lakewood rangers education foundation

What lakewood rangers education foundation does

Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation (LREF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation founded in 1984 in Lakewood, Ohio, chartered to raise and distribute funds that bridge the gap between government funding for public schools and the resources needed for a world-class education in Lakewood City Schools. The foundation serves all 12 schools in the district and reports benefiting more than 4,200 to 5,400 students annually through scholarships, teaching grants, fine arts support, and alumni engagement programs.

Its core offerings are organized as a portfolio of programs rather than a unified product. Programmatic outputs include the LREF Annual Fund (unrestricted donations supporting academics, arts, athletics, and technology), Scholarships and Awards (25-30 scholarships worth $30,000-$40,000 annually to graduating seniors), Teaching Grants for innovative classroom projects, Fine Arts enrichment, Alumni Programs (reunions and connection), the Hall of Fame (inductions and a digital web-based display), the Wall of Honor (permanent interactive installation for military veterans, dedicated November 14, 2024), and the LHS Yearbook Archive. Underlying technology is minimal and consists of a Squarespace-hosted website for donations and information plus a Touchpros-powered digital platform hosting the Digital Hall of Fame, Wall of Honor Display, and Yearbook Archive; there is no proprietary AI, software product, or mobile app.

The business model is donation-based across five streams: annual fund donations (one-time, monthly recurring, LCSD payroll deduction), endowed scholarship funds (principal-invested, growing base), planned giving (bequests, charitable gift annuities, CRATs/CLTs, stock gifts, IRA rollovers), event sponsorships (Ranger Classic Golf Outing, Hall of Fame Celebration), and corporate matching gifts. GTM is event- and community-driven, anchored by a Board of Trustees with officers, committee chairs, and faculty liaisons across elementary, middle, and high school levels. Over the last five years the foundation has distributed an average of approximately $100,000 per year to the schools, and since 1984 has distributed millions of dollars cumulatively; it holds a Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating and operates with 1-10 staff led by Executive Director Mary Sharpe and Program Coordinator Mary Theobald from an office inside Lakewood High School (14100 Franklin Blvd., Lakewood, OH).

Name

lakewood rangers education foundation

Legal name

Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation

Website

https://lakewoodrangers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 that raises and distributes charitable gifts to support all 12 Lakewood City Schools, funding scholarships, teaching grants, fine arts, and alumni programs for more than 4,200 students annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public School Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Educational Support Services (6117)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Public school foundation
• Educational fundraising
• Scholarship programs
• Teaching grants
• Alumni engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Fund Donations: Tax-deductible gifts to the LREF Annual Fund providing unrestricted funds to support student programs in Lakewood City Schools. Includes one-time gifts, monthly recurring contributions, and automatic payroll deduction for LCSD employees.
2. Endowed Scholarships: Donors may contribute to established named endowed funds or create their own named endowment fund. All gifts invested in the Lakewood Rangers Education Endowment Fund, with donations added to principal to increase future award amounts.
3. Planned Giving: Bequests by will or trust, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder/lead trusts, gifts of stock/securities, donor advised funds, life insurance, retirement distributions, and IRA charitable rollovers.
4. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities for annual Ranger Classic Golf Outing and Hall of Fame Celebration events.
5. Matching Gifts: Corporate matching gift program where employers match employee gifts to LREF.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation (LREF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that raises and distributes charitable funds to bridge the gap between government funding and the resources needed for a world-class public education in Lakewood, Ohio. It provides scholarships to graduating seniors, teaching grants for innovative classroom projects, fine arts program support, alumni engagement programs, and recognition programs including a Hall of Fame and Wall of Honor for military veterans. The foundation serves all 12 Lakewood city schools and over 5,400 students, distributing an average of $100,000 per year.

Product overview

Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation (LREF) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization that provides educational enrichment programs and financial support to the Lakewood Public Schools. Rather than a unified technology product, LREF offers a portfolio of programs including Scholarships and Awards, Teaching Grants, Fine Arts programs, Alumni Programs, the Hall of Fame (including a Digital Hall of Fame), Wall of Honor for military veterans, and the LHS Yearbook Archive. The organization bridges the gap between government funding and what is needed for a world-class education, distributing approximately $100,000 per year to support over 4,200 students across 12 city schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ranger Classic Golf Outing: Annual golf outing event that serves as a sponsorship opportunity to support LREF's work
• Hall of Fame
• Wall of Honor
• Digital Hall of Fame

