Irving Schools Foundation

What Irving Schools Foundation does

Irving Schools Foundation (ISF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation established in May 1985 in Irving, Texas, that operates exclusively as the affiliated fundraising and program arm of the Irving Independent School District. The foundation's mission is to remove barriers to educational equity for Irving ISD students (over 80% of whom are economically disadvantaged) by funding scholarships, classroom innovation, basic needs, and teacher professional development. Programs are delivered through nine named initiatives: the Scholarships Program (over $9.3 million awarded since 1987, including 250+ awards totaling ~$591,950 in 2025), Spark Tank competitive classroom grants (303 projects and $1M+ deployed since 2013), Employee Enrichment Grants (up to $1,000 per teacher for professional development), Food for Thought (1,700 weekly food bags across 35 campuses), the C2C Store / Uniform Closet (no-cost supplies distributed from the ISF Warehouse), Supplies for Success (6,800+ backpacks annually), the Employee Giving Campaign, and Caring and Sharing.

ISF's revenue model is entirely contribution-based: individual donations, corporate sponsorships from a defined set of Foundation Impact Partners (Nissan, Bank of America, Truist, PwC, Frost Bank, Cotality/CoreLogic, FHL Bank Dallas, Heidelberg Materials, PBK, and several local family foundations), proceeds from three signature annual events (Breakfast with the Stars since 1987, Legacy Gala since 2011 — over $5.5M cumulative — and the Nelson Charity Classic Golf Tournament), endowed scholarships (with up to 4-year donor pledges), and the formal Employee Giving Campaign (2025-2026 goal of $400,000). The foundation is governed by a 35+ member Board of Directors and operated by a 14-person staff led by President & CEO Crystal Ramirez-Scanio. Operations are anchored at two Irving facilities: the headquarters at 1138 Luke Street and the ISF Warehouse (opened March 2022) at 1216 Luke Street, which houses the C2C Store and Food for Thought distribution.

The foundation has no proprietary technology stack — its distribution model is relationship-mediated through Irving ISD's 35 campuses, school counselors, and teachers, with digital presence limited to a website, email newsletter, and active social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube). The operating model is community-led and event-driven: strategic priorities are set through board committees, volunteer engagement is structurally important (volunteers assemble food bags, staff the C2C Store, and support the annual events), and there is no equity ownership, parent company, or venture funding — the organization is wholly supported by philanthropy.

Name

Irving Schools Foundation

Legal name

Irving Schools Foundation

Website

https://irvingschoolsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Irving Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1985 that supports Irving ISD students and teachers through scholarships, classroom grants, food distribution, and supply programs across the district's 35 campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD), Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration (EDADAHAD)

Keywords

• Education foundation services
• Student scholarship programs
• Teacher grant programs
• School supply distribution
• Food insecurity programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Irving

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Unrestricted and designated gifts from community members supporting ISF programs and initiatives
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Support from businesses including Impact Partners who sponsor events and programs
3. Special Event Proceeds: Revenue generated from Legacy Gala, Golf Tournament, and other fundraising events. Legacy Gala has generated more than $5.5 million since 2011.
4. Endowed Scholarships: Donors establish endowed scholarships that are invested; earnings fund scholarships in perpetuity. Donors can make pledge payments over up to 4 years.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Irving Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports Irving Independent School District (Irving ISD) students and teachers through college scholarships, classroom innovation grants, professional development grants for educators, food security programs, and free school supply distribution. The foundation funds and operates programs such as Scholarships, Spark Tank grants, Employee Enrichment Grants, Food for Thought food bag distribution, the C2C Store, Supplies for Success, and Caring and Sharing, and sustains them through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and signature fundraising events.

Product overview

Irving Schools Foundation is a nonprofit educational foundation supporting Irving ISD students and teachers through multiple programmatic offerings. The organization operates as a platform of educational support programs including scholarship funding (Scholarships Program with over $9.3M awarded since 1987), competitive classroom grants (Spark Tank), professional development support (Employee Enrichment Grants), food security initiatives (Food for Thought with 1,700+ weekly food bags), and school supply distribution (C2C Store, Supplies for Success). Signature fundraising events include Breakfast with the Stars, Legacy Gala, and Golf Tournament. The Foundation is governed by a board of directors and managed by a small staff team including the President & CEO.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Breakfast with the Stars: Annual scholarship awards ceremony celebrating Irving ISD senior scholarship recipients
• Spark Tank
• Food for Thought
• C2C Store (Community to Classroom)
• Supplies for Success
• Employee Giving Campaign
• Employee Enrichment Grants
• Caring and Sharing
• Legacy Gala

