Bentonville Schools Foundation

What Bentonville Schools Foundation does

Bentonville Schools Foundation (BSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation headquartered at 500 Tiger Blvd, Bentonville, Arkansas, that channels community and corporate investment into programs supporting Bentonville Public Schools. Founded in 1990 and operating with a lean staff of two (Executive Director Jenn Cozens and Executive Assistant Lisa Cobb) overseen by a 13-member Board of Directors, BSF delivers a portfolio of programs including teacher grants, community scholarships administered with Bentonville High School and Bentonville West High School, the annual Gold Rush 5k and Fun Run, the Gold Rush Run Club, the Academic Signing recognition event, and Social Sundays community gatherings. The foundation reports cumulative impact of over $1.4 million in grants distributed, more than $800,000 in scholarships awarded, and more than 15,000 lives impacted annually.

The foundation's product surface consists of grant-making, scholarship administration, event management, and student programming rather than technology products; its operating stack is limited to a WordPress website, Constant Contact for newsletters, Givecloud for online donations, and Regwiz for race registration. The Gold Rush 5k, now in its 16th year, is the centerpiece event, drawing nearly 3,000 runners and serving as the primary fundraising and community-engagement vehicle.

BSF generates revenue through three streams: tiered corporate and event sponsorships (Community Champion $20,000 down to School Supporter $1,000), individual community donations, and race registration fees. Its go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, anchored by the Gold Rush race, Social Sundays, the First Friday partnership with Downtown Bentonville Inc., and direct advocacy from board members that includes senior Walmart executives. The foundation serves a single geographic market (Bentonville / Northwest Arkansas) and a single beneficiary constituency (Bentonville Public Schools students, teachers, and families).

Name

Bentonville Schools Foundation

Legal name

Bentonville Schools Foundation

Website

https://bentonvilleschoolfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bentonville Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds teacher grants, student scholarships, and community programs for Bentonville Public Schools in Northwest Arkansas, anchored by its annual Gold Rush 5k race.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Foundation Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

Keywords

• Educational foundation funding
• Classroom grant programs
• Student scholarship programs
• Community fundraising events
• Corporate sponsorship packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Bentonville

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate & Event Sponsorships: BSF generates revenue through tiered sponsorship packages (Community Champion $20,000 down to School Supporter $1,000) for the Gold Rush race and year-long partnerships. Sponsors receive logo placement, social media recognition, newsletter mentions, race registrations, and in some tiers, scholarship naming rights and grant delivery opportunities.
2. Individual Donations: BSF solicits donations from individuals in the community who want to support educational excellence in Bentonville Public Schools. Donations help fund teacher grants, student scholarships, and program initiatives.
3. Race Registration Fees: The annual Gold Rush 5k and Fun Run generates registration revenue from participants. The 2026 race is the 16th annual event, expected to draw nearly 3,000 runners.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bentonville Schools Foundation is a nonprofit educational foundation that channels community and corporate donations into teacher classroom grants, community scholarships for high school seniors, and student enrichment programs for Bentonville Public Schools. Its core offerings include Teacher Grants, Community Scholarships, the Gold Rush 5k race and Fun Run, the Gold Rush Run Club, the Academic Signing ceremony, and Social Sundays community gatherings.

