Rochester Education Foundation

What Rochester Education Foundation does

Rochester Education Foundation (REF) is a Rochester, New York-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2005 that delivers educational enrichment, literacy, music, and college-access programs to Rochester City School District (RCSD) students. The organization operates a portfolio of four core programs: the Smile Program (enrichment and STEM support across all 25 RCSD elementary schools), Give Back Give Books (literacy and book distribution), Music and Arts for All (instrument donation and music lesson scholarships), and College Access and Success (FAFSA completion and college pipeline support). REF supplements these with branded initiatives including FAFSA Fest, the Future Fair career-exploration event, and Champions' Circle (an annual donor recognition program at $250+/year).

REF is also the convener of the Rochester College Access Network (RCAN), a coalition of 30+ organizations including RCSD and charter school counselors, eight local colleges and universities, and community-based organizations working to increase college access regionally. The foundation has distributed 85,000+ books and 4,000+ pre-owned musical instruments since inception and reports reaching 20,000 students annually.

REF's business model is donations-and-grants based, with revenue derived from individual contributions (including the Champions' Circle), corporate sponsorships (M&T Bank, Wegmans, Excellus BCBS, Paychex), and foundation grants (Rochester Area Community Foundation, M&T Charitable Foundation). The organization employs 8 staff, is led by Executive Director Amy Stein, and operates from a single office at 225 W. Broad Street in Rochester. There is no proprietary technology platform; program delivery occurs through direct school partnerships and community events rather than software or AI-driven products.

Name

Rochester Education Foundation

Legal name

Rochester Education Foundation

Website

https://rochestereducation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rochester Education Foundation is a Rochester, NY-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2005 that delivers educational enrichment, literacy, music, and college-access programs to Rochester City School District students, reaching 20,000 students annually across four core programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Foundation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advancement Services & Donor Operations (CRM, Gift Processing, Stewardship) (EDALAOAD), District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ)

Keywords

• Education foundation services
• K-12 student enrichment
• College access programs
• Literacy and music education
• Nonprofit education support

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

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 Grants: REF relies on donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and grants from foundations to fund all programs. The Champions' Circle membership program offers annual giving at $250+ levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rochester Education Foundation (REF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a portfolio of educational support programs for Rochester City School District (RCSD) students. Its core offerings include the Smile Program (elementary enrichment across all 25 RCSD elementary schools), Give Back, Give Books (literacy/book distribution), Music and Arts for All (musical instrument donations and music scholarships), and College Access and Success (FAFSA support, college application help, and the convening of the Rochester College Access Network). All services are provided free of charge to students and families.

Product overview

Rochester Education Foundation (REF) is a non-profit organization that operates as a portfolio of educational support programs rather than a unified technology product. The organization offers four core programs: the Smile Program (supporting RCSD elementary schools with enrichment activities and STEM learning), Give Back, Give Books (literacy initiative distributing books to students and libraries), Music and Arts for All (providing instruments and music education), and College Access and Success (helping students navigate college applications and financial aid). These programs are supplemented by specific initiatives including FAFSA Fest (free financial aid filing assistance events), RCAN (Rochester College Access Network - a collaborative network of counselors and educational professionals), Future Fair (career exploration for 7th graders), and Champions' Circle (annual donor program at $250+). The organization also hosts fundraising events including online auctions, jazz festival instrument collections, and annual toast events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RCAN (Rochester College Access Network): A collaborative network convened by REF comprising RCSD and charter school counselors, college professionals, and community organizations focused on increasing college access and success.
• Smile Program
• Give Back, Give Books
• Music and Arts for All
• College Access and Success
• FAFSA FEST!
• Future Fair

