Chris And Carrie Shumway Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $7-9 million
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
• Decision Time: N/A (preselected organizations)
• Grant Range: $10,000 - $25,000,000
• Geographic Focus: National, with emphasis on Connecticut and Northeast

Contact Details

• Website: www.shumwayfoundation.org
• Email: info@shumwaycapital.com
• Grants Email: grants@shumwayfoundation.org
• Address: 1177 Avenue Of The Americas 18th F, New York, NY 10036

Overview

The Chris and Carrie Shumway Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2006 that focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty through better opportunities in public education. Founded by Chris Shumway, founder of Shumway Capital Partners and former Senior Managing Director at Tiger Management, and his wife Carrie, the foundation has made transformational gifts totaling over $50 million to universities while maintaining annual giving of $7-9 million to education-focused organizations. With a vision to "enhance and equalize the educational landscape for all students," the foundation takes a strategic approach to philanthropy, focusing on innovative organizations with the greatest potential to create lasting, scalable impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates two distinct funding levels:

• Transformational University Gifts: $25,000,000 (Harvard Business School/HSCRB joint life sciences MBA, UVA McIntire School business-bioscience program)
• K-12 Education Grants: $10,000 - $435,000 (charter schools, education reform organizations, teacher preparation)

Priority Areas

• Reducing educational outcome disparities between low-income and high-income students
• K-12 public education in underserved communities
• Charter schools and school choice initiatives
• Equal access to high-quality teachers and schools
• Interdisciplinary education connecting business and scientific disciplines
• Gender-based violence prevention and research

What They Don't Fund

• Unsolicited requests
• Organizations outside their preselected network
• Projects unrelated to education or their specific focus areas

Governance and Leadership

Chris Shumway - Founder and Trustee

• B.S., University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce
• M.B.A., Harvard Business School (1993)
• Founder and Managing Partner, Shumway Capital Partners
• Former Senior Managing Director, Tiger Management
• Visiting Professor, University of Virginia

Carrie Shumway - Co-founder and Trustee

Chris Shumway on their approach: The foundation "focuses a significant portion of its philanthropic efforts on innovative organizations with the greatest potential to create a lasting, scalable impact."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on established relationships and strategic priorities.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's giving patterns and Chris Shumway's involvement, organizations may get noticed through:

• Education Reform Networks: The foundation supports ConnCAN, Alliance for School Choice, and Teach for America Connecticut where Chris Shumway served as a board member
• Charter School Networks: Strong relationships with Achievement First, PAVE Academy, and Bronx Charter School suggest this is a key entry point
• University Connections: Chris Shumway maintains teaching relationships at UVA and connections to Harvard Business School
• Connecticut Education Community: The foundation shows preference for Connecticut-based education initiatives, particularly in Greenwich/Fairfield County
• Tiger Management Alumni Network: Chris Shumway's former colleagues from Tiger Management may provide introductions

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - invitation only

Success Rates

Not applicable - preselected organizations only

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation operates by invitation only, organizations should focus on:

• Demonstrating Scalable Impact: The foundation explicitly seeks organizations with "the greatest potential to create a lasting, scalable impact"
• Education Equity Focus: Programs must directly address disparities between low-income and high-income students
• Innovation in Approach: Traditional programs are less likely to attract attention than innovative models
• Charter School Connection: The foundation's extensive charter school portfolio suggests this is a preferred model
• Business-Science Integration: At the university level, programs bridging business and scientific disciplines align with their transformational gifts
• Connecticut Presence: Organizations operating in Connecticut, particularly Fairfield County, appear to have stronger consideration
• Education Reform Alignment: Connection to the broader education reform movement through organizations like Teach for America or school choice advocates

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• This is an invitation-only funder with no public application process - relationship building is essential
• The foundation makes both massive transformational gifts ($25M) and smaller strategic grants ($10K-$435K)
• Education equity and breaking the cycle of poverty through education are the core mission
• Charter schools and education reform organizations are strongly preferred
• Connecticut-based organizations, particularly in Greenwich/Fairfield County, have geographic advantage
• University programs should focus on interdisciplinary business-science integration
• Networking through education reform organizations (Teach for America, ConnCAN, Alliance for School Choice) appears to be the primary pathway to consideration

References

• Shumway Foundation Website - www.shumwayfoundation.org (Accessed February 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Form 990 filings 2022-2024 (Accessed February 2026)
• Harvard Business School Press Release - "$25 Million Gift from Chris and Carrie Shumway" (October 2020)
• University of Virginia News - "Shumway Foundation's $25 Million Gift Backs New McIntire Building, Program" (September 2018)
• Bloomberg News - "Shumway Gives UVA $25 Million to Train Bioscientists in Business" (September 2018)
• Boston Globe - "With $25m gift from ex-Tiger Cub Chris Shumway, Harvard creates MBA to link business and science" (October 2020)
• Instrumentl 990 Report - Chris and Carrie Shumway Foundation analysis (Accessed February 2026)