American Federation For Children Growth Fund Inc (AFC Growth Fund)

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $13.2 million (2024 expenses); grants to ~12 organizations annually
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: ~$20,000 - $965,000 (based on 2022 public data)
• Geographic Focus: United States (state-level school choice advocacy organizations)

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Contact Details

• Website: afcgrowthfund.org
• School Choice Resource: getschoolchoice.org
• Phone: 202-280-1990
• Registered Address: 10440 Little Patuxent Pkwy 300-343, Columbia, MD 21044
• EIN: 52-2111508

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Overview

The American Federation For Children Growth Fund Inc (AFC Growth Fund), formerly known as the Alliance for School Choice, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 and headquartered in Columbia, MD. It is widely regarded as the largest organization in the United States dedicated to promoting school choice programs. With annual revenues of approximately $14.8 million (2024) and total assets of $9.39 million, the AFC Growth Fund operates as both a grantmaking and advocacy organization.

The organization's core mission is to empower families, especially lower-income families, with the freedom to choose the best K-12 education for their children, regardless of income or ZIP code. It achieves this by directly funding state-level advocacy organizations that drive the creation and expansion of school voucher programs, education savings accounts (ESAs), scholarship tax credit programs, and public charter schools. The AFC Growth Fund holds a four-star rating (97%) from Charity Navigator, reflecting strong financial accountability and governance.

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Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The AFC Growth Fund provides direct grants to nonprofit organizations working on educational choice efforts across the United States. All grants are earmarked specifically for "educational choice efforts" in the grantees' respective states. Based on 2022 Form 990 data, grants ranged from approximately $20,000 to $965,000:

• State Advocacy Organizations: $20,000 - $965,000 — Grants to state-level nonprofit organizations advocating for and implementing school choice programs (vouchers, ESAs, scholarship tax credits)
• Research & Policy Organizations: $65,000 - $325,000 — Grants to think tanks and policy institutes producing research supporting school choice
• Community Engagement Organizations: $21,500 - $200,000 — Grants to organizations connecting families to school choice programs and expanding community awareness

In 2024, 12 awards were made; in 2023, 14 awards; in 2022, 15 awards.

Sample 2022 Grantees and Amounts:

Grantee	Amount	State Focus
School Choice Ohio	$965,000	Ohio
Children's Education Alliance of Missouri	$550,000	Missouri
Parents for Educational Freedom	$350,000	North Carolina
Institute for Quality Education	$325,000	Indiana
Invest in Education Foundation	$291,662	Arizona
Partners for Education Freedom	$200,000	Tennessee
SC Opportunity Now	$140,000	South Carolina
Hoosiers for Quality Education	$120,000	Indiana
Palmetto Promise Institute	$120,000	South Carolina
EdChoice Kentucky	$100,000	Kentucky
School Choice Ohio Alliance	$100,000	Ohio
Let Mi Kids Learn	$40,000	Michigan
Iowa Alliance for Children	$20,000	Iowa
Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy	$65,000	Virginia
ScissorTail Community Development Corp	$21,500	Oklahoma

Priority Areas

• State-level advocacy campaigns for school voucher legislation
• Education savings account (ESA) program development and expansion
• Scholarship tax credit program advocacy
• Public awareness and marketing campaigns for school choice
• Hispanic and minority community outreach and engagement (via Federacion Para Los Ninos project)
• Black student education advocacy (Black Minds Matter project)
• Leadership development for school choice beneficiaries (Future Leaders Fellowship)
• Research and policy work defending school choice programs

What They Don't Fund

• Individual families or students directly (families are directed to getschoolchoice.org for scholarships)
• Organizations outside the United States
• Organizations not focused on K-12 educational choice
• General operating support unrelated to school choice advocacy
• Religious organizations for purposes other than school choice advocacy
• Organizations opposing or neutral on school choice/voucher programs

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Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

