Berkeley Public Schools Fund

What Berkeley Public Schools Fund does

The Berkeley Public Schools Fund is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit founded in 1983 (originally as the Berkeley Public Education Foundation) in response to Proposition 13 tax restructuring that constrained public school funding. It operates exclusively as a community-supported bridge between Berkeley donors and Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD), investing approximately $1 million annually into grants, volunteer programs, and STEM enrichment across all Berkeley public schools. The organization is staffed by nine employees led by Executive Director Duffy Ross and governed by an independent Board of Directors chaired by Abby Smith, a Principal at Bain & Company's San Francisco office.

The Schools Fund runs four core program lines: (1) Equity Grants — including LEADING for Equity grants up to $15,000 for district-wide initiatives and LEARNING for Equity grants up to $10,000 for school-based projects; (2) Berkeley Schools Volunteers (BSV), a volunteer matching platform that placed 427 classroom volunteers across 17 schools in 2023-24; (3) a K-12 STEM pipeline comprising Super Science Saturdays (grades 1-5), Maker Camp (grades 6-9), and afterschool STEM Enrichment Pilots; and (4) Food Security programs in partnership with the Berkeley Food Network, which reach 725+ families through school-site pantries and home grocery delivery. It also operates fiscal sponsorship services for school projects, charging a 10% administrative fee.

Revenue is generated through a diversified community fundraising model: individual donations (one-time and monthly recurring), corporate sponsorships at tiered levels (Champion $25,000+ down to Friend $500+), the annual Spring Luncheon event (which raised over $260,000 in 2026), planned giving through bequests and IRA beneficiary designations (processed via FreeWill), gifts of appreciated stock and Donor Advised Funds (processed through Charles Schwab), and 10% fiscal sponsorship fees. Operating costs run 20-30% of annual budget. Technology infrastructure consists of a web-based donation platform, an online volunteer application and matching portal, and the Schools Fund is not an AI-adopting entity — its technology stack is conventional nonprofit CRM and web tooling without proprietary AI components.

Name

Berkeley Public Schools Fund

Legal name

Berkeley Public Schools Fund

Website

https://berkeleypublicschoolsfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Berkeley Public Schools Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that channels approximately $1 million annually from Berkeley donors into equity grants, classroom volunteers, STEM enrichment, and food security programs serving all Berkeley Unified School District schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Nonprofit Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• K-12 education nonprofit
• Equity grant programs
• School volunteer coordination
• STEM enrichment services
• Community fundraising foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from community members including parents, alumni, grandparents, and Berkeley residents supporting public education.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Business sponsorships for events like the Spring Luncheon, with tiered recognition levels from Champion ($25,000+) to Friend ($500+).
3. Event Fundraising: Annual Spring Luncheon raising funds through ticket sales and sponsorships. The 2026 event raised over $260,000 total.
4. Planned Giving & Bequests: Legacy giving through wills, living trusts, IRA beneficiary designations, and other estate planning tools.
5. Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: Administrative fees charged to groups seeking 501(c)3 status for school projects. Typically 10% of deposited funds (15% in rare circumstances).
6. Stock & DAF Gifts: Gifts of appreciated stock or Donor Advised Fund contributions, processed through Charles Schwab.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Berkeley Public Schools Fund is a community-supported nonprofit that raises and deploys roughly $1 million annually into programs supporting Berkeley Unified School District. Its core offerings are Equity Grants to educators (LEADING for Equity up to $15,000 and LEARNING for Equity up to $10,000), the Berkeley Schools Volunteers program for classroom and school support placements, a K-12 STEM pipeline (Super Science Saturdays, Maker Camp, afterschool STEM enrichment), and food security initiatives serving hundreds of BUSD families.

Product overview

The Berkeley Public Schools Fund is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) established in 1983 that provides a portfolio of programs supporting Berkeley Unified School District. The organization operates three core programmatic areas: (1) Equity Grants including LEADING for Equity (up to $15,000 for district-wide initiatives) and LEARNING for Equity (up to $10,000 for school-based projects) awarded annually to BUSD educators; (2) Berkeley Schools Volunteers (BSV) comprising Classroom Volunteers for in-class support and School Support Volunteers for district-wide basic needs and special initiatives; and (3) STEM Programs including Super Science Saturdays for grades 1-5, Maker Camp for grades 6-9, and STEM enrichment pilots. Additional services include food security programs, fiscal sponsorships, and the annual Spring Luncheon fundraiser. The organization annually invests approximately $1 million into these programs serving all Berkeley public schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equity Grants Annual grant programs supporting BUSD educators with equity-focused projects, including LEADING for Equity (up to $15,000 for district-wide initiatives) and LEARNING for Equity (up to $10,000 for school-based projects). Awards 35 educator-led projects in 2025-26.
• Berkeley Schools Volunteers (BSV) Volunteer program connecting community members with BUSD classrooms, including Classroom Volunteers (CV) for in-class support and School Support Volunteers (SSV) for district-wide initiatives such as food security, library support, and special projects. Made 427 classroom volunteer placements across 17 schools in 2023-24.
• Super Science Saturdays A six-weekend STEM program offered in spring and fall for 1st-5th graders, featuring hands-on activities, science museum visits, and workshops with local STEM professionals. Part of the K-12 STEM pipeline serving 500+ students annually.
• Maker Camp A 4-week summer program for 6th-9th graders offering hands-on STEM learning in game design, animation, engineering, and career-connected learning with a bridge to Berkeley High School's CTE program. Part of the K-12 STEM pipeline serving 500+ students annually.
• Food Security Programs Food security initiatives including school-site food pantries, home grocery delivery, and BHS on-campus food equity programs. 725+ families accessed supplemental food support at monthly school site pantries; 500+ families and 850+ priority high school students served each school year through BHS On-Campus Food Equity program.
• Fiscal Sponsorships Administrative services for groups supporting Berkeley school projects, providing 501(c)(3) status and typically charging a 10% administrative fee on deposited funds (15% in rare circumstances). Run by Executive Director Duffy Ross.
• STEM Enrichment Pilots Afterschool STEM enrichment programs delivered in partnership with BUSD classified staff at school sites, providing engineering challenges and coding activities for students in 1st-5th grade. Piloted at Oxford and Malcolm X schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 427 Classroom Volunteer placements across 17 schools in 2023-24
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary district partner since 1983. The Schools Fund directs resources to BUSD through grants, STEM programs, volunteer services, and food security initiatives supporting all Berkeley public schools and educators.
• Berkeley Food NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCritical food supply partner since 2019. Provides nutritious food for school-site food pantries, home grocery delivery, and BHS on-campus food equity programs serving 500+ families annually.
• Wareham DevelopmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in K-12 STEM programming and Career Technical Education (CTE) collaboration, supporting the STEM pipeline from elementary through high school pathways.
• UC BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as community partner. Schools Fund collaborates with UC Berkeley programs and the university community supports Berkeley public schools through various initiatives.
• Office of Family Engagement & Equity (OFEE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUSD department serving priority families. Schools Fund partners with OFEE on food security programs and family engagement initiatives, acting as both funding and thought partners.
• Berkeley PTA CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization representing PTAs across Berkeley schools, working together to support public education initiatives.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oakland Public Education Fund: Direct peer — Oakland-based 501(c)(3) that mobilizes resources and partners to support Oakland public school students through grants, programs, and community engagement. Operates a near-identical model to the Berkeley Public Schools Fund in a neighboring district.
• Silicon Valley Education Foundation: Direct peer — STEM-focused education nonprofit serving multiple Silicon Valley school districts, including educator grants and STEM pipeline programs analogous to the Berkeley Fund's Super Science Saturdays and Maker Camp.
• San Francisco Education Fund: Direct peer — San Francisco-based nonprofit supporting SFUSD students through scholarships, grants, and mentorship. Closely comparable city-specific education foundation model serving a single district.
• Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE): Direct peer — Palo Alto-based nonprofit that funds PAUSD via donations from parents and community. Runs an annual giving campaign and grants educator positions and programs, paralleling the Berkeley Fund's equity-grant and donor-driven model.
• Edison Rising / Long Beach Education Fund: Direct peer — Long Beach-based education foundation providing grants, scholarships, and enrichment programs to Long Beach Unified School District. Mirrors the Fund's single-district donor-supported model.

Broad incumbents

• DonorsChoose: Broader peer — national platform connecting donors to public school teachers for classroom project funding. Comparable mission of channeling donor dollars to educators, though operating as a technology platform rather than a local foundation.
• California PTA: Broader peer — statewide parent-teacher association that engages families and raises funds for public schools across California. Comparable donor-driven public school support mission at much larger scale and through a membership-driven model.
• Tipping Point Community: Broader peer — Bay Area-focused poverty-fighting nonprofit that funds high-impact local organizations. While not exclusively education, it is a comparable Bay Area philanthropic institution and a likely funder/peer to the Fund's food-security and equity work.
• California Education Partners: Broader peer — California-focused nonprofit supporting school district leaders and educators through network and capacity-building programs. Larger scope but overlapping on educator-focused capacity building and equity work.

Regional players

• San Mateo County Schools Foundation: Regional peer — county-level education foundation operating across San Mateo County school districts with grants and student programs. Comparable in structure but operates at county scale rather than single-city.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schools_fund
• Facebookfacebook.com/berkeleypublicschoolsfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkeley-public-schools-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Berkeley Public Schools Fund