect state income taxes to GFPE in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. The cap was recently increased from $5 million to $15 million. Individual donors can contribute up to $2,500 (single) or $5,000 (married joint). Corporations can contribute up to 75% of annual Georgia income tax liability.
2. License Plate Proceeds: A portion of funds from Support Education and Honor Educators specialty license plates ($10 per plate purchased or renewed) is directed to GFPE to support programs like Teacher of the Year, rural education, and grants to state schools for blind, deaf, and hard-of-hearing students.
3. Direct Donations: Direct charitable donations from individuals and corporations. GFPE can act as fiscal agent for county/municipality work with local school districts and accept tax-deductible donations of any size.
4. Corporate Partnership Grants: Partnership grants from corporate partners such as Georgia Power Foundation (Workforce for Georgia Grants up to $50,000), and other corporate donors supporting specific grant programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Georgia Foundation for Public Education (GFPE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that supports educational excellence in Georgia's K-12 public schools by administering the PEACH Education Tax Credit program (a dollar-for-dollar state income tax credit for donations) and operating multiple competitive grant programs including the Innovative Education Fund, Early Literacy Alignment Mini-Grants, Teacher Grants for Innovation, Workforce for Georgia Grants, and Rural Education Fund. GFPE acts as a fiscal agent for county/municipality education projects and directs proceeds from specialty license plates to teacher recognition and rural education initiatives.

Product overview

The Georgia Foundation for Public Education operates as a unified platform offering multiple grant programs and the PEACH Education Tax Credit to support educational excellence in Georgia's K-12 public schools. The core offerings include the PEACH Education Tax Credit (a dollar-for-dollar tax credit program), the Innovative Education Fund Grants ($25,000-$50,000 for innovative programs), Early Literacy Alignment Mini-Grants (up to $5,000), Teacher Grants for Innovation ($500-$2,500 for classroom projects), Workforce for Georgia Grants (up to $50,000 for CTAE programs), and the Rural Education Fund (up to $10,000 for rural schools). The organization also operates a Grant Portal platform for applications and an Educators License Plate Program generating funds for public education initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PEACH Education Tax Credit: A tax credit program allowing Georgia taxpayers to donate to public education and receive a dollar-for-dollar state income tax credit.
• Georgia Teachers Initiative (GTI)

Products and services

• PEACH Education Tax Credit A dollar-for-dollar state income tax credit program allowing Georgia taxpayers (individuals, S-corp shareholders, LLC members, partnerships, and corporations) to redirect state tax dollars to public education through GFPE to fund innovative programs in K-12 schools.
• Innovative Education Fund Grants Grant program providing $25,000-$50,000 to Georgia public schools, districts, and partner nonprofits to implement or scale innovative education programs that improve student outcomes. Includes Prototype Grants, Expansion Grants, and the Innovation for Impact Fund (up to $30,000 for CSI/TSI schools).
• Early Literacy Alignment Mini-Grants Grant program providing up to $5,000 to Georgia public elementary schools for strategic partnerships with early child care providers to align literacy practices and facilitate smooth transitions for pre-K and kindergarten students.
• Teacher Grants for Innovation Competitive grants of $500-$2,500 awarded to Georgia public school teachers through the Georgia Teachers Initiative to implement creative classroom projects. Applications reviewed on rolling basis.
• Workforce for Georgia Grants Partnership grants up to $50,000 with Georgia Power Foundation providing school districts funding to implement or scale Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) and College and Career Academy programs to meet local workforce needs.
• Rural Education Fund Grant program providing up to $10,000 to rural schools and districts in counties with 35,000 or fewer residents to drive student success.
• GFPE Grant Portal Online application portal where Georgia schools, districts, and teachers can submit and manage grant applications to GFPE's various grant programs.
• Educators License Plate Program Specialty license plate program (Support Education and Honor Educators plates) allowing Georgia residents to support public education through tag purchases and renewals, with GFPE receiving $10 per plate purchased or renewed. Proceeds fund Teacher of the Year, rural education, and grants to state schools for blind, deaf, and hard-of-hearing students.