• William E. Oberndorf (Chairman) — Chairman of Oberndorf Enterprises, LLC. Has served as board chair as of 2023-2024. On the appointment of Hera Varmah to the board, Oberndorf stated: "Hera is the first alumnus who benefited from a private school scholarship to ever serve on our Board."
• Hera Varmah (Director) — School choice scholarship alumna, former AFC Future Leaders Fellow, and Grassroots Engagement Manager at Step Up For Students. Appointed to the board as a recent addition.
• Ann Duplessis (Director)
• The board includes 8 independent members (88% independent board composition)

Executive Team:

• Tommy Schultz (Chief Executive Officer) — Former VP for Communications at American Federation for Children. Prior to AFC, Schultz was a spokesman for presidential, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns in New Hampshire, Iowa, and Tennessee. A Stanford University graduate, he has appeared on Fox News, CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other major outlets. He is simultaneously CEO of the related American Federation for Children Inc. (501(c)(4) lobbying arm). Compensation: $383,293 + $44,649 (2024).
• Elisa Clements (Chief Operating Officer) — Compensation: $350,522 + $17,600 (2024).
• Jennifer Miller (Chief Financial Officer / Treasurer) — Compensation: $263,230 + $51,617 (2024).
• Ryan Cantrell (Chief State Strategy Officer) — Promoted from VP of Government Affairs; leads successful state school choice legislative initiatives.

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Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The AFC Growth Fund does not operate a public open-grant application process with published deadlines or an online portal. Based on available evidence from their 990 filings and organizational structure, grants are awarded through a relationship-driven, invitation-based process. The organization proactively identifies and funds state-level organizations aligned with their school choice mission.

Organizations seeking funding should contact the AFC Growth Fund directly through their official website at afcgrowthfund.org. There is no publicly documented application form or formal submission process. Grants appear to reflect strategic partnerships with organizations the AFC Growth Fund identifies as key partners in advancing school choice legislation at the state level.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the AFC Growth Fund's documented grant-making patterns, the following funder-specific intelligence is relevant:

• State legislative activity is the primary trigger: The AFC Growth Fund funds in states where school choice legislation is actively moving. Organizations working in states with pending voucher, ESA, or scholarship tax credit legislation are most likely to be considered.
• The Future Leaders Fellowship pipeline: AFC Growth Fund has documented interest in promoting alumni of school choice programs into leadership roles. Demonstrating personal connection to school choice beneficiaries (as with Hera Varmah's board appointment) appears to be valued.
• Corey DeAngelis connection: As of 2024, AFC Growth Fund's School Choice Facts project was specifically showcasing the work of Corey DeAngelis (National Research Director of American Federation for Children). Organizations producing research aligned with this agenda may be on their radar.
• Ryan Cantrell (Chief State Strategy Officer) is specifically responsible for state-level government affairs and school choice initiatives — he is the most likely point of contact for state-based organizations seeking to establish a relationship.
• Annual state partner network: The AFC Growth Fund works in concert with the related 501(c)(4) American Federation for Children Inc., which has an active state-level government affairs operation. Organizations already networked within AFC's state campaigns are more likely to receive Growth Fund grants.

Decision Timeline

No public decision timeline information is available. Based on the pattern of annual 990 filings, grants appear to be awarded on a fiscal-year cycle.

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. The organization made 12 awards in 2024, 14 in 2023, and 15 in 2022, suggesting a highly selective and targeted grant-making program. Given the strategic, relationship-driven nature of the grants, unsolicited applications face significant barriers.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented. However, multiple grantees (e.g., School Choice Ohio, Parents for Educational Freedom) have appeared across multiple years' filings, suggesting that strong grantee relationships result in repeat funding.

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Application Success Factors

All grants identified in the public record were earmarked for "educational choice efforts" — this is the language used consistently in AFC Growth Fund's 990 filings. Organizations should frame all communications and proposals explicitly around this term and concept.

