Parent Choice Inc.

Parent Choice Inc. supports the work of School Choice Wisconsin and other advocacy groups that seek to expand school choice options for families. 1 Parent Choice has supported outreach to Hispanic communities in Wisconsin in support of school choice options. 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Education Policy
Formation:

2017

President:

James Bender

Location: Brookfield, WI View on map
Tax ID: 81-4489920
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $1,616,658 Revenue: $330,785 Expenses: $510,590

Contents

    Funding

    Parent Choice is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While Parent Choice does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Walton Family Foundation ($535,000 in 2017), 3 the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation ($250,000 in 2020), 4 and the Gleason Family Foundation ($50,000 in 2017). 5

    Board of Directors

    James Bender is the president of Parent Choice and the former president of School Choice Wisconsin. Bender formerly worked as chief of staff to former Wisconsin Speaker of the House Jeff Fitzgerald (R). 6

    Susan Mitchell is the chair of the board of Parent Choice and is the founder and secretary of the board of School Choice Wisconsin. Mitchell is a former director of both the American Education Reform Foundation and the American Education Reform Council. 7

    Richard Laabs is the secretary of the board of Parent Choice and the treasurer of the board of School Choice Wisconsin. Laabs is the retired founding CEO of LUMIN (Lutheran Urban Mission Initiative) Schools. 7

    Rose Fernandez is a former candidate for Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction. 8

    Tim Sheehy is the president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and chair of the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation. Sheehy sits on the boards of the Milwaukee Development Corporation, Teach for America, School Choice Wisconsin, and the Badger Institute. 9

    Andrew Neuman sits on the board of School Choice Wisconsin and is the CEO and executive chair of Open Sky Education (formerly called Educational Enterprises). 10

    Paul Petitjean is the treasurer of the board. 11

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $1,616,658 $330,785 $510,590 View
    2023 $1,788,399 $1,134,103 $603,471 View
    2022 $1,241,911 $658,990 $382,658 View
    2021 $946,974 $713,034 $339,540 View
    2020 $595,357 $1,085,424 $1,053,071 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Nicholas KellyPRESIDENT$144,023
    Carol ShiresVP OF OPERATIONS$121,459

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $6,682,942
    • Number of Grants: 42
    • Number of Funders: 19

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $650,0002021 KERN FAMILY FOUNDATION INCOPERATING EXPENSES; PROTECT/PROMOTE SCHOOL CHOICE
    $377,0002020 Walton Family FoundationExpanding, Protecting and Serving Wisconsin's School Choice Programs
    $295,0002020 KERN FAMILY FOUNDATION INCOPERATING EXPENSES; PROTECT/PROMOTE SCHOOL CHOICE
    $287,6762024 KERN FAMILY FOUNDATION INCOPERATING EXPENSE
    $250,0002023 The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation IncTo support general operations
    $250,0002021 Alumbra Innovations FoundationPrepare for Opportunity
    $250,0002021 The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation IncTo support general operations
    $250,0002020 The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation IncTo support general operations
    $110,0002023 The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation IncTo support the Concordia Teaching and Learning Academy
    $50,0002022 Gleason Family FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $50,0002021 Gleason Family FoundationGENERAL SUPPORT
    $50,0002020 Gleason Family FoundationGeneral support
    $30,0002020 Edchoice IncSee part iv
    $10,0002024 Neumann Family Foundation IncGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $10,0002021 Husco FoundationGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $5,0002024 Hickory FoundationCHARITABLE
    $5,0002020 Hickory FoundationCHARITABLE
    $4,0002024 National School Choice Awareness Foundation IncSUPPORT EDUCATION AWARENESS EVENTS
    $2,0002021 Evan & Marion Helfaer FoundationPROGRAM SUPPORT
    $1,5002021 Helmut Wolfgang Schumann Foundation Ethan Frechette/stebbins Bradley PaGeneral Support
    $1,0002020 Telly Foundation LtdGeneral Funds
    $5162024 Baird Foundation IncEDUCATION
    $5002021 Weyco Group Charitable TrustGENERAL FUND

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $3,235,000
    • Number of Grants: 6
    • Number of Recipients: 2

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $895,0002020 School Choice Wisconsin IncPARENT CHOICE, INC. SUPPORTED SCHOOL CHOICE WISCONSIN IN ITS EFFORT TO EMPOWER PARENTS BY PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY OPTIONS IN EDUCATION.
    $300,0002022 School Choice Wisconsin IncPARENT CHOICE, INC. SUPPORTED SCHOOL CHOICE WISCONSIN IN ITS EFFORT TO EMPOWER PARENTS BY PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY OPTIONS IN EDUCATION.
    $250,0002021 School Choice Wisconsin IncPARENT CHOICE, INC. SUPPORTED SCHOOL CHOICE WISCONSIN IN ITS EFFORT TO EMPOWER PARENTS BY PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY OPTIONS IN EDUCATION.

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. Parent Choice Inc, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Part III, Line 1.
    2. Parent Choice Inc, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Part III, Line 4b.
    3. Walton Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Part XV, Line 3.
    4. Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2020, Part XV, Line 3.
    5. Gleason Family Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2017, Part XV, Line 3.
    6. “James Bender.” Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.michaelbest.com/site/People/James-Bender.
    7. “Board.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://schoolchoicewi.org/about/board/.
    8. “Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2021.” Ballotpedia. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Superintendent_of_Public_Instruction_election,_2021.
    9. “Staff.” Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://www.mmac.org/2021staff.html.
    10. [1] “Board.” School Choice Wisconsin. Accessed February 27, 2023. https://schoolchoicewi.org/about/board/.
    11. Parent Choice Inc, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2020, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.