Open School NW

What Open School NW does

Open School NW (legal entity: Open School Inc., TAX ID 93-0757378) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization headquartered at 16570 SE Oak Street, Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1971 as Open Meadow to serve homeless and disengaged youth in downtown Portland, the organization rebranded to Open School in 2015 to reflect a strategic focus on in-school success. For over 50 years it has provided alternative education, mentorship, and literacy tutoring to historically underserved youth in the Portland Metro area, serving a student body that is approximately 70% Black, Indigenous, and people of color, with more than 25% of students on individual education programs.

The organization operates a four-program platform. Open School East is an alternative high school in East Multnomah County serving grades 9-12 with full-day, identity-affirming, relationship-based learning. Step Up is an in-school near-peer mentorship and advocacy program operating inside three Portland Public high schools (Franklin, McDaniel, Roosevelt). Literacy Liberators is a community-based early-literacy tutoring program for grades 1-3, now piloting a summer fellowship model in North Portland. Open Champions Coalition, the newest initiative, extends Open School's reach into statewide education leadership and policy advocacy. Teacher training is delivered through an Equity Certificate Program and MAT Residency Program in partnership with the University of Portland's School of Education. The underlying "technology" is a relationship-based pedagogical model with low student-to-advocate ratios (9:1) and wraparound supports including mental health, nutrition, and family engagement, rather than a software or AI platform; Google Classroom was adopted during COVID-19 distance learning.

Open School's business model is charitable: all programs are free to students and families. Revenue is assembled from individual donations, foundation and corporate grants, an annual signature gala, planned giving and legacy gifts, and contracted service agreements with partner school districts. Funders have included the State of Oregon, the Collins Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Kaiser Permanente Community Fund, Portland Children's Levy, and corporate sponsors such as The Standard and the Portland Trail Blazers. The organization is governed by a board of directors and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or ownership stake held by institutional investors.

Name

Open School NW

Legal name

Open School Inc.

Website

https://openschoolnw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Open School NW is a Portland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an alternative high school, in-school mentorship, and early-literacy tutoring programs for historically underserved youth in the Portland Metro area, funded through donations, foundation grants, and school district contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Education and Youth Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Schools (Behavioral/Disciplinary & Nontraditional Settings) (EDAJAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Early Intervention Academic Readiness (Pre-K–Early Elementary) (EDAKADAG)

Keywords

• Alternative education programs
• Youth mentorship services
• Literacy tutoring program
• Educational nonprofit services
• Community-based education

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals supporting youth education programs.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Major grants from foundations and corporate sponsors to fund programs and capital campaigns.
3. Annual Gala Fundraiser: Annual signature fundraising event with sponsorships, ticket sales, and live auctions.
4. Planned Giving & Legacy Gifts: Estate planning contributions including bequests, stocks, and endowments.
5. School District Contracts: Contractual relationships with partner school districts for Step Up program delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Open School NW delivers free alternative education, in-school mentorship, and early literacy tutoring programs to historically underserved youth in the Portland Metro area. The core offerings are Open School East (an alternative high school for grades 9-12 in East Multnomah County), Step Up (near-peer in-school mentorship at Portland Public high schools), and Literacy Liberators (community-based literacy tutoring for grades 1-3), supported by the Open Champions Coalition leadership initiative. Programs are delivered directly in schools and at a dedicated campus; all services are provided free to students and families.

Product overview

Open School NW is an educational nonprofit organization operating a platform of four distinct programs focused on equity, advocacy, and academic excellence for historically underserved youth in the Portland Metro area. The core offerings include Open School East (an alternative high school serving grades 9-12), Step Up (in-school mentorship at Portland public high schools), Literacy Liberators (early literacy tutoring), and Open Champions Coalition (education leadership advocacy). Additionally, Open School offers teacher training through the Equity Certificate Program and MAT Residency Program in partnership with the University of Portland. During COVID-19, the organization developed a comprehensive distance learning program using Google Classroom and virtual engagement tools. The programs are designed to work together to provide wraparound support—academic instruction, social-emotional learning, advocacy, and family engagement—ensuring students who struggle in traditional settings have pathways to graduation and post-secondary success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Open School East: Alternative high school in East Multnomah County offering high-quality, identity-affirming, and relationship-based learning to students in grades 9-12.
• Step Up
• Literacy Liberators

Products and services

• Open School East Alternative high school in East Multnomah County offering full-day, identity-affirming, relationship-based learning to students in grades 9-12, with wraparound academic, social-emotional, and family support. Delivered free to students and families.
• Step Up In-school, near-peer mentorship and advocacy program delivered in partnership with Portland Public Schools at Franklin, McDaniel, and Roosevelt High Schools to help students stay engaged and on track to graduate.
• Literacy Liberators
• Open Champions Coalition Coalition initiative addressing leadership gaps in Oregon's education system by building a community of education leaders and advocates.
• Equity Certificate Program Teacher training program developed in partnership with the University of Portland's School of Education, designed for educators committed to addressing racial disparities in education outcomes.
• MAT Residency Program Teacher training residency program in partnership with the University of Portland's School of Education preparing the next generation of educators.
• Distance Learning Program Online and remote learning infrastructure developed during COVID-19 school closures, featuring advocacy-based instruction, Google Classroom integration, and social-emotional support delivered virtually. Achieved 85% daily student engagement during closures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.5-year grade-level gains in reading and math in first year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Portland Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary district partner for Step Up program delivery at Franklin, McDaniel, and Roosevelt High Schools. District increased Step Up contract by 50% in 2020 despite budget cuts.
• Reynolds School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner district for Open School East and student support services in East Multnomah County.
• Gresham-Barlow School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner district serving students in Gresham and surrounding East Multnomah County areas.
• David Douglas School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner district supporting student nutrition and health resources during school closures.
• Centennial School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner district providing food services during extended spring breaks and school closures.
• Parkrose School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner district with school-based health center and student support services.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in East County Campus Collaborative for integrated youth services and Literacy Liberators program site.
• Latino NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in East County Campus Collaborative providing culturally responsive services.
• New Avenues for YouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in East County Campus Collaborative for comprehensive youth support services.
• Oregon Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState education agency partner for policy and advocacy work.
• Youth Development OregonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide youth development organization partner.
• The Oakland REACHsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram and thought leadership partner for education equity initiatives.
• Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThought leadership partner for inclusive education practices.
• Getting Smart Foundations for a Better OregonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation policy and thought leadership partner.
• Oregon Health AuthoritysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide wraparound supports and Covid-related expense reimbursement for families.
• Trillium Family Health ServicessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpanded mental health support and clinical services for students with OHP insurance.
• University of Portland School of EducationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Equity Certificate Program and MAT Residency Program for teacher training.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• New Avenues for Youth: Portland nonprofit serving at-risk and homeless youth with education, housing, and workforce programs — comparable mission and target population, and a current East County Campus Collaborative partner with Open School.
• Latino Network: Portland-based nonprofit providing culturally responsive education and youth services to the Latino community — directly comparable as a regional peer serving similar BIPOC youth demographics in the same geography, and a current Open School partner.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan Area: Regional peer and current Open School partner providing youth development and education services in the same Portland Metro geography — overlaps with Open School's community-based programming and shares the same donor/foundation ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Reading Partners: Nonprofit that mobilizes community volunteers to deliver one-on-one literacy tutoring to early elementary students — directly analogous to Open School's Literacy Liberators program in mission, model, and target demographic.
• Big Picture Learning: Network of relationship-driven, alternative high schools emphasizing personalized learning and real-world experiences — closely analogous to Open School East's identity-affirming, relationship-based alternative school model.
• Communities in Schools: National organization that places site coordinators inside public schools to provide dropout prevention and student advocacy — directly comparable to Open School's Step Up in-school mentorship model serving similar at-risk high school populations.
• 826 National: Network of youth writing and literacy nonprofits serving underserved students ages 6-18 with community-based tutoring and writing support — closely comparable to Literacy Liberators in mission and delivery model.
• NYC Outward Bound Schools: Operates a network of alternative public schools and crew-based advisory programs centered on serving historically underserved students — directly comparable to Open School East's alternative HS and Step Up's mentorship structure.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: Large national charter school network serving historically underserved K-12 students — a broader incumbent in the same equity-focused education space as Open School, though operating at significantly greater scale and through a charter rather than district-partnership model.

Emerging players

• College Track: National nonprofit focused on college access and graduation for first-generation and low-income students — comparable to Open School's emphasis on post-secondary outcomes (90% of Step Up graduates pursue post-secondary degrees) and wraparound support model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xlinktr.ee/openschoolnw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Open School NW