Fayetteville Public Education Foundation

What Fayetteville Public Education Foundation does

The Fayetteville Public Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 58-2010071) established in Fayetteville, Arkansas to channel community resources into the local Fayetteville Public Schools district. Founded by Jack Butt (Class of 1968), the Foundation has operated for more than thirty years, growing its original endowment from $750,000 to over $4 million and distributing more than $8 million in cumulative grants and scholarships. It functions as a bridge between FPS educators, students, alumni, individual donors, and corporate partners, and operates exclusively within a single geographic market — Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The Foundation's core offerings comprise five grant programs — Standard Endowment Grants (up to $10,000), Neal R. Pendergraft Grants ($10,000–$25,000), Maureen Shireman Literacy Grants ($250–$20,000, funded by the Fred J. Brunner Foundation), FHS Student Alumni Association Grants ($50–$900), and invitation-only Reaching New Heights Grants (up to ~$45,000) — alongside three tiers of named scholarship funds (Gateway $10K–$24,999, Keystone $25K–$49,999, Legacy $50K+) for Fayetteville High School seniors. Underlying technology is a web-based platform (fayedfoundation.org) using SmarterSelect for grant applications, JoinIt for alumni membership, and robly.com for newsletters, with grant funds disbursed via debit cards to educators and scholarships paid directly to recipient institutions.

The business model is donations-driven. Revenue is generated through charitable gifts (Annual Fund Society at $100–$1,000/year across five tiers), multi-year corporate pledges (Corporate Leadership Circle at $500–$1,000/year for five years), alumni membership fees ($5/month or $60/year individual; $2,000 lifetime), Hall of Honor event sponsorships ($350–$5,000), and dedicated capital campaigns (Reaching New Heights). No products or services are sold; all contributions are tax-deductible. Governance is provided by an independent Board of Directors of approximately 17 members with ex-officio representation from the FPS Superintendent and Board of Education president. Operations are run by a small staff led by Executive Director Tony Moten Jr. (with Cambre Horne-Brooks also referenced as Executive Director) and Director of Development Jeff Pratt.

Name

Fayetteville Public Education Foundation

Legal name

Fayetteville Public Education Foundation

Website

https://fayedfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Fayetteville Public Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that administers grants, scholarships, alumni programming, and donor-funded endowment programs supporting teachers, students, and the broader community of Fayetteville Public Schools in Arkansas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Foundation Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDADAHAD

Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

Keywords

• Education grant programs
• Student scholarship funds
• Nonprofit education funding
• Teacher classroom grants
• Endowment fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

Fayetteville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Gifts: Individual donors contribute through various giving programs including Annual Fund Society, one-time gifts, and endowment donations. All gifts are tax-deductible as the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate Leadership Circle members contribute annually through five-year pledge commitments at Superintendent ($1,000/year) or Principal ($500/year) levels. These corporate partners invest in developing a well-educated young workforce for Fayetteville.
3. Alumni Membership: FHS Alumni Association membership generates revenue at $5/month or $60/year for individual members, with lifetime and legacy membership options. Revenue supports Foundation operations and future alumni grants and scholarships.
4. Campaign Fundraising: Reaching New Heights campaign raises funds for larger endowment grants ranging from $25,000 to $200,000 for systemic educational improvements. The original endowment grew from $750,000 to over $4 million.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fayetteville Public Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that administers education grants and scholarships supporting innovative classroom programs and post-secondary opportunities for Fayetteville Public Schools. It funds teacher-initiated grants (from $250 to $200,000) and student scholarships through a permanent endowment, while operating donor membership programs and annual recognition events that connect the community with the school district.

Product overview

Fayetteville Public Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that operates as a grant-making and scholarship provider rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include five distinct grant programs: Standard Endowment Grants (up to $10,000), Neal R. Pendergraft Grants ($10,000-$25,000), Maureen Shireman Literacy Grants ($250-$20,000), FHS Student Alumni Association Grants ($50-$900), and Reaching New Heights Grants (up to ~$45,000, invitation-only). The Foundation also manages three tiers of scholarship funds (Legacy $50,000+, Keystone $25,000-$49,999, Gateway $10,000-$24,999) for Fayetteville High School seniors. Additional offerings include membership programs (Annual Fund Society, Corporate Leadership Circle, FHS Alumni Association, FHS Student Alumni Association) and two annual events (Hall of Honor and Celebration of Excellence). The organization serves as a bridge between the community and Fayetteville Public Schools, funding innovative educational programs that fall outside standard district budgets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reaching New Heights: Campaign initiative focused on investing in larger, move-the-needle programs that propel educational excellence
• FHS Student Alumni Association (SAA)
• Celebration of Excellence
• Hall of Honor

