California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) is a Los Angeles, California-based public charity that supports and advocates for nonprofit charter schools in California. Its work includes legislative and legal advocacy, local advocacy and renewal support, member engagement, public relations, data services, and a program designed to accelerate charter school growth in the state.
Key facts about California Charter Schools Association
In short: California Charter Schools Association gave $2.5M across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $92K), mostly in California. 44% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 51-0465703
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,487,196
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- Average grant
- $92,118
- Median grant
- $22,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (12 of 27, 2025)
- Total assets
- $33,983,653
- Primary geography
- California (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$34.0M
-0.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.5M
+47.5% YoY
Grant Count
27
+80.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$92K
-18.0% YoY
Is California Charter Schools Association open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 27 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $109K; repeat grants $79K. How we count
Medians: $28K first-time, $23K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
CCSA’s stated mission is “to meet parent, educator, and community need for great public school options by supporting and advocating for high quality non-profit charter schools and sharing their success throughout California’s public schools.”
Its stated programs include government affairs and legislative and regulatory advocacy; the Charter Schools Legal Defense Fund, which provides legal advocacy and financial support to member schools facing certain legal actions; local advocacy and charter-renewal support; public relations; member engagement and convenings; data services; and a Charter School Growth Fund program intended to accelerate charter school growth in California. The organization also describes work on equitable facilities and legal protections for charter schools.
Its 2025 grants included wildfire relief and recovery aid, enrollment growth grants, and Charter School Legal Defense Fund grants. For example, Odyssey Charter Schools received a wildfire relief and recovery grant; its stated mission is to develop students who are active learners and expand their knowledge through collaboration. Alma Fuerte Public School, also a wildfire relief recipient, says it aims to prepare students to navigate the world as leaders and critical thinkers. Among enrollment-growth recipients, Aspire Public Schools Foundation says it provides resources to further Aspire’s mission of preparing scholars for college, career, and life; Gateway Community Charters says its mission is to create and manage high-quality charter schools offering innovative, standards-based educational opportunities. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not CCSA’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, CCSA reported 27 grants totaling **$2,487,196**. Grant amounts ranged from **$7,500 to $393,026**, with a median of **$22,500**.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CCSA is based in Los Angeles, California. In 2025, 99% of its grant dollars went to recipients in California and 1% to recipients in the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.3M (2023) to $2.5M (2025). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $2.5M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Odyssey Charter Schools ($393K). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
105 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 105 (61%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Odyssey Charter Schools Altadena, CA | Wildfire Relief and Recovery Aid | $393,026 |
| California Charter Schools Association Advocates Sacramento, CA | Lobbying Grant | $378,500 |
| Aveson Charter Schools Altadena, CA | Wildfire Relief and Recovery Aid | $371,665 |
| Pasadena Rosebud Academy Charter School Pasadena, CA | Wildfire Relief and Recovery Aid | $343,105 |
| Alma Fuerte Public School Pasadena, CA | Wildfire Relief and Recovery Aid | $228,989 |
| Kipp Public Schools Northern California Oakland, CA | Enrollment Growth Grant | $175,655 |
| Aspire Public Schools Foundation Oakland, CA | Enrollment Growth Grant | $110,275 |
| Napa Foundation for Options in Education Napa, CA | Charter School Legal Defense Fund Grant | $99,437 |
| Gateway Community Charters McClellan, CA | Enrollment Growth Grant | $50,125 |
| Westlake Charter School Sacramento, CA | Enrollment Growth Grant | $48,382 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,983,653 | $13,296,682 | $14,111,918 | $2,487,196 |
| 2024 | $34,170,932 | $12,806,090 | $13,710,623 | $1,686,106 |
| 2023 | $34,074,079 | $12,923,618 | $12,554,812 | $1,250,509 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $33,983,653 | $34,170,932 | $34,074,079 |
| Revenue | $13,296,682 | $12,806,090 | $12,923,618 |
| Expenses | $14,111,918 | $13,710,623 | $12,554,812 |
| Net Investment Income | $295,455 | $369,710 | $402,820 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Myrna Castrejon as President and CEO; Cristina de Jesus as Board Chair; Ana Ponce as Vice Chair; Yvette King-Berg as Secretary; and Sally Bachofer as Treasurer. It also lists Brian Bauer, Brian Greenberg, Nnanna Ogbu, Jason Sample, and Casey Taylor as directors.
