In an increasingly challenging financial period for K-12 public education in Pennsylvania, more school districts are turning to school-supporting foundations to fill the funding gap. Initially spurred by reduced investments in public education in California in the 1970s, school foundations did not begin gaining traction in Pennsylvania until two decades later. In recent years, the number of foundations being launched in the state has grown significantly. To what degree was unknown, as an academic benchmark study did not exist. Using information gathered through the literature review phase, the researcher constructed a study to capture the number, location, operations, and fundraising capacity of Pennsylvania's school-supporting foundations. The study examined their ability to raise money, differences based on factors such as community type and school district size, and how funds were spent. While school foundations in Pennsylvania are an emerging phenomenon, the study unearthed some critical findings. Among them: school foundations contribute more than $27 million annually to public education in Pennsylvania; school foundations with paid staff raise six times more money than those without staff; and foundations with larger boards are more effective at raising funds. Other attributes that played a role in fundraising ability included longevity of the foundation and community type. The study also determined that school foundation and school district leaders could benefit from additional education regarding best practices in nonprofit operations and fundraising, as most school foundations in Pennsylvania are volunteer-run organizations still in the early stages of the nonprofit lifecycle. With shifts in attitude, time, and attention, school foundations in Pennsylvania can become reliable partners for public education in providing students with resources and opportunities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]