Products and services

• Smile Program Enrichment program that supports all 25 RCSD PreK-6 elementary schools by funding parent/teacher organizations, Just Plain Fun activities, and Learning Is Fun STEM opportunities. Reaches over 11,000 elementary students annually.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000 students impacted annually across all programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rochester College Access Network (RCAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN is a collaborative network convened by REF comprising RCSD and charter school counselors, admissions professionals from local colleges, and community-based organizations. Launched in April 2013, RCAN's mission is to increase college access and success through coordinated communication, coalition, and advocacy.
• Monroe Community College (MCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing college campus tours for RCSD students and hosts Future Fair events at MCC Brighton Campus.
• University of RochestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing admissions and financial aid office professionals for college access collaboration.
• Nazareth UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member participating in collaborative college access efforts.
• RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing admissions support and college access resources.
• St. John Fisher UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member hosting Future Fair 2024 at their campus for RCSD 7th graders.
• SUNY BrockportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing college access collaboration.
• SUNY GeneseocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member participating in college access network.
• Roberts Wesleyan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing college access support.
• RochesterWorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing workforce development and career resources.
• Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing community-based college access support.
• Ibero American Action LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing bilingual college access services.
• Boys and Girls ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing youth development and college readiness programs.
• Center for YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCAN member providing youth services and college support.
• M&T BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2008, M&T Bank has provided a booth at Rochester International Jazz Festival for instrument donations. Volunteers from M&T Bank assist with collecting instruments from festival-goers.
• Eastman School of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabled over 500 students to see professional music performances. Students perform at REF events.
• Hochstein School of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided virtual musical lessons during COVID-19 pandemic for students with instruments at home.
• Advantage Federal Credit UnioncoreOthersREF is located in office suite at the back of Advantage Federal Credit Union building at 225 W. Broad Street.
• National Academy FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provided 18 paid summer internships at Rochester companies for RCSD students.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National College Attainment Network (NCAN): National membership and advocacy organization that recognized REF in the 2018 FAFSA Completion Challenge. Comparable in FAFSA-completion focus and college-access mission, though NCAN operates as an association/convening body rather than a direct service provider.
• Education Foundation of America: National family foundation focused exclusively on education philanthropy with a comparable grantmaking and programmatic-support model. Operates at greater scale but shares REF's mission of directing private capital to underserved K-12 and postsecondary education.
• KIPP Foundation: National nonprofit charter school network focused on college access for students from underserved communities. Shares REF's college-access-for-low-income-students mission, though KIPP delivers through K-12 school operations rather than supplemental services.

Direct peers

• College Possible: National nonprofit that provides near-peer coaching for college access and FAFSA completion, directly overlapping REF's College Access and Success program and FAFSA Fest. Operates a more structured AmeriCorps coaching model but pursues the same outcome (college enrollment) for low-income students.
• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF): National nonprofit focused on children's literacy and book distribution. Directly comparable to REF's Give Back, Give Books program, which has distributed 85,000+ books since 2005. RIF operates at much greater scale and offers a model for national book-distribution infrastructure.
• Rochester Area Community Foundation: Rochester-based community foundation that has commissioned REF's college access report and provides major grant funding for education initiatives. Same regional footprint and education-funder role, making it both a peer and a partner.
• Communities In Schools: National nonprofit that places site coordinators inside K-12 schools to deliver integrated student supports. Highly comparable to REF's embedded-in-school delivery model (especially Smile Program in all 25 RCSD elementary schools), though at significantly greater scale.
• Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: National nonprofit that donates musical instruments to schools and underserved students. Directly comparable to REF's Music and Arts for All program, which has donated 4,000+ instruments since 2005. Highly similar in mission and instrument-distribution model.
• United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes: Regional nonprofit that funds and convenes education, financial stability, and health programs across Rochester. Comparable in funding model (corporate + individual donations), governance (community board), and beneficiary base (underserved Rochester residents).
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Rochester: Local RCAN member and youth-development nonprofit serving Rochester youth with enrichment and college-readiness programming. Comparable in mission (educational equity), target population (underserved city youth), and reliance on donations and corporate sponsorships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/rochestereducationfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rochester-education-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Rochester Education Foundation