What Woodside High School Foundation does

Woodside High School Foundation is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Woodside, California, whose sole purpose is to raise private funds that close the gap between California public school funding and the actual cost of a high-quality education at Woodside High School. The foundation operates as a fundraising vehicle — it has no students, faculty, or curriculum of its own — and channels all proceeds into academic programming, counselor positions, and student services at the school. In 2024-2025 it raised approximately $1.5 million (down from $1.6 million in 2023-2024), supporting three additional counselors, a College Access Program, and a Mental Health Center that benefit the school's roughly 1,500–1,711 students.

The foundation's "product" is a multi-channel donation platform comprising an annual giving campaign (target $1,750/student, 50% family participation), online donation processing via DonorPerfect, stock/securities contributions, donor-advised fund grants through DAF Direct (Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, BNY Mellon), corporate sponsorship tiers for the annual auction (Diamond $5,000, Gold $2,000, Silver $650), employer matching via Double the Donation, and community buy-in party events ($50–$125 per person). Donors are recognized at giving levels from Scholars' Circle (up to $2,999) through Leadership Circle ($3,000–$9,999) to Benefactors' Circle ($10,000+). The organization is governed by a 29-member volunteer Executive Board led by Co-Presidents Elizabeth Albanese and Marlene Sloger, with Executive Director Donna Hall managing operations and WHS Principal Karen van Putten serving ex-officio.

The foundation's customer segments are current school families (primary, targeted at 50% participation), alumni, parents of alumni, local businesses/sponsors, and broader community members. Geo scope is entirely domestic — the San Francisco Peninsula and California. The foundation distributes impact through the school administration, which identifies funded programs; outcome metrics include a 95% college attendance rate, 20 AP courses, 83 elective options, and 70% of faculty holding advanced degrees. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, and no commercial product — the foundation is structurally a community fundraising cooperative with structured giving tiers and event programming.

Name

Woodside High School Foundation

Legal name

Woodside High School Foundation

Website

https://whsfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Woodside High School Foundation is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises private funds to bridge the gap between public funding and the cost of high-quality education at Woodside High School, serving ~1,700 students annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Fundraising Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), 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

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Education fundraising services
• Nonprofit donor programs
• College preparation programs
• Community school support
• Event-based fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Primary revenue stream from individual donors including current school families, alumni, parents of alumni, and community members. Donations range from $1,750 per student goal to multi-year loyalty gifts. Recognized at giving levels: Benefactors' Circle ($10,000+), Leadership Circle ($3,000-$9,999), Scholars' Circle (up to $2,999).
2. Annual Campaign: Fall Annual Campaign and Spring Fund-a-Need drives for recurring donations from the school community.
3. Event Fundraisers: Revenue from buy-in parties, annual auction, and community events like the crab feed. Events include ticket sales ($50-$125 per person for buy-in parties) and auction item purchases.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Business Partner Program with Diamond ($5,000), Gold ($2,000), and Silver ($650) tiers for auction and event sponsorships.
5. Employer Matching: Donations may qualify for employer matching through Double the Donation platform, increasing donor impact.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Woodside High School Foundation is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds to close the gap between public education funding and the cost of a high-quality education at Woodside High School. It operates multiple donation programs including an Annual Fundraising Campaign ($1,750 per student goal, 50% family participation target), Buy-In Party community events, an Annual Auction with corporate sponsorships, stock/securities donations, Donor Advised Fund giving, and employer matching gifts. Foundation funds support enhanced academic programming, 3 additional counselors, the College Access Program (CAP), and the Mental Health Center at the school.

Product overview

Woodside High School Foundation is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization operating as a single unified fundraising platform rather than a multi-product tech platform. The organization functions as an umbrella fundraising operation offering multiple donation vehicles including an online donation platform (DonorPerfect), the College Access Program (a four-year college prep program), annual fundraising campaigns, buy-in party events, stock/securities donations, donor advised fund giving, annual auction sponsorship, and employer matching gift programs. The product portfolio centers on financial resource generation to close the gap between public education funding and the actual cost of academic excellence at Woodside High School, with all programs supporting enhanced academic programming, additional counselors, and expanded elective offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Fundraising Campaign
• College Access Program (CAP)
• Buy-In Party Fundraising Events
• Annual Auction Sponsorship Program
• Stock and Securities Donation
• Donor Advised Fund Giving
• Employer Matching Gifts

