School Districts:
Let EFP serve as your agent to find corporate dollars.
Sponsors:
Lock up exclusive marketing rights to some of the nation's biggest school districts.
EFP is a chartered "B Corporation," a designation of distinction for companies that use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. EFP passed rigorous requirements for certification that ensures districts and sponsors of its social commitment. Read more
In the Media
Finding the World's 'Best' Social Entrepreneurs
by John Tozzi
Since 2007, B Lab has certified as “B Corps” more than 700 companies trying to balance their social missions with making profits. Its process involves documenting the company’s beneficial impact (and the company paying a fee to B Lab of $500 to $25,000 a year, depending on revenue). Most B Corps are relatively unknown small or midsize companies. A handful, like Patagonia and Warby Parker, are bigger brands.
Today, B Lab is releasing its second annual list of companies that score in the top 10 percent on its assessments, what it calls the “Best for the World” list. How did the 67 companies get there? Click below to find out.
Read the full Businessweek Article and Press Release.
Read about Finding the World's 'Best' Social Entrepreneurs.
Filling a void for cash-strapped districts
by Nora Caley
Golden firm helps schools find corporate sponsorships
Public schools are struggling?with budget cuts, and corporations are looking for new ways to market their brands. Golden-based Education Funding Partners is working to bring the two together. "Companies spend $150 billion a year on advertising," says Mickey Freeman, president and CEO of the two-year-old EFP. "There has got to be a way to redirect some percentage of that in an ethical and moral way into public education."….EFP is a B Corporation, or socially responsible enterprise, that serves as a matchmaker between Fortune 500 companies that want to buy sponsorships and school districts looking for supplemental funding.
Read about Filling a void for cash-strapped districts.
View Filling a void for cash-strapped districts. (PDF)
EFP and Better World Books partner to benefit Maryland schools
by Sustainable Industries
Imagine the possibilities when companies with similar charters partner to not only grow their market share but align to make a difference. That’s the case with Education Funding Partners and Better World Books – both B Corporations. As both companies share a similar vision, Education Funding Partners matched Better World Books to Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland based on their mutual objectives. Through the partnership, the school district has placed Better World Book collection boxes at 32 initial school locations.
Read about EFP and Better World Books partner to benefit Maryland schools.
Putting Brands To Work for Public Education
by Mickey Freeman
Public education budgets have always been tight, but today we find ourselves in uncharted territory. Looking back to 2008, when the country slipped into the Great Recession, no aspect of the economy has escaped unscathed. One of the hardest-hit areas has been education, since deep losses in the housing sector sent shock waves that decimated state and local budgets and, consequently, school budgets as well. In many places, schools' rainy-day funds have run dry.
Read about Putting Brands To Work for Public Education.
School system using company to explore advertising opportunities
by Alisha George
The Carroll County Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to award a bid to Colorado-based Education Funding Partners, a company that works for public education by linking brands to school districts in an effort to establish partnerships, according to EFP’s website.
Read about School system using company to explore advertising opportunities.
Klein ISD turns to alternative funding
by CRYSTAL SIMMONS
Klein ISD will become the first Houston-area district to sign with Education Funding Partners, a Colorado-based benefit business.
The district struck the deal to make up for last year’s $16 million state budget cut with alternative revenue sources, said Klein ISD Superintendent Jim Cain in a statement.
“Through our partnership with Education Funding Partners, we will have the opportunity to link with leading corporations who share our vision and are dedicated to ensuring a high quality education for America’s future workforce,” Cain added.
Read about Klein ISD turns to alternative funding.
Book donation program to benefit schools
by TIM PRATT
A partnership between the Anne Arundel County Public School system and a new corporate sponsor will soon pay dividends.
The school system and Indiana-based Better World Books have set up 32 book donation boxes at county schools. Better World Books will sell the donated books online and give 15 percent of net profits to the school system.
The arrangement was set up through Education Funding Partners, an organization that has worked with the school system to find corporate sponsorships.
Read about Book donation program to benefit schools.
Nashua Considers Ads At School Stadium
by SHERYL RICH-KERN
As school districts continue to face budget cuts, administrators look for creative ways to fill in the gaps. And that means that some schools are warming up to a concept that public educators used to reject: advertising.
"If you’re going to move the needle on helping to pay for public education, you’ve got to find a way to bring corporate America to the table."
Read about Nashua Considers Ads At School Stadium.
Anne Arundel schools looking for corporate sponsors
by TIM PRATT
Bound by tight budget constraints, the Anne Arundel County school system is preparing to take part in a new program that could lead to thousands of dollars in revenue.
Read about Anne Arundel schools looking for corporate sponsors.
Advertising in schools becoming more common
by Trevor Hughes
(USA TODAY) Financially struggling schools nationwide are increasing the volume of advertising that children see in the halls, at football games and even on their report cards.
School administrators say that with a public unwilling to adequately fund K-12 education, they're obligated to find new ways to keep teachers in classrooms.
School administrators say that with a public unwilling to adequately fund K-12 education, they're obligated to find new ways to keep teachers in classrooms.
"We know that we can't continue to only look at ways to cut, we also need to be innovative about the assets we have and learn how to bring in more revenue," says Trinette Marquis, a spokeswoman for the 28,000-student Twin Rivers Unified School District in McClellan, Calif.
Twin Rivers this spring signed a deal with the Colorado-based Education Funding Partners (EFP), a for-profit corporation, with a goal of bringing $100 million to major public school districts by 2015, company President Mickey Freeman says.
"There's a way to marry large companies and large districts without having to sacrifice morality," he says.
Read about Advertising in schools becoming more common.
Twin Rivers Looking To Advertise At School Sites
by Sacramento CBS13
“We’re looking for other options, other opportunities to generate some revenue,” said district spokesman Tom Janis.
With close to $100 million slashed from its budget in the last four years, the school district is now jumping on the advertising bandwagon.
“The advertisements will be something appropriate,” Janis said. “The district has the final say on what that would be.”
Read about Twin Rivers Looking To Advertise At School Sites.
Companies take on role as class sponsors
by Amy B Wang
"The whole notion of bringing responsible, corporate sponsorships into schools is a new one," said David Voss, a spokesman for a new company called Education Funding Partners. The group, based in Colorado, aims to link Fortune 500 companies with school districts to "create some proposals that are attractive to corporations and districts."
Read about Companies take on role as class sponsors.
Irving ISD Wooing Corporate Advertisers For Schools
by CBSDFW.COM
In hopes of bringing in more revenue, the Irving Independent School district has joined a national advertising network specifically for schools.
Irving is the first school district in the state to join the Education Funding Partners (EFP) network. According to the district, EFP “specializes in corporate sponsorships specifically for school districts and has established relationships with a variety of Fortune 500 corporations.”
Read about Irving ISD Wooing Corporate Advertisers For Schools.
Putting ads in school discussed in Forsyth, Guilford Cos.
by Deven Swartz and Brent Campbell
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Triad’s two largest school systems are considering a company’s proposal to put ads on cafeteria walls, activity buses and sports facilities, among other things.
Education Funding Partners has approached both Guilford County Schools and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.
Read about Putting ads in school discussed in Forsyth, Guilford Cos..
Formal presentation made on sponsorships in schools
by Haisten Willis/Douglas County Sentinel
Three months after crashing national headlines with its first discussion on corporate advertising partnerships, the Douglas County School System (DCSS) heard a formal proposal from a company specializing in the practice.
Lynne Cole, one of the founders of Education Funding Partners (EFP), spoke to the BOE at its Monday night meeting and was showered with questions following a brief proposal. Cole began her presentation by saying her company is "a matchmaker," working as a liaison between the school system and Fortune 500 companies that may be interested in advertising or sponsorship opportunities at local schools. Cole reminded the BOE that the school district has the final say on approving contracts.
Read about Formal presentation made on sponsorships in schools.
Manatee County Schools turns to corporate sponsorships
by Kimberly Quison
Read about Manatee County Schools turns to corporate sponsorships.
Manatee County School Board Open to Corporate School Sponsorships
by Merab Favorite
BRADENTON – Names once reserved for influential educators like G.D. Rogers or Jessie P. Miller may soon be replaced with national corporations like Google, Microsoft and Wal-Mart as the Manatee County School Board continues to struggle with budget cuts. While naming a school after a corporation is an extreme case of corporate sponsorship, ads on school websites, educational television and school ball fields are currently being considered by the school board.
“I’ve tried to find the downside, said Barbra Harvey. “It’s time to do this—now is the time to start.”
The school district is looking into partnering with Educational Funding Partners, a pilot program that operates by managing advertising partnerships with national corporations and local public schools. The comission-based company profits by bundling districts together and splitting the profits between schools. Officials say it could raise up to $20 per student.
Read about Manatee County School Board Open to Corporate School Sponsorships.
EFP District Client Speaks about its Agency Program to CNN
by CNN Newsroom
Education Funding Partners' (EFP) district client, San Juan Unified School District, speaks about it's Agency Program with EFP. Click to watch Senior Director of Community Relations, Trent Allen, discuss how the district has partnered with a national agency to help solve it's massive budget cuts and take ads in schools to the next level. CNN reports on the state of advertising in schools: Selling Ad Space in Schools. October 18, 2011.
Read about EFP District Client Speaks about its Agency Program to CNN.
Corporate sponsors could raise millions for schools
by Karen Massie
CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA - With $36 million in budget cuts and the possible layoff of 238 teachers looming, San Juan Unified School District officials were eager to talk about corporate sponsorships. Mickey Freeman, CEO of the Denver-based Education Funding Partnerships (EFP) toured five San Juan schools and told officials he could help ease the districts financial pain. "American public education is in a major crisis and billions of dollars are being cut out of school budgets next year," Freeman lamented. "Education Funding Partners is trying to help by bringing responsible Fortune-500 companies and their large consumer brand sponsorships into school district like San Juan." San Juan High School Vice Principal Steve Hunt showed Freeman the schools award winning culinary arts program. They also stopped by engineering and construction classrooms and an automotive shop. As he walked the halls, Freeman said he saw plenty of places were national firms like Nike, Verizon and Google could place advertisements. Those ads could bring in an estimated $500,000 to $1 million according to Freeman.
Read about Corporate sponsors could raise millions for schools.
View Corporate sponsors could raise millions for schools. (PDF)
Sacramento area school districts rethink ads on campus
by Diana Lambert
Mickey Freeman's eyes lit up when he saw the student-run cafe at New San Juan High School in Citrus Heights. He scanned the walls and rattled off the possible dimensions of signs. His company – Education Funding Partners – was just hired by the San Juan Unified School District to bring in extra money via corporate sponsors. Fundraising for schools once meant kids hawking cookie dough and gift wrap door to door to pay for field trips and memorial benches, but now districts are looking for big money to keep programs afloat and teachers employed, and to buy books and materials. District officials say they need the money these companies can bring, although how much money the companies could raise for financially strapped schools is uncertain. "We're doing this because education funds have taken such severe cuts, so we have to be open to new ideas to generate revenue," said Trent Allen, San Juan Unified spokesman. The funds are needed to operate the five academies at New San Juan High, Vice Principal Steven Hunt said. The culinary academy, for example, requires daily trips to the grocery store for supplies.
Read about Sacramento area school districts rethink ads on campus.
Saved by the Sell
by Andrea Ford
Businesses can sense schools' increasing desperation. "We see a tremendous opportunity for corporate America to step up and help during this time of extreme crisis," says Mickey Freeman, CEO of Education Funding Partners, a Denver start-up that brokers naming and signage deals for Fortune 1000 companies for everything from school auditoriums and gymnasiums to libraries, computer labs, cafeterias, and any other space school boards deem appropriate.
Read about Saved by the Sell.
View Saved by the Sell. (PDF)
Schools turn to ads for revenue
by Christina Hoag, Associated Press
Forget about PTA bake sales. School fundraisers these days are more likely to be about offering naming rights, hawking logoed merchandise, wrapping lockers in supergraphics or posting ads on buses. The recent financial crunch is pushing districts to allow advertisers direct access on campuses. "We want to bring Fortune 500 clients into school districts," said Mickey Freeman, president and chief executive of Education Funding Partners, a Denver startup.
Read about Schools turn to ads for revenue.
Districts Turn to School Bus Advertising
by My Fox Phoenix
MESA - Arizona school budgets are tight, and now the Mesa School District is looking into a new revenue source. They're selling ad space on the sides of their golden buses.
Dr. Jeffrey Wing with Wing Orthodontics is planning to take advantage of the advertising, calling it a brilliant idea to build his exposure.
"Being in front of our target audience, kids who need braces, could've have asked for a better opportunity," says Dr. Wing, who bought a 10x2' banner, which will go on 10 buses. Another orthodontics clinic and Mesa Community College have also bought space.
Read about Districts Turn to School Bus Advertising.
Branded! Public schools court corporate sponsors
by M. Alex Johnson
Like nearly every school district in the country, Hempfield can use the money. The $100 million budget for 2010-11 projects a shortfall of $997,000, necessitating expenditures from the district’s reserve fund and an increase in the property tax rate of 3.4 percent.
Hempfield, for example, brings in about $300,000 a year from its sponsors, which also fund such facilities as the Sylvan Learning guidance office, the Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster athletic trainers room, the Wheatland Federal Credit Union cafeteria, the Kline’s Services video scoreboard and the Brunner-Burkhart Group baseball field.
Read about Branded! Public schools court corporate sponsors.
Contact Info
14062 Denver West ParkwayBdg. 52, Ste. 110
Golden, CO 80401
303-900-4246
info@edufundingpartners.com
