Public Charter Startup Grants: Seek A Referral

Before school developers can apply for startup grants, they should seek a referral from a Walton Family Foundation program officer or grant partner. A referral from a partner does not imply or guarantee that a school developer will be awarded a grant.

In several states, we work cooperatively with state public charter school associations to create a pipeline of high-quality schools. These state associations help process our startup grants, usually through a committee process. We have delegated authority to endorse an applicant to these associations. Please use the map below to select your target district, then contact the grant partner listed below.

If your school is located in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, or Tennessee, please email charterapps@wffmail.com to seek an endorsement.

If you are affiliated with a charter management organization (CMO) or school leader fellowship program, please refer to the contact list below. The foundation has special relationships with many such organizations, and we have created slightly different grant-making processes for them.

Contact Information

If your school is affiliated with …

Then please contact ….

Any CMO that has been approved by the Charter School Growth Fund

Stephen Hinson
303-217-8345
shinson@chartergrowthfund.org

The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP)

Jennifer Goldstein
415-531-99281
jgoldstein@kipp.org

Building Excellent Schools

Linda Brown
617-227-4545
lbrown@buildingexcellentschools.org

Massachusetts, Tennessee or Wisconsin, and all other CMOs, Networks and Fellowship Programs

Sarah Burns
Walton Family Foundation
charterapps@wffmail.com

Arizona

Andrew Collins
Arizona Charter Schools Association
602-944-0644 (Extension 302)
andrew@azcharters.org

Arkansas

Kathy Smith
The Walton Family Foundation
479-464-1567
ksmith@wffmail.com

California

Sam Gelinas
California Charter Schools Association
213-244-1446 ext 220
sgelinas@calcharters.org

Colorado

Kathy Zlomke
Colorado League of Charter Schools
303-989-5356
kzlomke@coloradoleague.org

Georgia

Kelly Cadman
Georgia Charter Schools Association
404-835-8916
kcadman@gacharters.org

Illinois

Anne Levy Brown
Illinois Network of Charter Schools
312-235-0798
alevybrown@incschools.org

Indiana

Alexis Crouch
Indianapolis Public Charter School Association
317-972-5880
alexis@incharters.org

Louisiana

Trish Kelly
Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools
724-980-9536
tkelly@lacharterschools.org

Michigan

Becky Carlton
Michigan Association of Public School Academies
517-999-4429
bcarlton@charterschools.org

Minnesota

Al Fan
Charter School Partners
612-418-2935
afan@charterschoolpartners.org

New York

Jill Shahen
New York Charter Schools Association
518-694-3110
jshahen@nycsa.org

Washington, D.C.

Alison Collier
FOCUS (Friends of Choice in Urban Schools)
202-387-0405
acollier@focusdc.org

Massachusetts, Tennessee and Wisconsin

Massachusetts, Tennessee or Wisconsin, and all other CMOs, Networks and Fellowship Programs:

Sarah Burns
Walton Family Foundation
charterapps@wffmail.com