Products and services

• Standard Endowment Grant Funding for innovative projects and activities outside the FPS budget that demonstrate originality, pioneering approaches, or enhancement of students' academic experience. Awards up to $10,000. For Fayetteville Public Schools teachers and staff.
• Neal R. Pendergraft Grant Grant for projects with wider impact serving district-wide projects or multiple schools, departments, or grades. Funding $10,000-$25,000. For Fayetteville Public Schools educators.
• Maureen Shireman Literacy Grant Grant for school, class, or library projects promoting literacy-rich experiences for Pre-K through 12th grade students. Funded by the Fred J. Brunner Foundation. Funding $250-$20,000.
• FHS Student Alumni Association Grant Grant to fund projects that foster continuing and positive contacts among former students of Fayetteville Public Schools. Funding $50-$900.
• Reaching New Heights Grant Invitation-only grant to accelerate transformational programs in Fayetteville Public Schools, focusing on systemic, sustainable projects. Funding up to approximately $45,000.
• Legacy Scholarship Funds Scholarship funds of $50,000+ including Candy Clark Memorial Scholarship, Marty Thurlby Deweese Study Abroad Scholarship, and Mary Lou Miller Scholarship for students engaged in community involvement, academic growth, and job experience.
• Keystone Scholarship Funds Scholarship funds ranging from $25,000-$49,999 including Blake Croxdale Memorial Scholarship, Class of 1952 Scholarship, Fayetteville Junior Civic League Scholarship, Heather Spears Memorial Fund, Matthew J. Siebenmorgen Fund, Nathan Altman Scholarship for Creative Writing, and Russell Keen Memorial Scholarship.
• Gateway Scholarship Funds Scholarship funds ranging from $10,000-$24,999 including Dr. Benny A. Winborn Scholarship (first-generation college-bound students) and FHS Girls Basketball DOG Award.
• Annual Fund Society Membership Philanthropic society for dedicated individual donors supporting the Foundation's work. Giving levels include Founder ($1,000/year in perpetuity), Decade ($1,000/year for 10 years), Education ($1,000/year for 5 years), Friend ($500/year for 5 years), and Investor ($100/year for 5 years for donors age 40 and under).
• Corporate Leadership Circle Business membership program for companies investing in developing a well-educated young workforce for Fayetteville. Superintendent level ($1,000/year for 5 years) and Principal level ($500/year for 5 years).
• Hall of Honor Annual Ceremony Annual ceremony recognizing educators, alumni, and friends who have demonstrated extraordinary fidelity, honor, and service to Fayetteville Public Schools. Sponsorship tiers range from Supporter ($350) to Patron ($5,000).
• Celebration of Excellence Annual Event Annual evening event recognizing educators and students, celebrating grant and scholarship recipients, and sharing inspiring videos of past and current grant projects produced by Fayetteville Public Schools.
• FHS Alumni Association Alumni association founded in 2025 to connect FHS graduates, provide networking opportunities, and support the Foundation's mission. Membership starts at $5/month. Benefits include digital/printed membership cards, quarterly newsletter, alumni directory access, and event invitations.
• FHS Student Alumni Association Student-led organization connecting current students with FHS alumni to develop social, collegiate, and business networks. Open to 9th-12th grade students. Activities include co-hosting Hall of Honor, Alumni Party, Celebration of Excellence, and Day of Giving.
• Endowment Grants & Scholarships Permanent endowment funds providing grants for innovative educational programs and scholarships for Fayetteville High School seniors. Grant Funds can be designated for specific areas, schools, programs, or departments and named in honor or memory of individuals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $8 million in grants and scholarships distributed since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of FayettevillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for the Firefighting Pathway program through Fayetteville Fire Department. Provides hands-on training sites and real-world emergency services experience for students in the career education pathway.
• Arkansas Fire Training AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides official training facility and certification programs for students in the Firefighting Pathway career education initiative, enabling students to graduate career-ready.
• Fayetteville Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partner; Foundation provides grants to teachers and scholarships to students district-wide. District provides ex-officio Board representation through superintendent and Board of Education president.
• George's Majestic LoungeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for inaugural FHS Alumni Association event on August 2, 2025. Hosted alumni networking and entertainment event featuring FHS alumni band WildFlies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation: Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation is a regional community foundation serving the same Bentonville/Fayetteville/NWA donor base as FPEF, including donor-advised funds that may allocate to education. It is a regional peer because it competes for the same local philanthropist attention and corporate sponsorships.
• Arkansas Community Foundation: Arkansas Community Foundation is a statewide community foundation that administers funds and grants across the state, including significant education-focused giving in Northwest Arkansas. It is comparable as a regional philanthropic competitor for the same pool of Arkansas-based donors and corporate partners.

Emerging players

• DonorsChoose: DonorsChoose is a digital crowdfunding platform that enables individuals to fund public school classroom projects. While it operates nationally rather than per-district, it represents an emerging alternative model to traditional district foundations for funding teacher innovation grants.

Direct peers

• Hillsborough Education Foundation: Hillsborough Education Foundation supports Hillsborough County Public Schools through teacher grants, student scholarships, and community-funded programs. It is comparable in scope and structure to FPEF, though operating at a larger district scale.
• Seattle Public Schools Foundation: Seattle Public Schools Foundation mobilizes community resources to fund innovative classroom projects, equity initiatives, and student scholarships for Seattle Public Schools. Like FPEF, it operates as an independent 501(c)(3) closely partnered with a single school district.
• Portland Schools Foundation: Portland Schools Foundation is a nonprofit that raises funds and awards grants to Portland Public Schools educators and students, operating endowment-driven grant programs similar to FPEF. It is a direct analog as a city-district education foundation with teacher grants and student scholarships.
• The Public Education Foundation (Milwaukee): The Public Education Foundation in Milwaukee raises funds and provides grants and scholarships to Milwaukee Public Schools students and educators. It mirrors FPEF's role as a community bridge funding innovative programs beyond district budgets.
• Boston Public Schools Foundation: Boston Public Schools Foundation supports Boston Public Schools through grants to educators, student scholarships, and district partnership programs. It is directly comparable as a district-focused education grantmaking foundation serving a single urban school system.
• Foundation for Orange County Public Schools: Foundation for Orange County Public Schools channels private donations to support Orange County Public Schools students and teachers through grants, scholarships, and recognition events. It parallels FPEF's mission, structure, and district-partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Scholarship America: Scholarship America is the nation's largest nonprofit scholarship and workforce development organization, administering scholarship and education support programs at national scale. It represents a broader incumbent in the same grantmaking/educational support category as FPEF but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FayPubEduFoun
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fayetteville-public-education-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/fhsalumniassoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fayetteville Public Education Foundation