Accelerate Great Schools
Accelerate Great Schools is a public charity based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It works to ensure that students in every Cincinnati neighborhood have access to a great K–12 school, investing in schools and in programs that recruit, train, and support teachers and principals.
Accelerate Great Schools at a glance
In short: Accelerate Great Schools gave $9.3M across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $666K), mostly in Texas. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $9,329,002
- -8.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- +55.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $666,357
- -41.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $83,875
- Total assets
- $22,137,329
- -30.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (5 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (73% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Accelerate Great Schools
- Contact
Mailing address: 720 E Pete Rose Way 408, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 918-2430
Website: https://accelerategreatschools.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Accelerate Great Schools funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Idea Public Schools ($6.8M). Together the top 10 received $9.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 17 grants of 53 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization describes its work as focused on Cincinnati and the Cincinnati area. Its 2024 filing states that grant purposes are to develop, create, and maintain a network of exceptional schools in Hamilton County. In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Texas (73%), Illinois (12%), Ohio (8%), New York (4%), and the District of Columbia (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Accelerate Great Schools open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 14 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $1M. How we count
Medians: $29K first-time, $225K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−19%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $6.3M (2020) to $11.5M (2021). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $9.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Idea Public Schools Weslaco, TX | School Creation Support | $6,778,850 |
| Regeneration Schools Chicago, IL | School Creation Support | $1,074,982 |
| Seton Education Partners Cincinnati, OH | School Expansion Support | $527,785 |
| Skyrocket Education Merrick, NY | Leadership Coaching | $274,900 |
| The Literacy Lab Washington, DC | Teacher Recruitment, Training and Placement | $225,000 |
| Romero Academy Cincinnati, OH | Recruitment, Communication Tools, Staff and Student Recognition | $100,000 |
| Teach for America Inc Chicago, IL | Teacher Recruitment | $87,750 |
| Miami University Oxford, OH | Teacher Recruitment, Training and Placement | $80,000 |
| Soaring Hawks Foundation Liberty Township, OH | Student and Staff Support | $65,375 |
| Chiefs for Change Washington, DC | Recruitment, Communication Tools, Staff and Student Recognition | $37,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Accelerate Great Schools?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing reports 14 grants in 2024, 9 in 2023, and 10 in 2022.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $22,137,329 | $1,431,199 | $11,175,924 | $9,329,002 | 14 | $881,085 |
| 2023 | $31,857,105 | $4,751,369 | $11,996,149 | $10,169,058 | 9 | $1,698,068 |
| 2022 | $39,624,409 | $468,323 | $10,306,924 | $8,678,302 | 10 | $144,711 |
| 2021 | $48,959,993 | $4,700,984 | $13,017,451 | $11,477,692 | 7 | $2,521 |
| 2020 | $57,748,705 | $44,793,143 | $8,071,130 | $6,298,374 | 13 | $5,574 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to ensure every student in every neighborhood of Cincinnati has access to a great school. Its 2024 filing says it invests in high-performing K–12 schools and programs that recruit, train, and support teachers and principals in the Cincinnati area, and works with families and communities to improve educational outcomes. Its website describes its work in three areas: expanding school options, supporting school talent, and engaging the community.
The 2024 grants show support for school creation and expansion, teacher recruitment and training, leadership coaching, staff development and retention, and student and staff support. Among the grantees, IDEA Public Schools says its mission is to prepare graduates for college and life; ReGeneration Schools describes itself as a school-turnaround organization operating in Chicago and Cincinnati; and Seton Education Partners says it launches and manages public charter schools and partners with Catholic schools. Other grantees describe work in school-leader and teacher training, literacy development, family partnership, and public-education leadership.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Accelerate Great Schools reported 14 grants totaling $9,329,002. The grants ranged from $7,760 to $6,778,850, with a median of $83,875.
Largest reported grants included $6,778,850 to IDEA Public Schools for school creation support; $1,074,982 to ReGeneration Schools for school creation support; $527,785 to Seton Education Partners for school expansion support; $274,900 to Skyrocket Education for leadership coaching; and $225,000 to The Literacy Lab for teacher recruitment, training, and placement. Other listed recipients included Romero Academy ($100,000), Teach For America Inc. ($87,750), Miami University ($80,000), Soaring Hawks Foundation ($65,375), Chiefs for Change ($37,500), Rebel Culture ($28,750), and Relay Graduate School of Education ($25,350).
No application instructions or statement about unsolicited requests are provided in the available materials.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Scott Farmer and George Joseph as co-chairs; Mary Beth Martin as secretary and treasurer; Dorothy Battle, Jeb Head, Laura Mueller, Tom Williams, and Joe Allen as directors; Brian Neal as CEO; and Paige Lindy as chief of staff and operations. The organization’s website identifies Brian Neal as its chief executive officer.
Accelerate Great Schools is led by Brian Neal, CEO on every filing since 2020; 4 of 12 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Brian Neal
CEO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$190K (2020) → $297K (2024)
Dorothy Battle
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Jeb Head
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Mueller
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Williams
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Allen
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Howard
Senior Vice President of Programs
Vice President of Programs → Senior Vice President of Programs, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$111K (2020) → $146K (2024)
Paige Lindy
Chief of Staff & Operations
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$135K (2020) → $201K (2024)
Latricia Jones
Vice President of Grants Management
Vice President of Grants Management & Partner Successor → Vice President of Grants Management, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$101K (2021) → $129K (2024)
George Joseph
Co-Chair
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Beth Martin
Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Secretary & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Farmer
Co-Chair
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Etnyre Osias (2020–2023) — CFO -
- Former: Gary D. Mercer (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: John P. Scott (2020) — Vice President of Partner Advancement
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $297K, to Brian Neal (CEO). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Accelerate Great Schools
How much does Accelerate Great Schools give each year?
Accelerate Great Schools gave $9.3M across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $10.2M across 9 grants.
What is Accelerate Great Schools's typical grant size?
Accelerate Great Schools's median grant in 2024 was $83,875, and its average grant was $666,357, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Accelerate Great Schools that year got $50K on average.
Where does Accelerate Great Schools give grants?
Accelerate Great Schools gives mostly in Texas: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (12%) and Ohio (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (3 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Merrick, NY (2 grants).
Does Accelerate Great Schools give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Accelerate Great Schools's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Accelerate Great Schools's largest grantees?
Accelerate Great Schools's largest 2024 grantees include Idea Public Schools ($6,778,850), Regeneration Schools ($1,074,982) and Seton Education Partners ($527,785), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Accelerate Great Schools?
Accelerate Great Schools reported $22.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.4M.
What does Accelerate Great Schools fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to ensure every student in every neighborhood of Cincinnati has access to a great school. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Accelerate Great Schools?
Accelerate Great Schools has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check accelerategreatschools.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Accelerate Great Schools's EIN?
Accelerate Great Schools's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4220951. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Accelerate Great Schools's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Accelerate Great Schools funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/accelerate-great-schools-morg_229b49c713254734a2983cf766b5c611
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474220951_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Accelerate Great Schools funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/accelerate-great-schools-morg_229b49c713254734a2983cf766b5c611},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Accelerate Great Schools's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Accelerate Great Schools down — hundreds of funders to go?