The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia

What The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia does

The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 that began active fundraising in 2015, operating as a fiscal intermediary between private philanthropy and the Philadelphia public education system. It identifies, coordinates, and connects philanthropic resources from foundations, corporations, and individuals to the School District of Philadelphia, which serves more than 200,000 students across 342 district, charter, and alternative education schools. The Fund works directly with the Superintendent and school leadership to align donor capital with district strategic priorities, claiming to be the only philanthropic organization in this specific role for the district.

The organization's portfolio of programs includes Philly FUNDamentals (a GiveCampus-powered crowdfunding platform enabling direct school-level giving), the Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund, Back the Bell (student-designed merchandise), the Philadelphia Public School Giving Circle (collective philanthropy at $250 membership), Groceries for Good (nutrition), Read to Succeed (literacy), the Teacher Appreciation Fund, the Opportunity Fund, the School Resource Academy pilot, and the GreenFutures environmental education program. Revenue is generated entirely through charitable contributions: individual donations, corporate and foundation grants (special partners include The William Penn Foundation, Comcast NBCUniversal, GIANT, GSK, Goldman Sachs, and the John B. Rosenthal Foundation), event-based fundraising, and fiscal intermediary services. Cumulatively, The Fund has raised $64 million since 2015 and set a $40 million five-year goal in 2023 to support Accelerate Philly.

Name

The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia

Legal name

The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia

Website

https://thefundsdp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a fiscal intermediary channeling private philanthropy to the School District of Philadelphia, raising $64 million since 2015 to support its 200,000+ students through crowdfunding, named funds, and corporate partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

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

SECONDARYBPAGAKAA

Private Foundations

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

SECONDARYBPAGADAB

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

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

Keywords

• Public education philanthropy
• School fundraising programs
• Education grantmaking
• Nonprofit education funding
• Fiscal intermediary services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting public education in Philadelphia, including recurring donors and one-time gifts through various campaigns and the general donation form.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Support from foundations and corporations including special partners like The William Penn Foundation, Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation, The GIANT Company, GlaxoSmithKline, and Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women initiative.
3. Event-Based Fundraising: Revenue from signature events like Back the Bell merchandise sales, Dress Down Day campaigns, concerts (The War on Drugs Drugcember series), and community events like the Wharton 5K.
4. Fiscal Intermediary Services: The Fund serves as a fiscal intermediary between the private sector and the Philadelphia public education system, managing and directing philanthropic contributions to strategic priorities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a fiscal intermediary between private sector donors and the Philadelphia public school system, identifying, coordinating, and connecting philanthropic resources through public-private partnerships. It operates a portfolio of named programs and funds (Philly FUNDamentals, Read to Succeed, Groceries for Good, Giving Circle, etc.) that channel individual donations, corporate contributions, and foundation grants to specific school-level needs and district-wide strategic priorities.

Product overview

The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia operates as a philanthropic fiscal intermediary connecting private sector investments with public school needs. The organization manages a portfolio of named programs: Philly FUNDamentals (crowdfunding platform), the Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund, Back the Bell (merchandise campaign), Groceries for Good (nutrition program), Read to Succeed (literacy initiative), Philadelphia Public School Giving Circle (micro-grants), Funding Accelerate Philly (strategic funding), Teacher Appreciation Fund, Opportunity Fund, Back-to-School Bus Tour, School Resource Academy, and GreenFutures Program. Together these offerings provide direct funding, resources, and support to Philadelphia's public schools and students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Philly FUNDamentals: A crowdfunding platform that allows donors to give directly to a Philadelphia public school's specific needs identified by school leadership.
• Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund
• Back the Bell
• Philadelphia Public School Giving Circle
• Read to Succeed
• Groceries for Good
• The Opportunity Fund
• Teacher Appreciation Fund
• Back-to-School Celebration & Bus Tour

Quantifiable outcome

• $64 million raised to support the School District of Philadelphia since 2015
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, flagship and core.