Quantifiable outcome

• $21 million+ in grant dollars to Georgia schools since 2017
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• College Football Playoff FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Partnership to create the Georgia Teachers Initiative (GTI), a statewide effort to provide teachers with resources and recognition. GTI includes Teacher Grants for Innovation ($500-$2,500) and Teacher Recognition Spotlight Awards.
• Innovation Fund Foundation (IFF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Merger completed in January 2022 combining GFPE and IFF operations under the GFPE name. IFF was formerly housed within the Governor's Office of Student Achievement. The merger expanded capacity to fund innovation and added the Qualified Education Donation (QED) Tax Credit capability.
• Georgia Power FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to fund the Workforce for Georgia Grant Program, providing school districts offering CTAE or College and Career Academies with up to $50,000 to implement or scale career pathway programs. Georgia Power Foundation provides the funding while GFPE administers the grant program.
• Georgia Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFPE is the official foundation of the Georgia Department of Education. GADOE provides institutional support and alignment, while GFPE supplies funding outside federal, state, or local funding constraints to Georgia schools.
• Cognia Inc.supportingTechnology or IntegrationEducation accreditation and improvement organization listed as partner, potentially providing educational expertise and network connections.
• CodeHSsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCoding education platform listed as partner, potentially supporting computer science education initiatives in Georgia schools.
• Innovation Fund FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrior to 2022 merger, IFF cooperated with GFPE since March 2020 to provide COVID-19 relief funding. Now fully merged into GFPE.
• Georgia Department of Early Care and LearningsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Early Literacy Alignment Mini-Grants, which fund strategic partnerships between early care providers and local public elementary schools.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AdoptAClassroom.org: National nonprofit that enables individuals and corporations to directly fund K-12 classroom needs and teacher supplies. Similar donor-to-teacher funding model and K-12 focus as GFPE's teacher grant programs.
• Public Education Foundation (Nevada): Statewide education foundation supporting Nevada K-12 public schools through grants, scholarships, and teacher support programs. Closely comparable to GFPE in mission, structure, and K-12 grantmaking focus.
• Pinellas Education Foundation: County-level education foundation in Florida providing grants, scholarships, and teacher support to Pinellas County Schools. Comparable structure and grantmaking mission to GFPE at a more local geographic scale.
• Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools: District-level education foundation supporting Oklahoma City Public Schools through grants, teacher programs, and corporate partnerships. Closely comparable structure and K-12 grantmaking mission to GFPE at a district scale.

Others

• KIPP Foundation: National nonprofit network of public charter schools that supports K-12 education through funding, training, and college persistence programs. Adjacent in K-12 education philanthropy but operates charter schools rather than funding traditional public schools.

Emerging players

• DonorsChoose: Crowdfunding platform that connects donors directly with public school teachers for classroom project funding. Overlaps with GFPE's Teacher Grants for Innovation in funding classroom-level education projects, though it uses a national, donor-direct model.
• Get Schooled Foundation: Nonprofit that partners with school districts and corporations to support student engagement, college access, and career readiness. Comparable K-12 focus with corporate partnership channel similar to GFPE's Workforce for Georgia Grants.
• SchoolFund: Ed-tech platform enabling K-12 schools and PTAs to raise funds through retailer rewards programs. Comparable in enabling schools to capture alternative funding streams, though through a tech-enabled consumer rewards model rather than direct grantmaking.

Broad incumbents

• The Education Trust: National nonprofit advocating for educational equity and supporting K-12 schools through research, policy, and grantmaking. Operates broadly in education philanthropy with a focus on closing achievement gaps.
• National Education Foundation: National nonprofit that partners with schools and employers to deliver STEM, career, and workforce-readiness programs to underserved students. Comparable mission around workforce-aligned K-12 education funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georgia-foundation-for-public-education

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Georgia Foundation for Public Education