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of graduates attend college
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Woodside High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation's sole beneficiary and primary strategic partner. All funds raised support the school's academic programming identified by school administration. Principal Karen van Putten serves as Ex-Officio board member.
• Fidelity CharitableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDAF Direct participant enabling donors to recommend grants from their Fidelity Charitable donor advised funds directly to the foundation.
• Schwab CharitableminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDAF Direct participant enabling donors to recommend grants from their Schwab Charitable donor advised funds directly to the foundation.
• BNY Mellon Charitable Gift FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDAF Direct participant enabling donors to recommend grants from their BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund directly to the foundation.
• AJ TutoringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier tutoring company used by WHS College Access Program (CAP) to oversee SAT/PSAT test preparation programming, ensuring quality on par with private settings.
• ObiCoachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoaching partner used by WHS College Access Program (CAP) for college essay coaching and programming oversight.
• Woodside PTSAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParent-Teacher-Student Association that works in coordination with the foundation to support Woodside High School and is listed as a parent organization.
• Athletic BoostersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization supporting WHS athletics, hosting alumni events like crab feed, soccer and basketball games, with Facebook group for alumni athletic success updates.
• Music BoostersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization supporting WHS music programs with annual fundraiser hosting music performances to raise money for the music department.
• Drama & Theatre Arts BoostersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization supporting WHS drama programs with fall play and spring musical productions at the Performing Arts Center.
• Team 100 RoboticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWHS robotics team (FRC Team 100) with Robotics Boosters support; team competes in FIRST Robotics competitions and has alumni engagement through the team's Instagram.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Saratoga Education Foundation: Community-funded K-12 education foundation supporting Saratoga Union School District with programs, electives, and counseling staff. Comparable volunteer governance structure and per-student donation goals targeting public-school enrichment in the Bay Area.
• Las Lomitas Education Foundation: Parent-driven education foundation funding Las Lomitas Elementary School District programs in the same San Francisco Peninsula corridor as Woodside. Comparable volunteer governance, donation-based revenue model, and bridge-the-gap mission for public-school enrichment.
• Palo Alto Partners in Education: Community-funded nonprofit that supplements Palo Alto Unified School District budgets for counselors, electives, and academic programs. Comparable volunteer-run foundation model, Bay Area geography, and college-access-style programmatic emphasis.
• Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation: Volunteer-run K-12 education foundation raising private donations to bridge the public-funding gap for schools in the Menlo Park-Atherton area on the San Francisco Peninsula. Directly comparable in mission, geographic market, volunteer-led operating model, and per-student fundraising target structure.
• Foundation for Los Gatos High School: Single-school education foundation raising private donations for Los Gatos High School academic programs, counselors, and college readiness. Closely comparable as a volunteer-led, single-high-school-focused foundation with corporate sponsorship and event-driven fundraising.
• Sequoia Union High School District Education Foundation: Education foundation supporting the Sequoia Union High School District, of which Woodside High School is a member. Directly comparable in district-level fundraising for public high school academic programming, counselors, and college access initiatives.
• San Carlos Education Foundation: Volunteer-run nonprofit raising funds to supplement San Carlos School District programs on the San Francisco Peninsula. Comparable parent-led fundraising model, donor recognition tiers, and per-student giving targets for public-school enrichment.

Broad incumbents

• DonorsChoose: National crowdfunding nonprofit that channels individual donations to public-school classroom projects. Comparable donation-based revenue model supporting public-school enrichment, though at much larger national scale rather than single-school focus.
• Parent Teacher Association (National PTA): National umbrella organization for school-based parent-teacher associations that fundraise and advocate for K-12 public schools. Comparable mission of supplementing public-school funding through parent-led giving, but operates as a national membership organization rather than a single-school foundation.

Others

• National Merit Scholarship Corporation: National scholarship-granting organization recognizing top-performing high school students. Adjacent rather than competing: WHSF-supported students are National Merit awardees, making NMSC an ecosystem participant and downstream beneficiary of the foundation's college-access mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WHSFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/woodside-high-school-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/whsfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Woodside High School Foundation