• Goldman Sachs One Million Black WomenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership announced in January 2022 to continue to grow The Fund's impact supporting Black women and educational equity.
• Sheryl Lee RalphmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmmy-winning actress and Philadelphia native whose Emmy win celebration raised over $200,000 for Read to Succeed program. Partner in promoting public education.
• Senator Vincent HughesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPennsylvania State Senator who founded Read to Succeed program in 2012 and hosted Eagles watch party benefiting the program.
• Quinta BrunsonflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPhilly native and Abbott Elementary creator/star partnered with The Fund on the Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund. Featured on Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, and Michelle Obama's IMO Podcast. Raised $150K with goal of full endowment.
• The War on DrugsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhiladelphia rock band that has hosted 'A Drugcember to Remember' concert series since 2018, raising over $53,000 in 2022. Grammy-nominated band leveraging fame to support Philly schools.
• Philadelphia 76ersmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerManaging partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer supported The Fund. Co-sponsored Klein College Mock Pitch competition where students pitched campaigns to the Sixers.
• Mural Arts PhiladelphiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated special mural for Comegys Elementary school community and other school art projects.
• ReAnimator CoffeemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreated specialty coffee roasts (Jalen Hurts roast, Saquon Barkley roast, Foles-gers blend) with proceeds benefiting The Fund.
• GiveCampus (Philly FUNDamentals)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform powering the Philly FUNDamentals crowdfunding site that allows donors to give directly to schools.
• Philadelphia School DistrictflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe primary beneficiary - The Fund works directly with Superintendent, executive team, and school leadership to align philanthropic investments with district strategies.
• Andrew Toy, Jeff Hornstein, Maurice GoodmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founders of the Philadelphia Public School Giving Circle, a collective philanthropy initiative with quarterly micro-grants to underserved schools.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• GreatPublicSchools (Pittsburgh): Pittsburgh Public Schools Foundation supporting Pittsburgh K-12 education through private philanthropy. Comparable fiscal intermediary model but operates in a different Pennsylvania metro region.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey: Major regional philanthropy umbrella that includes donor choice designation for The Fund (#15022) and supports broader social services including K-12 education. Comparable regional philanthropic infrastructure with overlapping donor base.

Direct peers

• DonorsChoose: Public school crowdfunding platform that allows donors to fund individual teacher classroom project requests. Closely analogous to Philly FUNDamentals in the direct-to-school digital giving model.
• San Francisco Education Fund: Nonprofit supporting San Francisco Unified School District through private fundraising and direct school grants. Comparable mission of augmenting public K-12 funding through private philanthropy in a single urban district.
• Chicago Public Education Fund: Independent nonprofit that supports Chicago Public Schools by connecting philanthropic resources with district priorities. Highly comparable urban K-12 fiscal intermediary model with district alignment focus.
• Fund for Public Schools (NYC): Fiscal intermediary and independent 501(c)(3) that raises private funds for New York City public schools. Directly comparable model: aligning philanthropic capital with district strategic priorities through direct partnership with district leadership.
• Boston Public Schools Fund: Independent nonprofit fundraising arm for Boston Public Schools that channels private donations into district priorities. Closely analogous urban district-aligned philanthropic intermediary operating in a major US city.

Others

• GiveCampus: Crowdfunding platform powering Philly FUNDamentals. Functionally comparable as enabling technology for school-based fundraising, though operates as an infrastructure provider rather than competing fundraiser.
• Scholastic Education Group: Major K-12 publisher and education partner that has donated books through The Fund's events. Comparable as a corporate partner supporting K-12 educational resources but is primarily a for-profit publisher rather than a peer intermediary.

Emerging players

• EdFund: Public education foundation supporting K-12 schools in the San Jose area with district-aligned grantmaking and direct-to-school support. Similar nonprofit intermediary model but at smaller regional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/fundphlschools
• Xx.com/fundPHLschools
• Facebookfacebook.com/fundPHLschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thefundsdp

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia