What Fulcrum Foundation does

Fulcrum Foundation is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in March 2002 to increase access to Catholic education across the Archdiocese of Seattle. The foundation operates as the primary independent grant-making body supporting all 74 Catholic schools serving approximately 21,000 students in Western Washington, from Bellingham to Vancouver. Its portfolio of programs addresses three interconnected beneficiary groups: students and families (via the Tuition Assistance Grant Program providing $1,350-$1,500 per K-12 student per year, the Becraft Scholars Program, and the Early Childhood Education Grant Program); the 74 schools themselves (via School Partnership Grants for curriculum, capital projects, technology, and security); and educators (via the Leadership Academy, GRACE Program, High School Instructional Leadership Program, Educational Leadership Grants, and the St. John Baptist de La Salle Educator Excellence Award).

Fulcrum does not build or sell proprietary technology; its technology footprint consists of third-party integrations — FACTS Grant and Aid for processing tuition assistance applications, DAF Direct for donor-advised fund gifts, and D.A. Davidson for stock donations. The foundation instead creates value through curated programs, relationship-driven fundraising, community engagement channels (Ambassador Program, Fulcrum Futures young professionals, Impact Days visits to all 74 schools, The Fulcrum Point podcast, Celebration of Light annual gala), and stewardship of more than $40M in Catholic school endowments under its Central Endowment.

Fulcrum's revenue model is entirely donation-driven: individual giving (one-time gifts, Monthly Giving Club, legacy/estate gifts, stock donations), major gifts from family foundations and estates (e.g., Gates Foundation $7.5M in 2005, Hossfeld estate $11M in 2011, Edmonds Family Fund $1M in 2024, Norcliffe Foundation 2026), corporate sponsorship of events, endowment investment income, and capital campaigns (Embracing Our Legacy raised ~$43M in 2009; a subsequent campaign raised $88M under current Executive Director Vivian Shannon since October 2019). Headcount is small — approximately 12 full-time staff listed on the Team page — with operations centralized at 710 Ninth Avenue, Seattle.

Name

Fulcrum Foundation

Legal name

Fulcrum Foundation

Website

https://fulcrumfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fulcrum Foundation is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds and supports the 74 Catholic schools serving 21,000 students in the Archdiocese of Seattle through tuition assistance, school grants, and educator leadership programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic Education Nonprofit Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Catholic education funding
• Tuition assistance programs
• Educational nonprofit grants
• School partnership programs
• Leadership development grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute through one-time gifts, monthly giving (Monthly Giving Club), stock donations, and legacy/estate gifts. The foundation also receives major gifts from family foundations and corporate sponsors.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Significant grants from foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ($7.5M in 2005), Ferry Family Charitable Foundation (Becraft Scholars), and Norcliffe Foundation. Also receives support through Donor Advised Funds.
3. Event Revenue: The annual Celebration of Light gala raises significant funds, with the 2022 event raising a record $2.9 million. Corporate sponsors at various tiers contribute to event success.
4. Endowment Investment Income: The Fulcrum Central Endowment and custodial endowments for individual schools generate investment income that supports ongoing programs. Catholic schools have over $40 million in endowments invested through Fulcrum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Fulcrum Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds and operates grant, scholarship, and leadership development programs supporting Catholic schools, students, families, and educators in the Archdiocese of Seattle. It delivers need-based tuition assistance, multi-year scholarships (Becraft Scholars), school partnership and early childhood education grants, and cohort-based leadership academies for educators, sustained primarily through individual donations, foundation grants, capital campaigns, and event fundraising.

Product overview

Fulcrum Foundation is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs supporting Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Seattle. The core offerings include the Tuition Assistance Grant Program (TAP) providing need-based financial aid, the Becraft Scholars Program for underrepresented students, and School Partnership Grants for institutional support. Educator support is delivered through the Leadership Academy, GRACE Program, High School Instructional Leadership Program, and Educational Leadership Grants. Additional programs include the Early Childhood Education Grant Program, St. John Baptist de La Salle Educator Excellence Award, Ambassador Program, Fulcrum Futures young professional network, Celebration of Light gala, Monthly Giving Club, Legacy Society planned giving, and the Fulcrum Central Endowment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Celebration of Light: Annual gala event celebrating Catholic education and raising funds for the foundation.
• Fulcrum Futures
• Legacy Society
• Amici
• Embracing Our Legacy

Products and services

• Tuition Assistance Grant Program (TAP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $89 million in cumulative support has been distributed to Catholic schools and students
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ferry Family Charitable FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021In partnership with Ferry Family Charitable Foundation, Fulcrum launched the Becraft Scholars program in 2021, a relationship-centered scholarship program inspired by Anne Marie Becraft, serving students and families in Catholic schools while fostering belonging for those furthest from educational justice.
• FACTS Grant and AidcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFulcrum partners with FACTS Grant and Aid, an independent third-party company, to collect and process tuition assistance applications. FACTS conducts financial analysis to determine need and manages the online application portal for families.
• Archdiocese of Seattle / Office for Catholic SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFulcrum works in close partnership with the Archdiocese of Seattle and its Office for Catholic Schools on multiple programs including Leadership Academy, GRACE Program, High School Instructional Leadership Program, and joint initiatives supporting all 74 Catholic schools in the archdiocese.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Major historical donor to Fulcrum ($7.5M in 2005) and the most significant U.S. education funder broadly. Comparable in K-12 education funding focus, though operating at vastly larger scale across multiple states and sectors.
• Seattle Foundation: Regional community foundation that already hosts Fulcrum's Early Childhood Education Fund and overlaps in donor-advised fund activity. Comparable in fund-hosting, planned giving, and broad regional grantmaking—though much larger and not faith-specific.

Regional players

• Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools Foundation: Catholic school tuition assistance and grantmaking organization serving Colorado. Highly comparable functional model (tuition aid, school grants, leadership development) but operates in a different geography, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Seton Education Partners: National Catholic education nonprofit running the Seton Scholarship program and Brighter Choice network schools. Comparable in mission focus on Catholic school accessibility for low-income families, though with a more direct school-operator role rather than pure grantmaking.

Direct peers

• Archdiocese of Seattle Office for Catholic Schools: Fulcrum's closest operational partner, which oversees the 74 schools themselves. The Office co-runs Leadership Academy, GRACE, and the High School Instructional Leadership Program, making it functionally a peer in delivering educational programming despite the grantmaking distinction.
• Today's Catholic Education Foundation: Indiana-based Catholic education grantmaking organization funding tuition assistance and school programs across the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Highly comparable structure: tuition aid, school grants, educator leadership development tied to a single archdiocese.
• Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia: Community foundation supporting Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries in the Philadelphia region through endowments, planned giving, and grants. Comparable scope of donor services, school endowments, and faith-based grantmaking for a defined archdiocese.
• Catholic Education Foundation (Cincinnati): Regional Catholic school tuition assistance and grantmaking foundation serving the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Closest functional peer to Fulcrum—same model of need-based tuition aid, school grants, and educator support for a defined archdiocesan footprint.

Others

• Ferry Family Charitable Foundation: Co-founding partner of Fulcrum's Becraft Scholars Program. Comparable as a small family foundation with faith-aligned educational equity focus, though materially smaller in grantmaking scale.
• Norcliffe Foundation: Pacific Northwest family foundation that awarded Fulcrum a transformational 2026 grant for Catholic schools. Comparable as a regional education/civic funder with overlapping donor relationships in Western Washington.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/fulcrumfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/fulcrumfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fulcrum-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/fulcrumfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fulcrum Foundation