School District 145 Foundation For Education

What School District 145 Foundation For Education does

School District 145 Foundation for Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 1990 and headquartered in Waverly, Nebraska, that enriches the educational experience of students within School District 145 through financial grants, scholarships, character education, and licensed before- and after-school childcare. The Foundation's flagship service is the Viking Discovery Program (VDP), a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services-licensed childcare operation launched in 2008 that delivers before-school, after-school, non-school-day, and summer care at three District 145 elementary school sites (Eagle Elementary, Hamlow Elementary, and Waverly Intermediate School), serving 117-120+ children daily with 18 staff at weekly tuition tiers ranging from $35 (morning-only) to $200 (summer full-time). All VDP net profits are reinvested into the District, and the program's success underwrote an endowment fund established in 2011 that now holds more than $1,000,000.

The Foundation's portfolio also includes a Classroom Grant Program (up to $2,000 per application, ~$10,000 awarded annually), a Student Grant Program (up to $250), the Waverly High School Scholarship Fund (over $30,000 in awards each spring via endowed, designated, and pass-through funds), a Character Investment Program with Youth Frontiers retreats for grades 5, 7, and 9 (over $80,000 invested), a Holiday Wishes family assistance program (serving 59 families and 173 children in 2025), and a Student Internship Program placing WHS juniors and seniors on the Foundation's Board. The Foundation operates with a small professional staff led by Executive Director Sara Alig-Martin and VDP Director Jen Shakespeare, and is governed by a Board of Directors originally appointed by the School District 145 Board of Education.

The Foundation's business model is a hybrid of earned income (VDP tuition, the dominant revenue stream) and contributed income (individual donations, corporate sponsorships such as Horizon Bank's $150,000 Title Sponsorship, staff campaigns, golf tournaments, and events such as the $1.2 million Forward Maroon Campaign launched in February 2022). GTM is community-led, with awareness driven through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, email newsletter, and on-site presence at District 145 schools; program services are delivered directly to District 145 students, families, teachers, and WHS graduates. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, and no disclosed API or platform — the operating stack consists of a Firespring CMS website and standard nonprofit communications tooling.

Name

School District 145 Foundation For Education

Legal name

School District 145 Foundation for Education

Website

https://dist145ffe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

School District 145 Foundation for Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Waverly, Nebraska that funds School District 145 through scholarships, classroom grants, and the Viking Discovery Program licensed before/after-school and summer childcare serving 120+ children daily.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Education foundation services
• School district grants
• Licensed childcare programs
• Scholarship administration
• Nonprofit fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Waverly

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Viking Discovery Program: Before and after school childcare program providing continuum of care for families through summer months and non-school days. Earned income arm established in 2008. 100% of net profits are reinvested directly into School District 145.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate sponsorships, staff campaigns, golf tournaments, and special events. Initial staff campaign in 1991 raised $1,700. The Foundation has raised $53,170 in recent period.
3. Scholarship Administration: Processes endowed, designated, and pass-through scholarship funds for Waverly High School graduates. Processes over $30,000 in scholarship awards each spring. Minimum distribution for pass-through scholarships is $500.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

School District 145 Foundation for Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that enriches educational experiences in Waverly-area public schools by awarding classroom and student grants, administering scholarship funds for graduates, running character development and family assistance programs, and operating the Viking Discovery Program — a licensed before/after-school, non-school day, and summer childcare service at District 145 elementary sites.

Product overview

School District 145 Foundation for Education operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a portfolio of educational support programs. The core offerings include the Viking Discovery Program (licensed childcare for before/after school, non-school days, and summer), Classroom and Student Grant Programs, the Waverly High School Scholarship Fund, Student Internship Program, Character Investment Program with Youth Frontiers retreats, Viking Support Station, and the Holiday Wishes family assistance program. The Foundation also runs the Forward Maroon Campaign for facility upgrades. These programs work together to enrich educational experiences, provide financial assistance, and support students and families throughout School District 145.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Viking Discovery Program: A licensed child care program operated by the Foundation that provides high-quality care for students before and after school, on non-school days, and throughout the summer months at School District 145 elementary buildings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,278 people helped, $53,170 raised, 220 volunteer hours contributed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nebraska Association of Public Schools Foundation (NAPSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Executive Director Sara Martin co-founded NAPSF in fall 2015 with foundation representatives from Omaha Public Schools Foundation, Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools, Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation, Wayne Community Schools Foundation, Northwest Education Foundation, Grand Island Public Schools Foundation, and Norfolk Public Schools Foundation. NAPSF exists to strengthen the impact of school foundations in Nebraska.
• University of Nebraska Animal Science DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Viking Discovery Program partners with the University of Nebraska Animal Science Department to offer educational curriculum enrichment components not found in other childcare options.
• GuppiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal business partnership for catering fresh, homemade lunches for Viking Discovery Program students during summer care. Snacks and lunch cost is included in tuition.
• The Amazing Pizza MachineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerField trip destination for Summer 2026 program - interactive games and team-building fun planned for May 29, 2026.
• The LuminariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerField trip destination for Summer 2026 program - hands-on science exhibits for July 17, 2026 field trip.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of Lincoln: Regional YMCA operating licensed before/after school care, summer camps, and youth development programs across the Lincoln-metro area. Comparable in after-school childcare delivery model and youth enrichment programming that competes with Viking Discovery Program.
• Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln: Regional Boys & Girls Club operating licensed after-school and summer programs for K-12 youth in Lincoln-metro. Comparable in licensed childcare, character development, and youth enrichment offerings that overlap with VDP's mission and catchment.

Direct peers

• Northwest Education Foundation: NAPSF co-founding Nebraska regional education foundation. Comparable K-12-focused nonprofit providing scholarships, classroom grants, and educator support within multi-district scope.
• Norfolk Public Schools Foundation: NAPSF co-founding Nebraska public school foundation. Smaller, similarly suburban/rural district scale, comparable grantmaking and scholarship programs for K-12 students and educators.
• Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation: NAPSF co-founding suburban Nebraska public school foundation with classroom grants, scholarships, and community fundraising. Geographically adjacent to Waverly and directly comparable in suburban-district operating model.
• Grand Island Public Schools Foundation: NAPSF co-founding Nebraska public school foundation. Directly comparable nonprofit structure providing scholarships and classroom grants within a single Nebraska public school district.
• Wayne Community Schools Foundation: NAPSF co-founding small Nebraska community school district foundation. Closest analog in scale and rural-suburban character to School District 145 FFE's grantmaking and community fundraising model.
• Omaha Public Schools Foundation: NAPSF co-founding public school foundation serving Omaha Public Schools. Directly comparable grantmaking, scholarship, and student-support nonprofit structure; only differs in district scale (Omaha is materially larger).
• Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools: Nebraska public school district foundation explicitly listed as a NAPSF co-founder alongside School District 145 FFE. Operates the same model of classroom grants, scholarships, and community fundraising for Lincoln Public Schools, with a larger urban district scope.

Others

• Nebraska Association of Public Schools Foundation (NAPSF): Industry association co-founded by the Foundation's Executive Director in 2015 to strengthen the impact of school foundations in Nebraska. Comparable in mission (supporting public school foundations) and a direct strategic partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Dist145FFE
• Facebookfacebook.com/145FFE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school-district-145-foundation-for-education

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 School District 145 Foundation For Education