District 214 Education Foundation

What District 214 Education Foundation does

The District 214 Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 36-3425698) founded in 1985 and headquartered at 2121 South Goebbert Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois, that exists to raise and deploy private funds in support of students attending High School District 214. The Foundation channels donor contributions into four priority funds — Career Pathways, Fine Arts, Classroom Innovation, and Student Wellness (branded as 214 Cares) — serving approximately 12,000 students across six comprehensive high schools (Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove, John Hersey, Prospect, Rolling Meadows, and Wheeling) and several specialized learning programs. According to its stated mission, the Foundation explicitly prioritizes students from low- to moderate-income households, noting that nearly one in three District 214 students face some form of financial hardship.

The Foundation operates with a four-person staff (Executive Director Dr. Lázaro López, Associate Director Brooke Snell, Alumni and Community Relations Coordinator Joann Krestel, and Development Coordinator Chase Polyak) and is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of attorneys, bankers, and executives from local institutions including Daily Herald Media Group, Old Second National Bank, Lakeside Bank, Blackhawk Bank, and Wintrust Financial Corporation. Revenue is generated entirely through donations and ancillary activities: individual contributions, corporate and foundation gifts, donor-advised fund grants, tribute/memorial gifts, employer matching gifts, stock and securities gifts, merchandise sales through an online store, and proceeds from the annual Tee Up for 214 golf event hosted at Topgolf Schaumburg. The Foundation has no proprietary technology platform; its operational infrastructure consists of a Squarespace-hosted website, a NationBuilder-powered alumni database, and the AwardSpring scholarship application platform.

The Foundation's programs include a portfolio of scholarships (awards ranging from $500 to $10,000), the 214 Cares emergency assistance program (which has supported nearly 500 families since its pandemic launch), the Career Pathways Fund (which has served more than 1,000 students with career-connected learning experiences), the Fine Arts Fund (supporting hundreds of students with instruments, costumes, and performance opportunities), and the Classroom Innovation Fund (providing Educator Innovation Grants). The Foundation also maintains a D214 Retiree Association (approximately 500 members) and an Alumni Network spanning graduates of all eight original comprehensive high schools across the district's history.

Name

District 214 Education Foundation

Legal name

District 214 Education Foundation

Website

https://214foundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The District 214 Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises and deploys private funds through scholarships, career pathways, fine arts, classroom innovation, and student wellness programs to support approximately 12,000 students across six public high schools in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Education foundation services
• Student scholarship programs
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Community education support
• School district philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individual donors made online via credit card or by mail with check. Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN 36-3425698.
2. Corporate and Foundation Gifts: Gifts from corporations and foundations supporting scholarships, event sponsorships, and in-kind donations.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from Tee Up for 214 annual golf event including player fees, sponsorships, raffle proceeds, and in-kind donations.
4. Donor-Advised Fund Grants: Grants recommended by donors through their donor-advised funds to support Foundation programs and scholarships.
5. Tribute and Memorial Gifts: Gifts made in honor or memory of individuals, often specified for scholarships.
6. Employer Matching Gifts: Donations matched by employers to amplify employee charitable contributions.
7. Stock and Securities: Gifts of stock or securities accepted via electronic funds transfer or wire.
8. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including polo shirts, pullover jackets, golf shirts, t-shirts, and mugs through the Foundation store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

District 214 Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports students across six High School District 214 comprehensive high schools and specialized learning programs. It operates four priority funds (Career Pathways, Fine Arts, Classroom Innovation, and Student Wellness), administers dozens of named scholarships, manages an alumni network and retiree association, and runs an annual Tee Up for 214 golf fundraising event and a branded merchandise store.

Product overview

District 214 Education Foundation operates as a single unified non-profit organization offering multiple interconnected programs and services. The core offerings include scholarship programs across six comprehensive high schools and specialized learning programs, four key funding initiatives (Career Pathways, Fine Arts, Classroom Innovation, and Student Wellness/214 Cares), an Alumni Network, and a Retiree Association. Supporting infrastructure includes the annual Tee Up for 214 golf fundraising event and a merchandise store selling branded apparel. Together, these programs serve 12,000 students and aim to fuel opportunity and well-being for every student in District 214.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 214 Cares: Student Wellness Fund that supports students and families with food and clothing, housing and transportation, medical and mental health expenses, and other critical emergency needs.

