Lafayette School Mentoring Project (LSMP) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that was founded in 1997 by Joan and Howard Poulter. The couple responded to the need for academic improvement in West Oakland schools and wanted to create a program that would encourage students to strive for excellence.

The project is funded by the West Oakland Children's Fund through support from the Tides Center, located in the Presidio of San Francisco. Through the generosity of anonymous donors, the program offers one-on-one tutoring and enrichment programs to students in order to inspire them to take learning seriously and overcome the obstacles that keep many children from achieving academic success. LSMP also receives in-kind support from the First Unitarian Church of Oakland.