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The Chris and Carrie Shumway Foundation

Annual Giving
$8.0M
Grant Range
Up to $25.0M00
00

The Chris and Carrie Shumway Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $7,988,500 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Varies widely; major gifts of $25 million documented
  • Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on Connecticut and major university partnerships

Contact Details

Address: 28 Havemeyer Place, Greenwich, CT 06830 (Foundation headquarters)
Also listed at: 1177 Avenue of The Americas, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10036

Email: grants@shumwayfoundation.org
Website: www.shumwayfoundation.org

Overview

The Chris and Carrie Shumway Foundation was established in December 2006 by Chris Shumway, Managing Partner of Shumway Capital (a growth equity investment firm), and his wife Carrie. Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, the foundation has distributed substantial grants annually—$7.99 million in 2023, $9.23 million in 2022, and $11.04 million in 2021. With total assets of approximately $6.95 million, the foundation maintains extremely low overhead, directing 99.6% of expenses directly to charitable disbursements. The foundation's strategic focus centers on breaking the cycle of poverty through educational equity, with major investments in both K-12 education reform and higher education initiatives. Recent major gifts include $25 million to Harvard Business School and Harvard's Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology for life sciences leadership programs, and $25 million to the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with published application cycles. Instead, grants are made through trustee discretion to preselected organizations. Grant amounts vary significantly:

  • Major institutional gifts: $25 million range (documented gifts to Harvard, University of Virginia)
  • Annual grantmaking: Approximately 10 grants totaling $8-11 million per year
  • Strategic focus: Long-term partnerships with high-impact organizations

Priority Areas

K-12 Education Reform

  • Charter schools and innovative public education models
  • Organizations reducing educational outcome disparities between low-income and high-income students
  • Programs ensuring equal access to quality teachers and schools
  • Connecticut-based education initiatives (priority geographic focus)

Higher Education

  • Life sciences and biotechnology education programs
  • Business education and leadership development
  • Programs supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds

Education Innovation

  • Scalable solutions with potential for systemic impact
  • Organizations demonstrating measurable results
  • Programs addressing root causes of poverty through education

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's focus is exclusively on education-related initiatives. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from organizations outside their preselected network.

Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

  • Chris Shumway (Co-Founder): Managing Partner of Shumway Capital; serves on the board of the McIntire School of Commerce Foundation (University of Virginia); chairs the board of Stamford Charter School for Excellence; previously served on boards of Teach for America Connecticut and Tiger Foundation; visiting professor at University of Virginia teaching global investing
  • Carrie Shumway (Co-Founder)

Neither trustee receives compensation for their foundation roles.

Chris Shumway on their mission: The foundation's vision is that "all students receive a quality education, reach their full potential and, in turn, break the cycle of poverty." Their stated approach emphasizes "innovative organizations with the greatest potential to create a lasting, scalable impact."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Chris and Carrie Shumway Foundation operates through trustee discretion, making contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations. Unsolicited requests for funds are not accepted.

Grants are identified and selected by the trustees based on their strategic priorities and relationships within the education sector. The foundation's documented approach involves:

  • Long-term partnerships with select organizations
  • Strategic gifts to institutions where trustees have direct involvement (e.g., University of Virginia, where Chris Shumway is an alumnus and board member)
  • Support for organizations within their professional and philanthropic networks

Getting on Their Radar

Chris Shumway's documented affiliations and the foundation's giving patterns suggest specific pathways for potential consideration:

Board and Professional Network: Chris Shumway serves on the board of the McIntire School of Commerce Foundation and chairs the board of Stamford Charter School for Excellence. Organizations connected to these networks or operating in similar education reform spaces may have better visibility.

Connecticut Education Focus: The foundation maintains a particular emphasis on Connecticut education initiatives, especially in the Stamford/Greenwich area where the Shumways are based. High-performing charter schools and education innovation organizations in Connecticut appear to be within their sphere of interest.

Previous Network Connections: Chris Shumway's past board service includes Teach for America Connecticut and Tiger Foundation. Organizations with similar missions or approaches to education reform may align with their funding philosophy.

Direct Contact for Strategic Partnerships: For organizations with significant alignment to their mission and demonstrated track record in education equity, introductory correspondence may be sent to grants@shumwayfoundation.org, though expectations for responses to unsolicited outreach should be modest.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. Given the foundation makes approximately 10 grants annually from a preselected pool, the process appears to operate on the trustees' strategic planning cycle rather than fixed application deadlines.

Success Rates

Not applicable—the foundation does not accept open applications. Approximately 10 organizations receive grants annually through the invitation-only process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only model. Relationships with funded organizations appear to be long-term and strategic rather than single-grant transactions.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, the foundation's documented giving patterns reveal clear priorities:

Educational Equity Focus: The foundation's stated mission explicitly targets "reducing the disparity of educational outcomes between low-income and high-income students." Organizations must demonstrate clear impact on this specific goal.

Scalability and Innovation: The Shumways emphasize "innovative organizations with the greatest potential to create a lasting, scalable impact." Single-site programs without replication potential appear less aligned with their strategy.

Measurable Results: The foundation's language emphasizes "results-based non-profit organizations," suggesting a data-driven approach to evaluating effectiveness.

Strategic Institutional Partnerships: Major grants to Harvard and University of Virginia reflect willingness to make transformational gifts to institutions where they have direct relationships and can ensure strategic deployment of funds.

Connecticut Connection: Geographic proximity and focus on Connecticut education reform is evident through Chris Shumway's board leadership at Stamford Charter School for Excellence and the foundation's headquarters in Greenwich.

Alignment with Network: Organizations connected to Teach for America, charter school networks, or the Tiger Foundation (all organizations with which Chris Shumway has been involved) may share the philosophical and operational approaches the foundation values.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists—this foundation identifies and selects grantees through trustee discretion rather than responding to proposals
  • Education equity is non-negotiable—all funding focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty through improved educational access and outcomes
  • Scale and innovation matter—the foundation prioritizes organizations positioned to create systemic, replicable change
  • Connecticut has strategic importance—geographic proximity and Chris Shumway's local board service suggest Connecticut education initiatives receive particular attention
  • Relationships are the pathway—connections through education reform networks (charter schools, Teach for America, similar foundations) provide the primary route to foundation awareness
  • Extremely low overhead model—99.6% of foundation expenses go directly to grants, reflecting a streamlined, strategic approach to philanthropy
  • Major gifts are possible—while the foundation makes approximately 10 grants annually, documented gifts in the $25 million range show capacity for transformational partnerships with the right institutions

References

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