The AI Education Project

Traction Update: Funder Brief

January 1 – March 23, 2026
Data through March 23, 2026
$1.15M
FY25 Earned Revenue
991%
FFS Growth FY24→25
170+
Trailblazer Fellows
36
States Reached
$5.7M
Google Renewal

Earned Revenue Trajectory

Fee-for-service revenue from district and partner contracts — distinct from philanthropic grants. Revenue diversification is a core strategic priority.

FFS Revenue by Fiscal Year
Revenue Diversification
FY25 — 65% top partner
FY26 — 33% top partner
Concentration risk cut in half. Top partner share dropped from 65% (FY25) to 33% (FY26). Revenue base is broadening across more partners and geographies.
Awarded Fee-for-Service by Fiscal Year
$867K
FY25 Total
$399K
FY26 YTD
$60K
FY27 (Early)
Excluding MCESC ($569K), FY25 YTD was $178K vs FY26’s $399K — a +124% increase in underlying earned revenue.

AI Trailblazers Fellowship

10-week synchronous cohort program training educators to integrate AI into teaching. The flagship program driving depth-over-breadth strategy.

Fellows Completing Program by Year
3:1
550 applications for 170 spots in 2026 cohorts. ~480 deemed qualified. Demand significantly exceeds capacity.
10
5 spring + 5 fall cohorts planned for 2026 — on track to double 2025 completions to 300 fellows.
36
170+ Fellows across 36 states. Train the Trainer launched — each trainer gets 30 licenses. Idaho requested statewide deployment.

Marquee FFS Partners

Anchor fee-for-service partnerships driving earned revenue. Multi-year engagements building recurring revenue and proving the model.

Napa County Office of EducationFY25–27
CA • $117,500 FY26 • $235K total
Anchor multi-year contract: teacher PL, leader PL, and district strategic advising across Napa County.
Colorado Education InitiativeFY24–27
CO • $54,000 FY26 • $206K total
Longest-running FFS partnership — four consecutive fiscal years of deepening engagement.
Coaction Collective (Amazon)Active
National • $50,000 FY26
Amazon-connected partnership. AI readiness and workforce alignment.
NYC Public SchoolsActive
NY • $24,750 FY26 • Largest US district
Direct contract. Virtual learning classrooms. One of three active NYC partnerships.
Prince George’s County Public Schools3-Year
MD • 150,000 students • Multi-year
~3,000 teachers reached. PGCPS now formulating its own AI strategy. Joint Pull Up Fund proposal in development.
Silicon Schools FundRenewal
CA • $30,000 FY26
AI Exploration Community. Renewal demonstrates retention and long-term partner value.
Strategic & Peer Organization Collaborations
Educational Testing Service (ETS)Collaboration
NJ • Active partnership
Strategic peer organization collaboration on AI literacy assessment and standards.
Raspberry Pi FoundationMOU Signed
MI • Signed Mar 2026 • 21 interactions w/ CEO
Deep peer org partnership. MOU signed in March 2026. Collaboration on AI education programming.
Rithm ProjectCollaboration
National • Strategic partnership
Collaboration on AI readiness and digital literacy programming.
InnovateEDUPeer Org
NY • 64 interactions • Daily contact
Deep peer organization partnership. Active daily collaboration through March 2026.
Leading EducatorsPeer Org
National • Active interactions thru Mar 2026
Peer organization collaboration on educator professional development in the AI era.
UNICEFNew
Washington, DC • New Jan 2026
Exploring AI in education with UNICEF’s DC office. Invited to reception at French Ambassador’s residence (Mar 2026).
Additional peer org relationships: Quill (NY) • Jobs for the Future (National) • ASU (AZ) • Teach Plus (National)
Program Quality Scores
Facilitator
4.51
Satisfaction
4.45
Relevance
4.28
5-point scale • Educator post-program surveys
Geographic Reach — Active & Pipeline States
CA
CO
FL
ID
IL
IN
MA
MD
MI
MN
MT
NJ
NY
OH
OR
WA
Active Pipeline
170+ Trailblazer Fellows span 36 states — far exceeding the 16 states with active contracts or pipeline shown here.

Philanthropic Pipeline

Mix of active grants, renewals, and cultivation conversations. Not dependent on any single funder.

Google
$5.7M Renewal
Multi-year. Senior leadership approved, moved to contracting. Names NY as priority region.
Cognizant Philanthropy
Active Grant
2026 grant kicked off, expanded from 2025. First payment received.
Ohio DEW
In Contracting
Strategic advisory contract. 4 work streams statewide.
Ballmer Group
Proposal Sent
Proposal submitted for AI readiness programming.
Salesforce
Proposal Sent
Prior $1M grant concluded. New proposal submitted.
Navigant
Proposal Sent
Proposal submitted for partnership.
McGovern Foundation
Proposal Sent
Proposal submitted for AI education programming.
Walton Family Foundation
Proposal Requested
Proposal requested. Meeting with senior leadership at ASU+GSV (April 2026).
Pull Up Fund
Proposal Requested
Proposal requested. Joint work with PGCPS.
Lone Pine Capital
Proposal Requested
Interested in NYC + CT. Avg grant ~$275K. Proposal requested.
Micron Foundation
Proposal Requested
Proposal requested for AI education partnership.
Raikes Foundation
Concept Note
Concept note requested for AI readiness programming.
Kellogg Foundation
Expansion Grant
Planning expansion grant. Strong relationship from Michigan work.
NewSchools Venture Fund
Cultivating
Cultivating relationship for potential investment.
Amazon
Exploring
Advisory board connection. AI readiness + workforce alignment.
PJMF
Exploring
Discussed vibe coding, nonprofit capacity building, flexible funding.
Booz Allen Hamilton
Follow-up
Active grant follow-up conversations in progress.

Data sourced from aiEDU Programs Airtable • January 1 – March 23, 2026

aiedu.org