• State-level legislative focus is paramount: Every identified grantee operates in a specific state working to advance school choice legislation. AFC Growth Fund does not appear to fund national organizations as primary grantees; the strategic value is in state-level impact.
• Alignment with the full school choice agenda: The AFC Growth Fund supports vouchers, ESAs, scholarship tax credits, and public charter schools. Organizations focused on only one narrow aspect may be less competitive than those working across multiple school choice program types.
• Demonstrated coalition capacity: Larger grants (e.g., School Choice Ohio at $965,000) went to organizations with significant state presence. Demonstrating the capacity to build broad coalitions of parents, businesses, and legislators is likely a key differentiating factor.
• Minority and underserved community engagement: The AFC Growth Fund operates explicit programs targeting Hispanic families (Federacion Para Los Ninos) and Black students (Black Minds Matter). Organizations demonstrating authentic community engagement with these demographics may be particularly attractive to fund.
• Board and leadership connections: The appointment of Hera Varmah — a scholarship alumna and Future Leaders Fellow — to the board illustrates AFC Growth Fund's preference for funding organizations with deep personal connections to the school choice movement. Grant-seeking organizations led by or serving school choice beneficiaries will find strong alignment.
• Be a known quantity in the AFC network: Given the absence of a public application process and the relationship-driven nature of these grants, prior engagement with AFC Growth Fund staff (particularly through state campaigns, the Future Leaders Fellowship, or shared advocacy events) is likely the most effective pathway to receiving a grant.

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Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The AFC Growth Fund is the largest U.S. school choice advocacy funder, distributing grants to ~12-15 state-level organizations per year with amounts ranging from $20,000 to nearly $1 million.
• There is no public application process or open grant portal — funding is awarded through strategic, relationship-driven partnerships with organizations already embedded in state school choice campaigns.
• All grants in the public record are tied to "educational choice efforts" — this exact framing should be used in any communications with the fund.
• State legislative momentum is a strong signal for funding: organizations working in states where school choice legislation is actively advancing are most likely to receive grants.
• The organization's leadership — particularly Chief State Strategy Officer Ryan Cantrell — is the most relevant point of contact for state-based organizations seeking to establish a relationship.
• Minority community engagement (Hispanic families, Black students) is a documented strategic priority and represents a differentiation opportunity for organizations that serve these populations.
• Repeat funding appears common for strong partners; establishing an initial relationship and demonstrating impact is key to building a longer-term funding relationship.

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References

1. AFC Growth Fund Official Website — https://afcgrowthfund.org — Accessed February 17, 2026
2. AFC Growth Fund About Page — https://afcgrowthfund.org/about — Accessed February 17, 2026
3. AFC Growth Fund Leadership Page — https://afcgrowthfund.org/staff-2025 — Accessed February 17, 2026
4. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer — AFC Growth Fund — https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522111508 — Accessed February 17, 2026. Revenue ($14.8M), expenses ($13.2M), assets ($9.39M, 2024); leadership compensation data.
5. ProPublica Full 990 Filing (2019) — https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/522111508/201923199349311537/full — Accessed February 17, 2026
6. Charity Navigator — AFC Growth Fund — https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/522111508 — Accessed February 17, 2026. Four-star rating (97%); program expense ratio 85.84%; governance data.
7. InfluenceWatch — American Federation for Children Growth Fund — https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/american-federation-for-children-growth-fund-afc-growth-fund/ — Accessed February 17, 2026. 2022 grantee list and amounts; organizational history.
8. CauseIQ — AFC Growth Fund — https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/afc-growth-fund,522111508/ — Accessed February 17, 2026. EIN and location data.
9. Instrumentl — AFC Growth Fund 990 Data — Award counts 2022-2024 (12 awards 2024, 14 awards 2023, 15 awards 2022) — Accessed February 17, 2026
10. American Federation for Children — Board Announcement Press Release — "AFC Welcomes Hera Varmah to Growth Fund Board, Announces Promotion" — https://www.federationforchildren.org/afc-welcomes-hera-varmah-to-growth-fund-board-announces-promotion/ — Accessed February 17, 2026. Quotes from Bill Oberndorf and Tommy Schultz; Ryan Cantrell promotion details.
11. Tommy Schultz Staff Profile — AFC Growth Fund — https://afcgrowthfund.org/staff-tommy-schultz — Accessed February 17, 2026. CEO biography and background.
12. Candid / Foundation Directory — https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?collection=grantmakers&activity=result&key=ALLI435 — Accessed February 17, 2026. Grantmaker classification.