Character.org (formerly the Character Education Partnership) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that advocates for character, which it defines as the “core values that shape our hearts, minds, and choices.” Character.org collaborates with organizations and communities and recognizes those who it sees as champions for character. ¹

Character.org’s priorities include families, schools, sports and after-school programs, and workplaces in the U.S. and abroad. ²

Activities

Character.org describes character as “goodness-in-action” and envisions a society where people are honest, respectful, and trustworthy, and treat others as such. To this end, Character.org claims that character needs to be taught, especially to young people, in a way that encourages them to establish their own moral compass. ³

Character.org encourages schools to become Schools of Character, which are recognized for following its 11 Principles Framework for Schools: A Guide to Cultivating a Culture of Character, and serve as models for other schools in the U.S. and abroad. Character.org claims that Schools of Character have positively impacted over three million students, educators, parents, and community members by establishing core values that define school culture, guide school life, and guide behaviors not only in school, but at home and in the community. ⁴

Character.org advocates for character in the workplace and for hiring employees based on character over skill, as employers can train new hires with necessary skills. Character.org points to research showing that workplaces where integrity and respect are emphasized tend to have higher levels of productivity, job satisfaction, and employee loyalty. ⁵

Funding

Character.org is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While Character.org does not disclose other donors, tax filings confirm donations from the John Templeton Foundation ($227,000 in 2016), ⁶ the Character Training Institute ($15,000 in 2020), ⁷ and the Hamlin Family Foundation ($15,000 in 2017). ⁸

Character.org also receives funding through individual and group memberships, with rates currently starting at $50 per year. ⁹

People

Arthur Schwartz is the president of Character.org and a former executive at the John Templeton Foundation. ¹⁰

Clay Hamlin is the chair of the board of Character.org, the president of the Hamlin Family Foundation, a member of the Pennsylvania Character Consortium, and a co-founder and CEO of CITRS. ¹¹

Linda McKay is the founding executive director and programming chair of CharacterPlus. ¹²

Michael Dutton is the vice chair of the board of Character.org and a senior communications consultant at the Executive Leadership Council. ¹³

Rich Bagin is the former executive director of the National School Public Relations Association. ¹⁴

Joe Carvin is the founder of One World. ¹⁵

Peter Donovan is the chair of the School for Ethical Education. ¹⁶

Suhail Farooqui is the CEO of K12 Insight. ¹⁷

Robert Fisicaro is the superintendent of the Haddon Township School District. ¹⁸

Liz Huntley is the president and a co-founder of the Hope Institute. ¹⁹

Scarlett Lewis is the founder of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Foundation. ²⁰

Glenn Wilke is the executive director of the Midtown Educational Foundation. ²¹

Other members of the board include Jennie Carreon, John Liporace, Andy Miller, Rich Previdi, and Scott Sillers. ²²

1. “Home.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 14, 2022. https://character.org/.
2. “Home.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 14, 2022. https://character.org/.
3. “What We Stand For.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 14, 2022. https://character.org/what-we-stand-for/.
4. “Schools of Character.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 14, 2022. https://character.org/schools-of-character/.
5. “Character in the Workplace.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 14, 2022. https://character.org/our-priorities/workplace/.
6. John Templeton Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2016, Part XV, Line 3.
7. Character Training Institute, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Schedule I, Part II.
8. Hamlin Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Part XV, Line 3.
9. “Membership.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://character.org/membership/.
10. “Dr. Arthur Schwartz.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://character.org/arthur-schwartz/.
11. “Clay W. Hamlin, III.” Pennsylvania Character Consortium. 2023. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://www.pacharacterconsortium.org/clay-w-hamlin-iii.
12. “CharacterPlus Board.” CharacterPlus. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://www.characterplus.org/board-members.
13. Michael Dutton.” LinkedIn. 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dutton-1638a91/.
14. “Board of Directors.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://character.org/board/.
15. “Joe Carvin.” Oneworld United & Virtuous, 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://oneworlduv.com/staff/joe-carvin/
16.  “Board of Directors.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://character.org/board/.
17.  “Board of Directors.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://character.org/board/.
18. “Board of Directors.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://character.org/board/.
19. “Board of Directors.” Character.org. 2022. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://character.org/board/.
20. “Scarlett Lewis.” Choose Love Movement. 2021. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://chooselovemovement.org/board-of-directors/scarlett-lewis/.
21.  “Scarlett Lewis.” Choose Love Movement. 2021. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://chooselovemovement.org/board-of-directors/scarlett-lewis/.
22. “Scarlett Lewis.” Choose Love Movement. 2021. Accessed November 10, 2022. https://chooselovemovement.org/board-of-directors/scarlett-lewis/.