Products and services

• Scholarships and Awards Scholarship money and financial awards provided to graduating seniors and other Lakewood students to support post-secondary education. The foundation awards 25-30 scholarships worth $30,000-$40,000 in total each year, plus recognition awards that honor student achievement. Recipients are Lakewood High School seniors planning to attend college or other post-secondary programs.
• Teaching Grants Grants that enable Lakewood City Schools faculty to implement innovative teaching ideas inside and outside of the classroom, including professional development opportunities and creative curriculum projects. Available to teachers and staff across all 12 Lakewood city schools.
• Fine Arts Program Cultural experiences and arts enrichment programs for Lakewood students, including instrument funding and music lesson scholarships. Designed to remove financial barriers to participation in school music and arts programs.
• Hall of Fame Formal recognition and induction program honoring Lakewood High School graduates and staff for accomplishments in athletics, service as faculty or staff, or distinguished careers/benefactors. Includes a companion Digital Hall of Fame web-based display accessible online to alumni and the broader community.
• Wall of Honor Permanent interactive installation located in the Civic Auditorium at Lakewood High School that honors Lakewood High School alumni and staff who served in the United States Armed Forces. Includes a digital Wall of Honor Display accessible online via the foundation's TouchPros platform.
• LHS Yearbook Archive Web-based digital archive providing online access to historical Lakewood High School yearbooks, enabling alumni and community members to view and search past editions.
• Alumni Programs Programs and services that maintain a sense of community and connectedness among the thousands of Lakewood High School alumni, including reunion coordination, alumni news collection, on-campus visit support, and connection to old classmates.
• Endowed Scholarship Funds Named endowed scholarship funds established by donors to provide ongoing scholarship support for graduating Lakewood High School seniors. Donors may contribute to existing named endowed funds or create their own; gifts are invested in the Lakewood Rangers Education Endowment Fund and added to principal to increase future award amounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,200+ students served annually across 12 schools
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lakewood City SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLREF was conceived to support the Lakewood City Schools by bridging the gap between government funding and what is needed for world-class education. LREF works with all 12 city schools to fund programs in academics, arts, athletics, and technology.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Metropolitan School District Foundation: Public K-12 school foundation serving Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Closest geographic and structural peer to LREF — both raise and distribute private funds to supplement public school funding gaps in Northeast Ohio districts.
• Shaker Heights Schools Foundation: Independent501(c)(3) supporting Shaker Heights City School District in Greater Cleveland. Operates with a similar model of Annual Fund, endowed scholarships, and alumni/parent engagement, making it a direct functional peer to LREF.
• Beachwood Schools Foundation: Philanthropic arm of the Beachwood City School District, also in Northeast Ohio. Funds academic enrichment, scholarships, and innovative teaching grants — closely mirroring LREF's programmatic structure.
• Upper Arlington Education Foundation: Community education foundation supporting Upper Arlington Schools in Ohio with teaching grants, scholarships, and enrichment programs. Comparable scope, structure, and reliance on alumni/parent giving.
• Bexley Education Foundation: 501(c)(3) supporting Bexley City Schools in central Ohio through grants, scholarships, and enrichment funding. Similar district-focused foundation model with comparable giving scale.
• Cincinnati Public Schools Foundation: Independent foundation supporting Cincinnati Public Schools with scholarships, grants, and program funding. Functionally analogous to LREF in serving a single district, though operating in a larger urban context.

Broad incumbents

• The Cleveland Foundation: Northeast Ohio's major community foundation with broad giving including substantial K-12 and higher education grantmaking. Larger, multi-sector incumbent operating in LREF's geography but with a much broader mandate than a single-district education foundation.
• GAR Foundation: Akron-based family foundation with significant education grantmaking across Ohio. Comparable as an education-focused grantmaking entity but operates regionally with broader program areas than LREF's single-district focus.

Emerging players

• DonorsChoose: National crowdfunding platform that lets individuals fund public school classroom projects and teacher requests. Comparable mission of bridging public school funding gaps, but operates as a nationwide tech-enabled platform rather than a community-anchored foundation.
• AdoptAClassroom.org: National nonprofit that channels private donations directly to K-12 teachers and classrooms. Similar mission of supplementing public school funding but at scale across many districts, unlike LREF's single-district scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LakewoodRangersEducationFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lakewood-rangers-education-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 lakewood rangers education foundation