Startup Raising Money for Schools by Supporting SMBs

Who: Stacey Boyd

What: A fundraising platform for schools

When: 2012

Where: San Francisco, CA

How: Founder Stacey Boyd is a parent, teacher and principal who says she was frustrated by traditional fundraising attempts at her daughter’s school.

After using the online coupon site Groupon, Boyd says she came up with an idea to engage community small businesses to raise money for local schools. In a nutshell, local businesses could offer sales, with a certain percentage of each purchase going back to a local school.

Schoola also takes a cut of the purchase for facilitating the effort.

Biggest challenge: Surprisingly enough, Boyd says there haven’t been many roadblocks. “Parents love it, because they don’t have to buy tubs of cookie dough and wrapping paper,” she says.

One moment in time: “The thing I love about this is that everybody’s incentives are aligned,” says Boyd. “It’s an extraordinary way to come together as a community, raising money for schools and local businesses that we all love.”

Best business advice: Boyd says the best professional advice is “to focus on your customers and the rest will follow.”

Most influential book: Boyd recommends Charles Duhigg’s “The Power of Habit,” which explains why people make the choices they do.