Product overview

Bentonville Schools Foundation is a non-profit educational foundation that supports Bentonville Public Schools through a portfolio of programs including Community Scholarships, Teacher Grants, the Gold Rush Race event series, Academic Signing ceremonies, and Social Sundays community gatherings. The foundation connects schools with community partners and resources through various sponsorship and partnership programs, primarily engaging with local businesses and community members rather than operating as a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Scholarships Scholarship dollars from local businesses and individuals awarded through partnerships with Bentonville High School and Bentonville West to deserving seniors.
• Teacher Grants Annual funding awarded to Bentonville Public Schools teachers for innovative classroom projects and collaborative initiatives that bring creative teaching ideas to life.
• Gold Rush 5k and Fun Run Annual community race event held in Downtown Bentonville celebrating school run clubs and raising funds for BSF programs.
• Academic Signing Annual ceremony celebrating top scholars and their most influential teachers across Bentonville Public Schools.
• Gold Rush Run Club Free student training program meeting twice weekly for Bentonville Schools students to help them prepare for their personal record in the Gold Rush 5k.
• Social Sundays Informal community gatherings where BSF board members, staff, and volunteers connect with supporters to share information about foundation programs.
• Gold Rush Sponsorship Packages Tiered corporate partnership packages providing businesses brand visibility through logo placement, social media recognition, newsletter mentions, race registrations, and grant delivery opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1.4 million in grants distributed to support innovation and excellence
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Downtown Bentonville Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSF partners with Downtown Bentonville Inc. for its annual Gold Rush race, aligning with the First Friday community event to maximize participation and community engagement in Downtown Bentonville.
• Bentonville High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSF partners with Bentonville High School to award community scholarships — local businesses and individuals contribute scholarship dollars administered through the school to deserving seniors.
• Bentonville West High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSF partners with Bentonville West to award community scholarships — local businesses and individuals contribute scholarship dollars administered through the school to deserving seniors.
• SPB (Gold Rush 2026 Presenting Sponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSPB is the presenting sponsor for the 2026 Gold Rush 5k race, serving as the top-tier race sponsor and visible brand partner for the event.
• HJ (Community Builder Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHJ is a Community Builder-level sponsor of the Gold Rush race, providing financial support in exchange for logo placement and brand visibility at the event.
• Arvest (Community Builder Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerArvest is a Community Builder-level sponsor of the Gold Rush race, providing financial support in exchange for logo placement and brand visibility at the event.
• Flintco (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond-level sponsor of the Gold Rush race, with logo placement on race materials and signage.
• NWA Endo (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond-level sponsor of the Gold Rush race, with logo placement on race materials and signage.
• F1rst (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond-level sponsor of the Gold Rush race, with logo placement on race materials and signage.
• Maxim (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond-level sponsor of the Gold Rush race, with logo placement on race materials and signage.
• Crossland (Diamond Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond-level sponsor of the Gold Rush race, with logo placement on race materials and signage.
• Kelly Education (Platinum Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum-level sponsor of the Gold Rush race, with logo placement on race materials and signage.
• 8th Walton (Platinum Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum-level sponsor of the Gold Rush race, with logo placement on race materials and signage.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• DonorsChoose: National crowdfunding platform that channels donations to public school teacher classroom project requests. Comparable as a teacher-grant intermediary competing for the same donor dollar, though at a national rather than single-district scale.
• AdoptAClassroom: National nonprofit enabling direct sponsorship of K-12 classrooms and teachers. Comparable mission overlap with BSF's teacher grants, though operating as a national marketplace rather than a community-anchored foundation.
• Walmart Foundation / Walmart.org: Corporate philanthropy arm of Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville. Comparable as the dominant local philanthropic funder whose interests overlap with BSF's K-12 priorities and whose executives sit on BSF's board.
• NEA Foundation: National education association-affiliated foundation funding public school innovation and student success. Comparable mission overlap with BSF's teacher grants and student programs at a much larger national scale.
• Arkansas Public School Resource Center: Statewide education services cooperative supporting Arkansas public schools. Comparable as a higher-level K-12 support organization within the same state ecosystem that BSF's district-level work feeds into.

Regional players

• Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving the broader NWA region including Bentonville. Comparable as a grantmaking entity in the same geography, though operating at a wider scope across multiple causes rather than K-12 only.
• Bella Vista Schools Foundation: Education foundation supporting Bella Vista area K-12 schools in Northwest Arkansas. Comparable as a regional K-12 grantmaking foundation operating in the same NWA geography and donor pool.

Direct peers

• Fayetteville Public Education Foundation: Fayetteville, AR-based K-12 education foundation funding teacher grants and student scholarships. Closest structural peer to BSF: district-aligned, donor-funded, and operating in the same Northwest Arkansas regional ecosystem.
• Rogers Public Schools Education Foundation: Foundation serving the neighboring Rogers, AR school district with teacher grants and scholarships. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and Northwest Arkansas geography as the closest K-12 education foundation peer to BSF.
• Springdale Public Schools Education Foundation: Education foundation for Springdale Schools, the largest district in Northwest Arkansas. Directly comparable as a neighboring district-based K-12 grantmaking and scholarship foundation operating in the same NWA donor and sponsor market.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FoundationBPS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bentonville-schools-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Bentonville Schools Foundation