The Friends Collaborative

What The Friends Collaborative does

The Friends Collaborative is a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit organization founded in 2016 that facilitates tax-credit-funded donations to provide need-based scholarships at member and affiliate K-12 schools, with a primary focus on Quaker education. It operates as an approved intermediary for three Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development programs: the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC), the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), and the Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship Tax Credit (PKTC). Under these programs, individuals and businesses subject to Pennsylvania state tax can redirect their liability to fund scholarships, receiving a 90% PA tax credit on contributions; the organization states that 100% of contributions are passed through to student scholarships.

The core operational product is an EITC scholarship management service that handles a two-year donor commitment cycle, including a participant questionnaire, digital contract execution, ACH payment processing, and K-1 tax form distribution. Supporting platform components include a secure donor online portal, a tax-credit estimator tool, and a tiered Business Partnership Program (Foundational, Growth, and Leadership partner levels) that formalizes corporate giving with structured recognition benefits. The organization distributes funds through a network of 22 Quaker member schools (each with a designated EITC point-of-contact) and 17-18 non-Quaker affiliate schools across Pennsylvania.

The business model is a donation pass-through rather than a fee-for-service model: TFC does not charge donors a transactional fee, and the organization is supported separately (per disclosure) by member school dues and in-kind contributions to cover operating costs. Since inception in FY2016-2017, the organization has raised a cumulative $52.7M+, awarded scholarships to 5,020+ students, and in FY25 alone distributed $8.22M to 696 recipients across 17 Pennsylvania counties. It operates in partnership with the Friends Council on Education, the national association of Friends schools, which serves as its sponsor.

Name

The Friends Collaborative

Legal name

The Friends Collaborative

Website

https://thefriendscollaborative.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Friends Collaborative is a Pennsylvania nonprofit that facilitates EITC, OSTC, and PKTC tax-credit donations from individuals and businesses to fund need-based scholarships at 22 Quaker member schools and 17-18 affiliate K-12 schools, having awarded $52.7M+ cumulatively since 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Scholarship Administration Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education (EDADALAD)

Keywords

• Scholarship management services
• Tax credit donations
• Quaker education funding
• Nonprofit scholarship facilitation
• Need-based student scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Oreland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EITC Donations: The organization receives donations through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), and Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship Tax Credit (PKTC) programs. Donors receive up to 90% tax credit against PA state tax liability. 100% of contributions fund student scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Friends Collaborative facilitates Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC), Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), and Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship Tax Credit (PKTC) donations from individuals and businesses, channeling 100% of contributions as need-based scholarships to students at 22 member Quaker schools and roughly 17-18 affiliate schools across Pennsylvania. The organization manages the full donor lifecycle, including 2-year commitments, participant questionnaires, digital contract signing, ACH payment processing, and K-1 tax form distribution, with donors receiving up to a 90% PA state tax credit.

Product overview

The Friends Collaborative operates as a unified scholarship management platform connecting Pennsylvania taxpayers with Quaker education. The core offering combines EITC Scholarship Management Services with a tiered Business Partnership Program to channel need-based scholarship funds to 22 member Quaker schools and multiple affiliate schools. The platform includes a Tax Credit Estimator tool for donor planning and a secure Donor Online Portal for contribution management, questionnaire completion, and digital contract signing. The organization distributes funds through three PA tax credit programs: EITC (launched 2001), OSTC (launched 2012-13), and PKTC for pre-kindergarten scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EITC Scholarship Management Services End-to-end service facilitating Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) contributions, connecting individual and business donors with Quaker member schools to fund need-based PK-12 scholarships. The service handles the full donation cycle, including 2-year commitments, participant questionnaires, digital contract signing, ACH payment processing, and K-1 tax form distribution, with 100% of contributions directed to student scholarships and donors receiving up to a 90% PA state tax credit.
• Business Partnership Program A tiered corporate giving program with three levels (Foundational Partners up to $19,999, Growth Partners $20,000-$74,999, Leadership Partners $75,000+) that channels PA business tax liability into need-based scholarships at member and affiliate Quaker schools while providing recognition benefits including school annual report recognition, website listings, journal ads, business webpage links, and annual event recognition.
• PA Tax Credit Program Management (EITC, OSTC, PKTC)

Quantifiable outcome

• $52.7M+ raised since FY2016-2017
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Friends Council on EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016National association of Friends schools that serves as TFC's sponsor. Friends Council on Education supports the collaborative network of Quaker schools participating in the EITC scholarship program.
• Auxiliary Business ServicesflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLeadership Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Firstrust BankflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLeadership Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Heckendorn Shiles ArchitectsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLeadership Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• iThrive CoworkingflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLeadership Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Linvilla OrchardsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLeadership Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Rouse Chamberlin HomesflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLeadership Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Traffic Planning and Design, Inc.flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLeadership Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• King of Prussia Dental AssociatescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGrowth Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Shearon Environmental Design Company InccoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGrowth Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• better. PromosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundational Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Budget Blinds of MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundational Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Blue Star MarketingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundational Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Jaco Juice and Taco of MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundational Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.
• Pine Street Carpenters & The Kitchen StudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundational Partner level business contributor to The Friends Collaborative, funding need-based scholarships through EITC contributions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BLOCS (Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools): Philadelphia-based nonprofit that similarly facilitates Pennsylvania EITC/OSTC tax-credit contributions to fund need-based scholarships at Catholic schools in the region. Most direct comparable to TFC in mission, mechanism, and Pennsylvania geography.
• AAA Scholarship Foundation: Multi-state scholarship organization administering tax-credit-funded K-12 scholarships (including Florida and Georgia). Direct functional peer to TFC's EITC/OSTC/PKTC administration.
• Step Up For Students: Florida-based nonprofit administering the state's Tax Credit Scholarship and similar programs. Operates the most mature scaled version of the tax-credit-funded K-12 scholarship model TFC runs in Pennsylvania.
• Inner-City Scholarship Fund: Catholic-school-focused K-12 tuition assistance nonprofit operating in Boston with a comparable donor-funded scholarship model to TFC. Closest faith-based peer structure.
• Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia: Regional K-12 private-school scholarship organization in Philadelphia providing need-based tuition assistance, often leveraging Pennsylvania EITC. Comparable donor/school model and recipient demographics.

Regional players

• Philadelphia School Partnership: Philadelphia-focused education nonprofit investing in K-12 school quality and access; overlaps with TFC's geographic focus and K-12 access mission, though broader in scope.

Others

• FACTS Management (Nelnet): Tuition management, financial needs assessment, and scholarship administration service provider used by private and faith-based schools. Ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, but operates adjacent infrastructure to TFC's scholarship distribution.
• Friends Council on Education: National association of Friends schools and TFC's sponsoring partner. Adjacent in mission (Friends education) and acts as the institutional sponsor/oversight body that legitimizes TFC's role in the network.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-friends-collaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The Friends Collaborative