Albemarle County Public Schools and the Albemarle Foundation for Education

This brief case describes a public school system’s attempt to start a nonprofit, Albemarle Foundation for Education (AFE), to help support its mission. The Albemarle County Public School (ACPS) system is located in a moderately affluent area, but one with great disparity between, and sometimes within, schools. AFE was started to help fund initiatives to support schools with greater need, as documented by higher percentages of students with free and reduced lunch, compared to other ACPS schools. After a great deal of initial enthusiasm, it was difficult for AFE to achieve success. The inaugural executive director moved to another position, and many on the board started leaving. At the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, this case is taught as an introduction to a course on nonprofit management called “Changing the World: Understanding Nonprofits.” This 60-minute case discussion is usually followed by an overview of the course; it also includes optional videos of interviews with the AFE executive director.