About Opportunity Trust D/B/A Zest Education
Increase access to quality public schools and accelerate improvement and innovation in public education for children in St. Louis and across Missouri.
Focus Areas
K-12 educationearly childhood / pre-Kliteracy (early reading / Science of Reading)charter school development and expansionschool improvement and capacity buildingteacher and leader professional developmenteducation policy and advocacyresearch and data transparency
Who They Fund
K-12 students (especially in St. Louis)Parents and student leadersTeachers and school leaders (including teacher residents)
About Opportunity Trust D/B/A Zest Education
The Opportunity Trust D/b/a Zest Education combines school creation, school improvement, and educator development in St. Louis and across Missouri. Its recent grants show a funder that backs new charter schools, helps existing schools expand, and supports district conditions that can make school improvement possible. That mix appears in large awards to St Louis Voices Academy for new schools, Kairos Academies for new schools, and The Leadership School in Pagdaled for new schools, alongside support for City Garden Montessori for existing school expansion and Kipp St Louis for existing school expansion. The foundation also uses grantmaking to build the infrastructure around public education. St Louis Teacher Residency received repeated support for diverse/effective teachers and leaders, while Navigate Stl Schools and Bridge 2 Hope show attention to access and parent or student leadership. Momentum Academy and Premier Charter School point to another layer of work: strengthening schools already operating in the region. Across these grants, the pattern is less about one-off project giving than about backing organizations through stages of launch, expansion, and improvement within the same local education landscape.
What Opportunity Trust D/B/A Zest Education Funds
A major theme is charter school development. The Opportunity Trust D/b/a Zest Education supported Believe Schools in Indianapolis for new schools, and it backed The Leadership School in Pagedale for new schools as well. Its charter-related portfolio also includes repeated support for Atlas Public Schools and Kairos Academies, both tied to new-school work. Another clear area is educator pipeline and school capacity. St Louis Teacher Residency received grants labeled for diverse/effective teachers and leaders, including a $300,000 award in 2025. Momentum Academy was funded for coaching and school improvement, showing attention to adult development inside schools. The foundation also invests in family and community-linked work. Bridge 2 Hope received support for parent and student leadership, while The School District of University City was funded for district conditions for success. Those grants suggest interest in the systems around schools, not only the schools themselves.
How Opportunity Trust D/B/A Zest Education Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$12.8M
Total Assets
$4M
Total Revenue
$21.6M
Total Expenses
$21.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $11K and $292K, with a median of $51K.
25th Percentile
$11K
Median
$51K
75th Percentile
$292K
Geographic Reach
Local9 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ERIC SCROGGINS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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