Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation

Name

Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation

Legal name

Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation

Website

https://ceef.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Foundation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

Keywords

• Education grants
• Non-profit foundation
• School funding
• Teacher grants
• Community fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Elizabeth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations from community members, parents, and supporters. Donors can give online or by check. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization making all donations tax-deductible. Memorial and honorific gifts are accepted.
2. Golf Tournament & Auction: Annual Play for Education Golf Tournament & Auction at Prouts Neck Country Club. Sponsors include Lead Sponsor (The Kadish Davey Group of Wells Fargo Advisors), Gold Sponsors, Silver Sponsors, and Hole Sponsors. The 14th annual tournament is scheduled for June 4, 2026.
3. Secret Supper: Inaugural intimate dinner event held at secret locations with 11 local homes hosting guests and an after-party at Horse Barn at Ram Island. Drew 150 guests with nearly 120 dinner guests and 30 after-party attendees. Plans underway for 2026 event.
4. Red Apple Awards: Donation-based recognition program where community members donate to CEEF in the name of educators and staff. Recipients receive handwritten cards with messages and Maine-made thank-you gifts. Cumulative donations per recipient.
5. Kitchen Tour: Self-guided tour of 10 kitchens throughout Cape Elizabeth, held September 23rd. Advance tickets $30, day-of tickets $35. Returns after a 5-year hiatus. Includes raffle prizes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that awards grants to faculty, staff, and students across the three Cape Elizabeth public schools for projects that fall outside the standard school budget. It funds innovations in STEM, Fine Arts, mental health, place-based learning, and experiential education, administers annual educator and alumni recognition awards, and hosts fundraising events (Golf Tournament, Secret Supper, Kitchen Tour) to sustain its grant-making capacity.

Product overview

Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation (CEEF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that operates as a grant-making foundation rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include an Educational Grants Program funding innovative projects across all three Cape schools, five distinct awards recognizing educators and alumni (Alumni Award, Thompson Award, Red Apple Award, Brownell Award), and several annual fundraising events (Golf Tournament, Secret Supper, Kitchen Tour). CEEF also publishes a newsletter to communicate impact and community involvement. Since 2002, CEEF has awarded over $1.4 million in grants to faculty, staff, and students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educational Grants Program
• Play for Education Golf Tournament & Auction
• Secret Supper
• Kitchen Tour
• Red Apple Award
• Brownell Award
• Thompson Award
• Alumni Award

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1.75 million invested in 350+ grants since 2002
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cape Elizabeth Land Trust (CELT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on place-based education projects including Turkey Hill Farm curriculum development and the Gnome Village project on Cape Elizabeth trails. CEEF partners with CELT to provide hands-on environmental learning opportunities.
• Portland Water DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the TroutKids program where 6th grade students raise brook trout in classroom tanks over winter and release them each spring. CEEF funds supplies for this water quality education program.
• Maine Boys to MenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 7th grade human project retreat focused on healthy relationship skills, boundary communication, and reducing sexism and violence.
• Ecology SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 8th grade experiential learning retreats focused on team-building and outdoor skills.
• ChewonkiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 6th grade class trips focused on outdoor education and disconnecting from technology.
• The Telling RoomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriting residency program for 4th grade students where professional writers spend 10 weeks in classrooms helping students produce and publish books.
• World Computer ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent-led club at CEHS that teaches computer repair skills and refurbishes computers to send to communities around the world.
• Educate MaineminorOthersGrier Dienstag, CEEF board member, serves on the Executive Committee of Educate Maine, an organization dedicated to advancing education practices and policies across Maine.
• Allagash Brewing CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAllagash has been a regular supporter of CEEF's annual Golf Tournament. Former Philanthropy Program Manager Kate Benthien joined the CEEF board.
• Harvard CollegeminorOthersGrier Dienstag volunteers as a Harvard College Alumnae Interviewer.
• Ripple EffectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for CEMS Changemaker program where 8th graders develop leadership skills through transformative sessions at Ripple Effect's facilities.
• The Junior League of PortlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKate Litton served as Chair of Sponsorships. CEEF board member involved in community non-profit work.
• Special SurfersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKate Litton has volunteered with Special Surfers, a Portland-based nonprofit organization.
• The Girls Foundation of TanzaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaisee Holden serves on the board of The Girls Foundation of Tanzania.
• Verrill Dana, LLPminorOthersSara Hirshon is a litigation partner at Verrill Dana, LLP.
• McKinsey & Co.minorOthersGrier Dienstag is a Partner at McKinsey & Co. where she serves financial institutions and investors.
• ACA ForesideminorOthersJoe Higgins works as Managing Director for ACA Foreside, servicing over $500 billion in ETF assets.
• The LumberyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Cape Elizabeth business that collaborated with Kevin St. Jarre on building collaboration benches for CEHS hallways.
• MSPA, HSPA, CEHS Music BoostersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funding partners for the Javon Jackson Jazz Artist in Residency grant at CEHS.
• Portland Museum of ArtminorOthersEliza Shaw Sandals serves on the Portland Museum of Art's Collection Committee and the PMA Contemporaries Steering Committee.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• DonorsChoose: National nonprofit platform that crowdfunds teacher classroom project requests. Comparable end-function (funding teacher innovation outside district budgets) but at vastly larger scale and via a digital marketplace model rather than a local foundation.
• Maine Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation that makes grants across education, environment, and community development in Maine. Overlaps with CEEF on education grantmaking in Maine but with a much broader mission and geographic scope.
• AdoptAClassroom.org: National nonprofit that channels donations directly to teachers for classroom supplies and programming. Serves the same underlying need as CEEF grants but operates nationally and online rather than as a community foundation.

Direct peers

• Brunswick Education Foundation: Community-funded foundation providing grants to teachers in the Brunswick, Maine school district for innovative classroom projects. Structurally identical model to CEEF in a peer Maine district.
• Falmouth Education Foundation: A 501(c)(3) grantmaking foundation serving the Falmouth, Maine school district with annual grants to teachers for innovative projects. Most direct geographic and structural peer to CEEF given shared Maine context, K-12 focus, and community-driven fundraising model.
• Portland Education Foundation: Greater Portland, Maine education foundation funding teacher grants and innovative programs across Portland Public Schools. Comparable mission and grantmaking model to CEEF, operating in a larger urban district nearby.
• Scarborough Education Foundation: K-12 grantmaking foundation serving Scarborough, Maine schools through community donations and fundraising events. Nearest direct peer to CEEF in mission, structure, and donor model.
• Yarmouth Education Foundation: Maine-based community education foundation that funds innovative K-12 grants in the Yarmouth school district through donations and events. Highly comparable operating model, district size, and donor base to CEEF.

Others

• Educate Maine: Maine statewide policy and advocacy organization focused on improving education outcomes, on whose Executive Committee CEEF board member Grier Dienstag serves. Adjacent peer connected through shared ecosystem rather than direct grantmaking overlap.
• Cape Elizabeth Land Trust (CELT): Local Cape Elizabeth nonprofit land conservation organization that co-delivers CEEF-funded place-based education programs such as the Gnome Village and Turkey Hill Farm curriculum. Programmatic delivery partner rather than a competitor, but shares donor base and geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CapeElizabethEducationFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cape-elizabeth-education-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation