Creating Partnerships Between National Companies and Public Schools

CHICAGO, August 10, 2017 — Education Funding Partners (EFP) today announced a partnership with Blackboard Inc. that will enable school districts nationwide to generate a sustainable, new revenue stream through digital advertising on district and school websites. EFP creates marketing partnerships between respected national companies and the K-12 public school community.

EFP adNet will integrate with Blackboard Web Community Manager (WCM), Blackboard’s community engagement platform. Blackboard clients using WCM will now have the option to leverage EFP adNet, a free platform, to select from a vetted list of education-appropriate brands and determine the placement of the brands’ digital ads on their website pages to drive revenue. EFP adNet is turnkey and seamlessly embeds into all Blackboard website templates and custom websites.  

“We’re pleased to offer districts and schools a new option for generating revenue they can count on,” said Marc Rubner, VP, Community Engagement Product Management. “This partnership further demonstrates Blackboard’s long-standing commitment to helping school districts nationwide solve their toughest challenges.”

EFP engages education-friendly brands like Microsoft, Target, Walmart and Shutterfly, who want to reach parents and teachers through the trusted environment of school district websites.  Districts can use the funds generated from running the ads any way they wish.

“This partnership will broaden our reach to offer our free adNet revenue tool to more school districts and schools. Our goal is to create a movement to broaden districts’ opportunity to initiate new funding solutions,” said EFP CEO Tom Weeks. “The timing is right to partner with such an established player in the education technology field who is committed to providing innovative technology solutions for their educational platforms.”

 About Education Funding Partners

Education Funding Partners (EFP) puts the power of Fortune 500 marketing resources to work for public education by linking carefully selected brands and forward-thinking school districts to build successful partnerships. Leading companies engage with millions of parents, students and educators through a new, scalable and comprehensive marketing platform, while districts impacted by the ongoing budget crisis gain sustainable funding solutions.

Through a national school district network built by EFP, brands invest in the K-12 community by preserving educational and enrichment programs. EFP (www.edufundingpartners.com) is a certified B Corporation, a for-profit company, guided by comprehensive social performance standards. EFP has been Awarded ‘Best for the World’ by B Lab for the past four years and was named one of ‘Five Bright Ideas for Education’ by Harvard Business School. EFP is a division of ©2017 Abundant Venture Partners, LLC (www.abundantventurepartners.com).

CONTACT: Nancy Kerbs, Education Funding Partners – (508) 333-3488 or nkerbs@edufundingpartners.com

Further Reading

1. Publisher’s Weekly – B&N Education Buys Student Brands for $58.5 Million
2. The Missoulian – Funding for higher education will be on the ballot in 2018
3. Chicago Tribune – New school funding plan could cost taxpayers billions over a decade or longer