American Federation for Children Growth Fund (AFC Growth Fund)
The American Federation for Children Growth Fund (AFC Growth Fund), previously known as Alliance for School Choice, is a left-of-center education advocacy group that promotes publicly-funded education choice in K-12 for low-income families. 1 Based in Washington, D.C., it has several state-based chapters. The organization promotes initiatives for parents and students to choose among public schools, or to have access to private schools, public charter schools, virtual learning, or home schooling. 2
Contents
To permit access to these educational alternatives, the group supports scholarships, tax credit programs, school vouchers, education savings accounts and individual tuition credits for students. 3
AFC Growth Fund claims that school choice programs, which exist in 47 states, improve academic outcomes, save taxpayers money, and reduce racial segregation. 3
Funding
The Walton Family Foundation, associated with the family that founded Walmart, has been among the largest supporters of the American Federation for Children Growth Fund (AFC Growth Fund). The foundation his highlighted bipartisan support for school choice and national studies such as one from Harvard University that found school choice programs improve academic performance for African American students. 4
With a $6 million donation in 2013, the Walton Family Foundation doubled the budget of the AFC Growth Fund, then called the Alliance for School Choice. 5
Martin Luther King III joined a 2016 rally in Tallahassee, Florida sponsored by the AFC Growth Fund that called for protecting the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, a state-funded school choice program. The rally drew 10,000 students, parents and administrators and was titled “Drop the Suit,” in response to a lawsuit by the teacher’s union, the Florida Education Association. The FEA filed a lawsuit to challenge the existence of the Florida choice program. King said that his father, Martin Luther King Jr., would have supported school choice programs as well as a strong public school system. 6
In 2021, the New Yorker magazine labeled the AFC Growth Fund as a project of Betsy DeVos. DeVos was a charter school activist and philanthropist before she was appointed U.S. Secretary of Education in the Trump Administration. 7
Leadership
Tommy Schultz is the CEO of the American Federation for Children Growth Fund (AFC Growth Fund). 8 Schultz is also the CEO of the American Federation for Children, where he was previously the vice president for communications. Previously he has been a spokesman for presidential, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns in New Hampshire, Iowa, and Tennessee. 9
William Oberndorf is the chairman of the 12-member board of directors for the AFC Growth Fund. 8 Oberndorf is chairman of Oberndorf Enterprises, LLC. He is chairman of the American Federation for Children and chairman of the Board of Overseers at the University of California, San Francisco. He is a co-founder of SPO Partners & Co. He was honored by the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and the Philanthropy Roundtable for his promotion of education reform. 10
The board of directors includes former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), and former Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT), the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee. 8
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,387,483 | $14,793,929 | $13,215,663 | View |
| 2023 | $8,024,821 | $12,027,528 | $12,117,751 | View |
| 2022 | $7,919,910 | $10,112,654 | $11,596,217 | View |
| 2021 | $9,265,288 | $14,325,717 | $8,813,945 | View |
| 2020 | $3,553,977 | $5,109,056 | $8,762,625 | View |
Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
Highest Earning Employees
| Employee | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Duplessis | DIRECTOR | $22,000 |
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $105,111,476
- Number of Grants: 554
- Number of Funders: 186
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $25,243,974
- Number of Grants: 122
- Number of Recipients: 52
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years: