SOAR Foundation

What SOAR Foundation does

SOAR Foundation (树华教育基金会, Shuhua Education Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit (EIN: 94-3255490) founded in 1995 in the San Francisco Bay Area by Zhang Xiaofeng (张笑枫) to provide scholarships to impoverished and academically capable Chinese youth so they can complete secondary and higher education. The foundation is headquartered at 39812 Mission Blvd., Suite 203, Fremont, CA, with a Beijing Representative Office established in 2022, and has grown from a small group of supporters to over 3,000 individual and organizational donors.

The foundation operates three core programs: a High School Program providing $450 per year for three years to students from poor families in rural and underdeveloped areas of China; a College Program providing at least $700 per year (up to $1,000) for one to four years for SOAR graduates admitted to universities; and a Mentor Program pairing volunteer mentors with scholarship recipients. A sub-program, the Broad Love Scholarship, is funded by an anonymous donor. The foundation does not use proprietary technology products; distribution relies on a network of designated school-system nominators across underdeveloped counties in 25 provinces, with scholarships disbursed via direct bank deposit to students who must return receipts. The foundation partners with the China Education Development Foundation (中国教育发展基金会) to manage 2025 university scholarships.

The revenue model is entirely donation-based (checks, Zelle, PayPal, credit card, bank transfer, stock, and Amazon Smile), with 100% of donations reportedly going directly to students and operations run by unpaid volunteers. An endowment fund provides an estimated 5% annual appropriation, contributing roughly 16% of total scholarship disbursement. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and advised by an Academic Advisory Committee, and maintains a Sunshine Policy of financial transparency via semi-annual newsletters and published financial reports since 1996.

Name

SOAR Foundation

Legal name

The SOAR Foundation

Website

https://soarfoundation.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Scholarships

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Need-Based Grants & Bursaries (EDAIAOAB)

Keywords

• Educational scholarships
• Nonprofit charity
• Rural education
• Student scholarships
• Volunteer mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Fremont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: SOAR Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN: 94-3255490) that operates entirely on donations. Donors contribute funds that are used exclusively for student scholarships. The foundation emphasizes that 100% of donations go directly to students. Donation methods include check, Zelle, PayPal, credit card, bank transfer, stock donation, and Amazon Smile program. Company matching programs are also supported.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SOAR Foundation provides educational scholarships to impoverished and academically capable Chinese youths to enable them to complete secondary and post-secondary education. The foundation runs a High School Program ($450/year for three years), a College Program ($700-$1000/year for one to four years), and a volunteer Mentor Program connecting scholarship recipients with mentors for guidance. Operations span a US headquarters in Fremont, CA and a Beijing Representative Office.

Product overview

SOAR Foundation operates a unified scholarship program consisting of three core offerings: the High School Program providing $450/year for three years to academically excellent students lacking funding; the College Program providing $700-$1000/year for university students who graduated from the high school program or are recommended by SOAR nominators; and the Mentor Program connecting scholarship recipients with volunteer mentors for guidance. The foundation also publishes Student Newsletters (树华小天地) as a platform for student communications and creative writing since 1999. A named sub-brand, the Broad Love Scholarship, provides additional funding through an anonymous donor. The organization does not operate as a software platform but as a charitable scholarship distribution system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High School Program Scholarship program providing $450 per year for three years to academically excellent high school students from impoverished backgrounds in rural China who lack funding to continue their education. Students must maintain good academic standing to renew, and become eligible to apply for college scholarships upon graduation.
• College Program Scholarship program for SOAR high school and vocational school graduates admitted to universities and provincial colleges, providing the RMB equivalent of at least $700 per year (with increments up to $1000/year) for one to four years depending on graduation requirements. Sponsors may elect to support students until graduation.
• Mentor Program Volunteer mentorship program connecting qualified volunteers and alumni with SOAR scholarship recipients to provide regular guidance on studies and life skills. Mentors also provide feedback to SOAR on students' ongoing needs, creating a continuous support relationship beyond financial aid.
• Broad Love Scholarship Program Named sub-brand scholarship program established with a $50,000 anonymous donation, providing approximately 20 scholarships annually (~$10,000/year) supporting needy high school, college, and vocational students from poor areas in China. The donor committed an additional $50,000 once the initial amount is exhausted.

Quantifiable outcome

• 266 students awarded in first year, growing to 1,200+ students annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

One partnership is on record.

• China Education Development Foundation (中国教育发展基金会)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022SOAR partners with China Education Development Foundation for scholarship distribution and management. The foundation's China representative office works with this organization to process applications and distribute scholarships. SOAR's 2025 university scholarship applications are jointly managed with this partner, and scholarships are distributed through this organization.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• China Education Development Foundation: SOAR's official in-country partner for scholarship distribution since 2022. China Education Development Foundation is a national-level public foundation that funds education programs for underprivileged Chinese students, making it the closest functional and operational peer to SOAR's scholarship work.
• Amity Foundation: US-anchored NGO with deep operations in China focused on education, health, and rural development. Comparable to SOAR as a cross-border, donor-funded foundation channeling resources from Western donors into Chinese educational and social programs.
• Half the Sky Foundation: US-based nonprofit operating programs in China for children in orphanages and family-settings, including education support. Comparable to SOAR's US-domiciled, China-delivered model of donor-funded educational services for vulnerable youth.
• Give2Asia: US-based nonprofit that facilitates charitable giving from US donors to local partners across Asia, including China. Comparable to SOAR's cross-border fundraising-and-grantmaking infrastructure serving Chinese education programs.
• China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation: Major Chinese public foundation funding education, livelihood, and student-support programs in underdeveloped regions. Comparable to SOAR's rural-China focus on scholarships and student assistance to impoverished youth.

Broad incumbents

• Room to Read: Large international nonprofit focused on literacy and girls' education across Asia and Africa. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating education scholarship and school programs at much larger scale than SOAR.
• Children International: US-based international nonprofit sponsoring children's education including scholarships in multiple developing countries. Comparable as a broader-incumbent US-headquartered sponsor-a-child / scholarship model with international footprint.
• Project HOPE: US-based global health and education nonprofit with longstanding programs in China. Comparable as a cross-border US-headquartered foundation channeling donor funds into Chinese education and welfare programs.

Regional players

• Soong Ching-ling Foundation: Major China-based public foundation funding children's education, welfare, and cultural programs. Comparable as a larger regional Chinese foundation operating in the children's education and scholarship space where SOAR also works.
• China Women's Development Foundation: National-level Chinese foundation funding education and development programs for women and students in underdeveloped areas. Comparable in mission to SOAR's need-based scholarships for impoverished youth in rural China.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/tqQnIoWA8qk
• Facebookfacebook.com/soaronline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SOAR Foundation