Products and services

• Scholarships Program College and continuing education scholarships awarded to Irving ISD seniors and district employees. Since 1987, over $9.3 million in scholarships has been awarded.
• Spark Tank Grants Competitive grant program awarding funds to Irving ISD teachers for innovative, out-of-the-ordinary classroom projects and learning experiences. Since 2013, 303+ projects representing over $1 million have been funded, impacting 180,000+ students, teachers, and staff.
• Employee Enrichment Grants
• Food for Thought Weekend and school break food distribution program providing 1,700+ weekly food bags to students at risk for food insecurity across 35 Irving ISD campuses.
• C2C Store (Community to Classroom) No-cost 'store without a cash register' located at the ISF Warehouse (1216 Luke Street) where Irving ISD teachers shop by appointment for free backpacks, school supplies, and uniforms for students in need.
• Supplies for Success
• Caring and Sharing
• Employee Giving Campaign Annual fundraising effort empowering Irving ISD employees to support foundation initiatives including innovative programs and scholarships. The 2025-2026 campaign runs August 5 to October 3, 2025 with a goal of $400,000.
• Breakfast with the Stars Annual scholarship celebration event held at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas honoring scholarship recipients and donors. The 39th annual event took place April 29, 2026, awarding more than 250 college scholarships.
• Legacy Gala Signature annual fundraising event celebrating the rich history of Irving ISD and the legacy of community leaders. Proceeds have generated more than $5.5 million since inception in 2011.
• Nelson Charity Classic Golf Tournament

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $9.3 million in scholarships awarded since 1987
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Irving ISDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Primary partner school district. ISF exists to support Irving Independent School District students and teachers. All programs operate through Irving ISD schools and staff.
• The Nelson Golf and Sports ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for annual ISF Golf Tournament (Nelson Charity Classic). Partners with ISF for day of golf and giving back.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Communities Foundation of Texas: Large regional grantmaking organization serving North Texas, including scholarship and education-funding vehicles. Broader portfolio than ISF but overlapping donor base and overlapping education-grantmaking activities make it a relevant scale and operating peer.
• United Way of Metropolitan Dallas: Major regional nonprofit that funds education, basic needs, and social services across North Texas. Overlaps with ISF in addressing student basic needs and education equity, and competes for some of the same corporate donor dollars.
• Houston ISD Foundation: Larger-scale education foundation supporting Houston ISD, with overlapping scholarship and grant programs but a materially bigger beneficiary base and budget. Operates in a different Texas metro but serves a structurally similar population.
• The Dallas Foundation: Community foundation serving the Dallas region with education grantmaking as one of several priority areas. Comparable in mission scope (grantmaking to support local education) but operates at materially larger scale and across broader issue areas.

Direct peers

• Plano ISD Education Foundation: Education foundation supporting Plano ISD with scholarships for graduating seniors and grants for teachers. Highly comparable in structure, scale, and mission scope — both organizations are the principal 501(c)(3) supporting their respective districts.
• Dallas Education Foundation: Nonprofit foundation supporting Dallas ISD students and teachers with scholarships, classroom grants, and direct-service programs. Operates in the same metro area and serves a comparable population with a similar mix of scholarship, grant, and basic-needs programming.
• Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Education Foundation: Adjacent DFW-area education foundation providing scholarships, innovative teaching grants, and basic-needs support to CFBISD students. Operates in the same regional labor market and competes for the same pool of corporate donors as ISF.
• Arlington ISD Foundation: Nonprofit foundation supporting Arlington ISD students with scholarships, teacher grants, and basic-needs programs. Comparable in mission, program mix, and the demographic profile of students served in a Texas urban-suburban district.

Emerging players

• DonorsChoose: National crowdfunding platform for teacher classroom project funding — directly comparable to ISF's Spark Tank grants program in functional offering. Operates at much larger geographic scale and through a different funding model but addresses the same teacher-grant use case.

Others

• Feeding America (North Texas Food Bank): Regional food bank addressing child hunger — overlaps with ISF's Food for Thought program in addressing student food insecurity. Not a direct peer but a critical ecosystem partner and potential collaborator or substitute for food-security funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iisdfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyAi4Nm18n4v__7WG9cqQlA
• Facebookfacebook.com/irvingschoolsfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irvingschoolsfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/irvingschoolsfoundation
• TikToktiktok.com/@irvingschoolsfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Irving Schools Foundation