The Foundation

A Franklin School teacher leans down and smiles at a student sitting at their desk.

Purpose and Origins

Founded in 2022, the Franklin School Foundation operates as an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization under the stewardship of a dedicated Board of Trustees. Its mission is to broaden access to a Franklin education and to strengthen the culture of innovation that defines the School. Through philanthropic partnership, the Foundation advances three critical areas: financial accessibility for students, professional growth for faculty, and transformative opportunities for student-led ventures. All contributions are fully tax-deductible.

Strategic Priorities

The Foundation channels its impact through two primary avenues of support:

  • The Annual Fund — A yearly campaign designed to sustain the School’s most pressing needs, including student scholarships, faculty advancement, and seed funding for student innovation.
  • Capital Initiatives — Targeted campaigns that underwrite major investments in programs, facilities, and long-term growth, ensuring Franklin remains at the forefront of educational excellence.

Why Philanthropy Matters

The cost of delivering a Franklin education exceeds tuition alone. Philanthropic giving makes possible what tuition cannot:

  • Expanded financial aid, opening doors for deserving students from all backgrounds
  • Advanced professional learning opportunities for faculty, ensuring world-class teaching
  • Student innovation grants through the Franklin Incubator, empowering young leaders to launch ventures in business, nonprofit, and social impact
A Franklin School student works on a robot dog as part of an incubator project.

Franklin's Incubator

Franklin’s signature incubator program for students in grades 9-12 is designed to inspire innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, and service. Rooted in Franklin’s mission to broaden access to a world-class private school education, the Incubator empowers students to become innovators and socially responsible global leaders by transforming their ideas into real-world impact.

Through this unique program, students explore how they can drive positive change in their communities and beyond. With dedicated mentorship and support, they develop passion-driven projects that reflect their individual interests and talents — from glove-controlled drones and 3D-printed heart analysis tools to productivity apps and nonprofits serving vulnerable populations.

The Franklin Incubator is one of the many ways we foster bold thinking, creativity, and purpose-driven leadership in our students.

To learn more about this signature Franklin program, visit our Technology and Innovation page

Building Community

Beyond financial stewardship, the Foundation plays a central role in cultivating connection and belonging. It serves as a hub for alumni engagement and works in close collaboration with the School’s leadership, Parents Association, and an extraordinary network of volunteers. Together, this collective effort strengthens Franklin’s global community and ensures its continued legacy of innovation and impact.

Questions?

For more information contact us at foundation@franklinjc.org.