Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County

What Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County does

The Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County (PSFTC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity established in 1986 and headquartered in Lafayette, Indiana. The foundation's stated mission is to promote excellence in education and encourage classroom innovation by providing grants in academics and the arts to public school teachers in Tippecanoe County. It serves as the primary community foundation supporting all three school corporations in the county: Lafayette School Corporation (LSC), Tippecanoe School Corporation (TSC), and West Lafayette Community School Corporation (WLSC). Over 37 years of operation, donors have funded projects in every public school building and at every grade level in the county.

PSFTC's core product is the Seeds for Excellence Grant Program, a competitive grant program that awards funding to teachers for innovative classroom projects, typically disbursed in spring and fall cycles. Supporting programs include Rapid Response Grants (created during COVID-19 for emergency needs), Grant Writing Workshops, and the Honor an Educator tribute program. The organization also operates community fundraising events including the annual Cupcake Run/Walk for Public Education (10th annual in 2025, raising over $20,000), Boo Bash & Family Movie Night, and a Cupcake Bake Off culinary competition for high school students. The foundation has no proprietary technology platform; it operates a standard informational website (psftc.org) with an online grant application process and a Facebook social media presence.

The foundation's business model is donation-driven rather than revenue-generating. PSFTC raises funds through event registrations, corporate sponsorships (with major partners including Tate & Lyle, Primient, and Purdue College of Education), payroll deductions through LSC and TSC, and passive community giving programs including Kroger Community Rewards, Amazon Smile, Walmart Spark Good, and Indiana Education License Plates. The organization is governed by a board of directors and led by Executive Director Christine Isbell, operating with a small team of approximately 5 employees. Annual grant disbursements have historically ranged from approximately $15,000 to $22,000 per cycle, indicating a small but consistent operating scale.

Name

Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County

Legal name

Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County, Inc.

Website

https://psftc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that provides grants to public school teachers in Tippecanoe County, Indiana for innovative classroom projects in academics and the arts, funded through donations, events, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit / Grantmaking Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration (EDADAHAD), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Educational grant funding
• Teacher classroom grants
• Nonprofit education foundation
• Community fundraising events
• Public school innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: PSFTC raises funds through donations, event registrations (Cupcake Run, Boo Bash), corporate sponsorships, and community rewards programs (Kroger, Amazon Smile, Walmart Spark Good). These funds are then distributed as grants to public school teachers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PSFTC raises funds through community donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events, then distributes those funds as competitive grants to public school teachers in Tippecanoe County for innovative classroom projects in academics and the arts. Its flagship program, Seeds for Excellence, awards grants in spring and fall cycles using a rubric-based proposal evaluation. Supporting programs include Rapid Response emergency grants, Grant Writing Workshops, and the Honor an Educator tribute program.

Product overview

The Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County (PSFTC) operates as a nonprofit foundation rather than a technology company. Its portfolio consists of educational support programs centered around grant funding for teachers. The core offering is the Seeds for Excellence Grant Program, which provides competitive awards to public school teachers for innovative classroom projects in academics and the arts. Supporting programs include Rapid Response Grants for emergency educational needs, Grant Writing Workshops to help teachers develop competitive proposals, and the Honor an Educator tribute program. The organization also runs community fundraising events including the annual Cupcake Run/Walk for Public Education, Boo Bash & Family Movie Night, and the Cupcake Bake Off culinary competition for high school students. These events raise funds for the grant program while building community engagement with local public schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seeds for Excellence Grant Program A competitive grant program that awards funding to public school teachers in Tippecanoe County for innovative classroom projects in academics and the arts. Teachers submit proposals which are evaluated using a rubric, with funding typically awarded in spring and fall cycles.
• Rapid Response Grants Emergency grants created during the COVID-19 pandemic to help schools develop reopening plans and support learning continuity needs.
• Cupcake Run/Walk for Public Education An annual fundraising event featuring a 5K, 10K, and kids' run that raises money for the teacher grant program. Participants receive cupcakes, medals, and t-shirts. The event includes sponsorships from local businesses.
• Boo Bash & Family Movie Night An annual fall festival event held at Wea Creek Orchard featuring games, hayrides, pumpkin activities, prize basket drawings, and outdoor movie screenings. Proceeds support the teacher grant program.
• Grant Writing Workshops Free workshops for public school teachers that provide guidance on writing competitive grant proposals, including tips from professional grant writers and past recipients. Participants can earn Professional Growth Plan credits.
• Honor an Educator Program A tribute program allowing community members to honor teachers with donations. Honorees receive a note pad and pen along with a card acknowledging the gift.
• Cupcake Bake Off Competition A culinary competition for area high school culinary classes where teams create cupcake recipes using specific ingredients provided by event sponsors like Tate & Lyle and Primient. Features Best in Show and People's Choice awards with prize money.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37+ years of continuous operation funding teacher grants
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fresh Thyme Farmers MarketminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 October 2014Local grocer that selected PSFTC as one of the organizations they support in the community.
• Purdue College of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner that co-sponsors the Cupcake Run and supports educational initiatives in the community.
• Kroger/PaylessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Rewards Program allowing shoppers to support PSFTC by linking their loyalty card (NPO #49225).
• Walmart Spark GoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline giving program allowing shoppers to direct donations to PSFTC.
• Fun RacesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent management partner for the Cupcake Run/Walk for Public Education.
• Amazon SmileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShoppers can select PSFTC as their charity and a portion of purchases is donated.
• Indiana Bureau of Motor VehiclesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributes Indiana Education License Plates with proceeds directed to school district foundations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• DonorsChoose: National crowdfunding platform that lets individuals fund public school teacher classroom projects. Operates at vastly greater scale than PSFTC and competes with it for both teacher participation and donor attention.
• NEA Foundation: National education grantmaking foundation supporting public school educators. Operates at much larger scale than PSFTC with global-readiness grants and innovation programs, but addresses the same teacher funding gap.
• AdoptAClassroom.org: National nonprofit that funds K-12 teachers through direct donations and corporate partnerships. Comparable teacher-grant distribution model with much broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation: Indiana-based education foundation that raises funds and awards grants to Indianapolis Public Schools teachers. Directly comparable to PSFTC in mission, structure, and grant-making model, though operating in a larger urban district.
• Hamilton County Education Foundation: Community education foundation serving Hamilton County, Indiana, providing classroom grants to public school teachers. Strong geographic and functional overlap with PSFTC.
• Smith Charitable Foundation: Listed as a Cupcake Run sponsor; representative of similar small private foundations in the region that fund education initiatives. Comparable in scale and grant-disbursement model.

Regional players

• Greater Lafayette Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the same Lafayette/Tippecanoe County geography as PSFTC. While broader in scope, it competes for the same local donor pool and runs education-focused grantmaking programs.
• United Way of Greater Lafayette: Local United Way affiliate serving Tippecanoe County that funds community programs including education initiatives. Competes for the same corporate donors and community dollars in the same geography.
• Foundation for Education (Tipp County): Representative peer of school-district-affiliated education foundations in Indiana. Operates with a similar volunteer-driven, grant-distribution model across a single geographic area.

Others

• Purdue College of Education: Academic partner of PSFTC that co-sponsors events and supports educational initiatives. While not a direct peer, Purdue is a key ecosystem participant and potential channel for teacher engagement and research-backed programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PSFTC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/public-schools-foundation-of-tippecanoe-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County