By: Matt Emma
School districts rely on public funding for instruction, personnel, facilities, and essential services. Yet scholarships, enrichment programs, classroom resources, and other district priorities can benefit from dedicated community investment. An education foundation creates a structured way for alumni, families, businesses, and philanthropic partners to support those priorities year after year, rather than through occasional contributions or isolated campaigns. Hasset Capital, a professional services and strategic advisory firm, works with school districts and charter schools to establish independent education foundations, administer education funds, and strengthen existing foundations.
“An education foundation must be built to operate beyond a single campaign or school year,” says David P. Anderson, MSSE, Chief Strategy Officer at Hasset Capital. “We establish the governing structure, bylaws or written advisory procedures, fundraising systems, and community engagement strategy so supporters have a formal way to invest in their district every year.”
Hasset Capital’s 12-month engagement establishes independent 501(c)(3) education foundations or administered education funds, including the governance, fundraising infrastructure, and operational systems necessary for long-term success. The firm assesses district and community needs through stakeholder surveys, data analysis, and consultation with district leadership. These findings inform strategic planning, fundraising priorities, and initiatives supporting students, educators, and the broader school community.
Districts can select one of two governance models. An independent education foundation is established as a separate nonprofit organization with its own governing board, responsible for fiduciary oversight, policy decisions, and organizational compliance. Hasset Capital coordinates formation, governance development, board recruitment, and operational administration. A Hasset-administered education fund, by contrast, operates through a hosted structure with an Advisory Council that helps shape priorities and makes funding recommendations. Hasset Capital provides the administrative and operational infrastructure to support the fund’s activities.
Hasset Capital develops governance documents, fundraising infrastructure, and scholarship programs while managing donor administration, reporting, and ongoing operations. District leaders help identify prospective board or council members, provide strategic input, and participate in scheduled meetings. This approach allows school leaders to remain focused on educational priorities while Hasset Capital manages the foundation’s development and operations.
Fundraising is another central component. Hasset Capital develops the district’s story to communicate its needs, priorities, and opportunities for community investment. The firm identifies prospective corporate and foundation partners, builds an alumni engagement strategy that reconnects graduates with their schools, and partners with DONARA to strengthen charitable giving and maximize donor engagement. Annual giving, targeted campaigns, and community partnerships create opportunities for families, local businesses, and civic organizations to invest in district priorities. The objective is to build lasting relationships that generate sustainable philanthropic support.
“An education foundation should be a pillar of its school district and community,” Anderson says. “It represents a commitment that extends beyond any superintendent, governing board, or generation of students. Its legacy is built through the opportunities it creates and the lives it improves.”
Financial transparency and accountability are central to both operating models. Hasset Capital develops financial reporting, donor stewardship, and impact measurement practices so district leaders and governing bodies can review how resources are raised, allocated, and used. Depending on each district’s priorities, reporting may track fundraising participation, partner engagement, scholarship activity, and progress toward approved initiatives.
At the conclusion of the initial 12 months, deliverables include an established fund or foundation, functioning governance processes, a strategic fundraising plan, donor-management infrastructure, and a framework for ongoing reporting. Hasset Capital can continue providing management or advisory support beyond the initial engagement, according to the selected model and agreement.
For districts that already have education foundations, Hasset Capital offers a separate six-month strategy and growth engagement. The firm reviews governance, fundraising performance, alumni engagement, donor relationships, and reporting, then develops a revenue growth strategy and implementation roadmap designed to strengthen the existing organization.
School district leaders interested in establishing or strengthening an education foundation can schedule a discovery conversation with Hasset Capital at hassetcapital.org/contact.
“Every school district is surrounded by people who care deeply about its students. What is often missing is a way to turn that goodwill into lasting support,” Anderson says. “An education foundation creates that opportunity. It gives alumni a way to give back, local businesses an opportunity to partner, and communities a meaningful role in shaping the future of their schools. That is how we turn community pride into lasting impact.”