Products and services

• District 214 Education Foundation Scholarships Scholarship programs supporting District 214 students across Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove, John Hersey, Prospect, Rolling Meadows, and Wheeling high schools, with awards ranging from $500 to $10,000 for academic, athletic, arts, and career-focused criteria.
• 214 Cares Student Wellness Fund Emergency assistance program providing food, clothing, housing, transportation, medical and mental health support to District 214 students and families facing financial hardship.
• Career Pathways Fund Program funding industry-specific tools, equipment, career-connected learning experiences, AP exam fee offsets, and targeted scholarship support for students pursuing career and college pathways.
• Fine Arts Fund Program supporting creative expression through investments in instruments, costumes, materials, and performance opportunities for hundreds of students across District 214 schools.
• Classroom Innovation Fund Educator Innovation Grants and hands-on learning programs that empower teachers to bring new ideas to life, enhancing student engagement across classrooms and disciplines.
• Tee Up for 214 Golf Event Annual golf fundraising event at Topgolf Schaumburg with player registration, sponsorship packages, and raffle participation supporting District 214 students.
• Alumni Network Network connecting District 214 alumni across eight original comprehensive high schools, offering alumni programming, class reunions, and engagement opportunities powered by a NationBuilder database.
• D214 Retiree Association Association founded in 1985 connecting approximately 500 former District 214 employees through activities including yoga, pickleball, book clubs, art classes, and organized day trips.
• Branded Merchandise Store Online store selling branded merchandise including polo shirts ($35), jackets and pullovers ($20), golf shirts ($15), high school t-shirts ($15), and mugs ($5).

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1,000 students supported in accessing career-connected learning experiences
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• Topgolf SchaumburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2026Venue host for the annual Tee Up for 214 fundraising event. Provides interactive golf play, event space, and amenities for the Foundation's primary annual fundraising event benefiting District 214 students.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Learning Forward: National professional learning association for educator development, focused on training and supporting K-12 teachers. Adjacent peer that shares the educator-innovation and classroom-improvement mission but emphasizes professional development over direct student aid.

Direct peers

• Foundation for Springfield Public Schools: 501(c)(3) foundation supporting a single K-12 district (Springfield, MO), funding classroom grants, scholarships, and student wellness programs. Closely mirrors D214 Foundation's single-district, multi-fund operating model.
• Education Foundation of Sarasota County: Florida-based district-affiliated K-12 education foundation funding teacher grants, scholarships, and student programs. Same single-district nonprofit foundation model with comparable classroom innovation and scholarship portfolio.
• DonorsChoose: Online crowdfunding platform that lets teachers request and donors fund classroom resources for K-12 public schools. Directly comparable in the K-12 educational fundraising category, with overlapping donor base and career-connected learning use cases.
• AdoptAClassroom: National 501(c)(3) that crowdsources donations from individuals and corporations to fund K-12 classroom needs. Highly comparable as a donation-driven K-12 support organization, though operating at national scale versus D214's single-district scope.
• Hennepin Education Foundation: Minnesota-based education foundation that funds classroom innovation grants, scholarships, and student programs for K-12 schools. Operates the same district-affiliated K-12 support model with similar scholarship and innovation grant programs.

Broad incumbents

• National Education Foundation: Larger national nonprofit focused on STEM and workforce skills for underserved students. Broad incumbent offering overlapping career-pathway and student-support programming but at national scale across multiple districts.
• Scholarship America: Large national scholarship administration nonprofit managing donor-funded scholarship programs. Operates in an overlapping space with D214's scholarship portfolio but at much larger scale with national employer partnerships.
• Kids In Need Foundation: National 501(c)(3) providing school supplies and learning resources to K-12 students in need. Overlaps with D214's student wellness and basic-needs support mission but operates through a national supply chain rather than local donor fundraising.

Others

• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Regional food bank addressing food insecurity across the Chicago area. Adjacent rather than directly comparable — its mission overlaps the 214 Cares Student Wellness Fund's food and basic-needs component but at vastly larger regional scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/D214-Education-Foundation-61578654824804
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/district-214-education-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/214.educationfoundation
• Xx.com/d214foundation

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 District 214 Education Foundation