San Carlos Education Foundation

What San Carlos Education Foundation does

San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education foundation founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Carlos, California. Its functional mandate is to raise private funds that bridge the gap between California state education funding and the operating needs of the San Carlos School District, which serves roughly 2,900 students across eight schools. The foundation operates with five professional staff supported by a working board of community volunteers and currently grants more than $3 million annually to the district, with a stated 2026-2027 fundraising goal of $3.7 million.

SCEF's revenue model is built on diversified community fundraising rather than fees or product sales: per-student suggested individual gifts of $2,000, tiered corporate sponsorships ranging from $1,000 to $25,000+, endowment distributions seeded by a 2008 $1.5 million gift from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (with $900,000+ distributed to date), special events including the Evening at TOWN dinner and the Starlight Gala, securities contributions, donor-advised fund inflows, and shop-to-fundraise partners such as eScrip and Sports Basement. A consolidated fundraising MOU with the PTA Council channels community giving through a unified structure, and the newly launched GEM program adds a recurring monthly donation layer on top of the traditional annual giving cycle.

Programmatically, the foundation's grant-making increasingly emphasizes STEAM enrichment, delivered through partnerships with Lawrence Hall of Science, The Tech Interactive, the Exploratorium, and the Marine Science Institute. The 2026 Fund-the-Future of Innovation campaign extends this direction into AI literacy and innovative classroom programming, anchored by a partnership with MagicSchool AI that supplies AI-enabled tools to district teachers. Distribution to the district is the foundation's core output; no products are sold commercially and no multi-district scaling model is publicly indicated.

Name

San Carlos Education Foundation

Legal name

San Carlos Education Foundation

Website

https://scefkids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The San Carlos Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises private funds to supplement California state funding for the San Carlos School District, distributing more than $3 million annually across eight schools serving roughly 2,900 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Fundraising Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Education fundraising
• Nonprofit foundation
• School enrichment programs
• Community donations
• Corporate sponsorships

Headquarters

HQ city

San Carlos

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Parent and community donations form the majority of revenue. The suggested donation is $2,000 per student, with recurring monthly giving options (GEM - Give Every Month). Donations are fully tax-deductible for 501(c)(3) purposes.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Local businesses provide sponsorships at various levels (Emerald $25,000+, Diamond $15,000, Platinum $10,000, Gold $7,500, Silver $5,000, Bronze $2,500, Supporter $1,000). Approximately 20% of funding comes through corporate matching.
3. Endowment: Endowment established in 2008 with $1.5M gift from Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Has provided over $900,000 to the district supporting health, wellness, and physical fitness programs. Endowment provides long-term financial stability and protects against budget cuts.
4. Events and Auction: Event revenue includes ticket sales to Evening at TOWN, Starlight Gala, and other fundraising events. Auction items are donated and purchased, with amounts over fair market value being tax-deductible.
5. Stock Donations: Gifts of appreciated stock held for more than one year are accepted as an alternative to cash donations, offering tax advantages to donors.
6. Donor-Advised Funds: Donors can contribute via DAFs from Fidelity, BNY Mellon, or Schwab Charitable accounts.
7. Shopping Programs: Shop-to-fundraise through eScrip (participating stores include Lunardi's, Key Market, Draeger's, Bristol Farms, Piazza's Fine Foods) and Sports Basement Basementeer membership (10% purchase profit donation).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

San Carlos Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises and grants funds to bridge the gap between state education funding and the cost of a well-rounded public education for students in the San Carlos School District. Its core offering is a consolidated donation and sponsorship platform that supports librarian, counselor, music, PE, STEM, technology, library, and innovation programs across 8 schools.

Product overview

San Carlos Education Foundation (SCEF) operates as a non-profit fundraising organization providing a unified suite of giving programs rather than a technology product. The core offerings include the Annual Fund (asking $2,000 per student), Give Every Month (GEM) recurring donations, Business and Real Estate Sponsorships, Fund-the-Future restricted donations, and Leadership Circle recognition. Additional programs include Shop to Fundraise (eScrip, Basementeer), stock donations, donor-advised funds, an endowment fund, and annual events like Evening at TOWN and the Starlight Gala. SCEF consolidates fundraising efforts under its umbrella while also directing funds to school PTAs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Fund
• Give Every Month (GEM)
• Business Sponsorship Program
• Real Estate Sponsorship
• Fund-the-Future
• Leadership Circle
• Shop to Fundraise
• Stock Donations
• Donor-Advised Funds
• Endowment
• Fundraising Events

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $3 million granted annually to support teachers and programs benefiting every student in every classroom
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lawrence Hall of ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEAM education partner providing hands-on learning experiences and programs for San Carlos students through Fund-the-Future initiative.
• The Tech InteractiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEAM education partner providing immersive science programs and hands-on learning experiences for San Carlos students.
• ExploratoriumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEAM education partner providing hands-on science learning experiences for San Carlos students through Fund-the-Future initiative.
• Marine Science InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing hands-on STEAM learning lab experiences for 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade students.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• California State PTA: Statewide umbrella for the PTA organizations that SCEF partners with via its consolidated fundraising MOU. Operates at much broader scale but provides the volunteer/community-building counterpart to SCEF's fundraising role.
• DonorsChoose: National crowdfunding platform for public school teacher requests; represents a digital, nationwide alternative funding model that competes for the same charitable dollar that might otherwise flow to local education foundations like SCEF.

Direct peers

• Las Lomitas Education Foundation: Parent-funded foundation serving Las Lomitas Elementary School District with similar consolidated fundraising structure and STEM/program enrichment focus in an affluent Bay Area suburb.
• Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation: Foundraising foundation serving the Menlo Park City and Las Lomitas school districts with parallel per-student donation model, corporate sponsorships, and similar Bay Area wealthy-suburb funding dynamic.
• Portola Valley Schools Foundation: Education foundation supporting Portola Valley School District with parallel mission of bridging state funding gaps for K-8 enrichment, serving comparable Bay Area demographics and donor profiles.
• MVLA Schools Foundation: Supports Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District with analogous per-student ask structure, endowment, and corporate sponsorship tiers serving high-cost-of-living Bay Area communities.
• Palo Alto Partners in Education (PiE): Local K-12 education foundation serving Palo Alto schools with similar consolidated parent donation model, suggested per-student giving, and corporate sponsorship programs. Most directly comparable in mission, structure, and Bay Area context.

Regional players

• Sequoia Healthcare District / Belmont Education Foundation: Local education foundation in neighboring Belmont-Redwood Shores serving the same county's K-8 students with similar fundraising, grantmaking, and corporate sponsorship programs. Adjacent geographic peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdJ5fGnpjvrwbLgbIDCtmfQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCEFkids
• Instagraminstagram.com/scefkids
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-carlos-education-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 San Carlos Education Foundation