California Charter Schools Association is led by Myrna Castrejon, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 13 of 22 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Myrna Castrejon
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$426K (2020) → $434K (2025)
Cristina De Jesus
Board Chair
Chair → Board Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Bauer
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Greenberg
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Casey Taylor
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Sample
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nnanna Ogbu
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Robitaille
Chief Schools Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$195K (2020) → $235K (2025)
Gregory McGinity
Chief Civic Affairs Officer
On filings since 2020
16 hrs/week
$57K (2020) → $135K (2025)
Ricardo Soto
Chief Advocacy Officer & General Counsel
Chief Advocacy Officer & General Counsel → Chief Advoc. Officer & General Counsel, 2022
Chief Advoc. Officer & General Counsel → Chief Advocacy Officer & General Counsel, 2025
On filings since 2020
39 hrs/week
$230K (2020) → $243K (2025)
Sara M. Deleeuw
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
39 hrs/week
$164K (2020) → $197K (2025)
Luis Vizcaino
Chief External Officer
Chief External Affairs Officer → Chief External Officer, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$216K (2021) → $170K (2025)
Willow Harrington Holland
Vice President & Strategy
Deputy Chief Schools Officer → Vice President & Strategy, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$165K (2023) → $174K (2025)
Gary Davis
Vice President, Civic & Political Affairs
On filings since 2024
8 hrs/week
$149K (2024) → $35K (2025)
Judy Wilson
Vice President & Membership Engagement
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$148K (2024) → $154K (2025)
Amber Gibson-Mora
Chief Equity, People & Culture Officer
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$202K (2025)
Jaime Colly
Vice President & Northern Ca Local Advocacy
New on the 2025 filing
39 hrs/week
$137K (2025)
Julie Umansky
Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$159K (2025)
Keith Dell'aquila
Vice President & Greater La Local Advocacy
New on the 2025 filing
39 hrs/week
$140K (2025)
Ana Ponce
Vice Chair
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sally Bachofer
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yvette King-Berg
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (17)
- Former: Joe Williams (2020–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Malka Borrego (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Miles Durfee (2020–2024) — Vice President, Local Advoc. Member Relations & Supp
- Former: Colin Miller (2022–2024) — Vice President & Government Affairs
- Former: Gina Plate (2020–2023) — Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Special Executive Director
- Former: Jacob Regalado (2021–2023) — Vice President, Political & Strategic Affairs · Filing note: Until 1/2023
- Former: Cameron Curry (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Hilary Harmssen (2021–2022) — Vice President & Norcal Local Advocacy
- Former: Christopher Nelson (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Cristina Dejesus (2020–2021) — Chair
- Former: Kerry Flanagan (2020–2021) — Former Chief of Staff
- Former: Kristi Kimball (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Margaret Fortune (2020–2021) — Chair
- Former: Cassandra Horton (2021) — Vice President & Los Angeles Local Advocacy
- Former: Carlos Marquez (2020) — Senior Vice President & Government Affairs
- Former: Jed Wallace (2020) — Former CEO & President
- Former: Laura McGowan-Robinson (2020) — Chief Operating Officer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $434K, to Myrna Castrejon (President and CEO). 13 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 86087, Los Angeles, CA 90086
Phone: (213) 244-1446
Website: https://ccsa.org
Frequently asked questions about California Charter Schools Association
How much does California Charter Schools Association give each year?
California Charter Schools Association gave $2.5M across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 15 grants.
What is California Charter Schools Association's typical grant size?
California Charter Schools Association's median grant in 2025 was $22,500, and its average grant was $92,118, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from California Charter Schools Association that year got $109K on average.
Where does California Charter Schools Association give grants?
California Charter Schools Association gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Sacramento, CA (9 grants), Los Angeles, CA (3 grants), Altadena, CA (2 grants) and Pasadena, CA (2 grants).
Does California Charter Schools Association give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of California Charter Schools Association's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Sponsorship" (8 grants), "Enrollment Growth Grant" (6 grants) and "Charter School Legal Defense Fund Grant" (5 grants).
Who are California Charter Schools Association's largest grantees?
California Charter Schools Association's largest 2025 grantees include Odyssey Charter Schools ($393,026), California Charter Schools Association Advocates ($378,500) and Aveson Charter Schools ($371,665), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is California Charter Schools Association?
California Charter Schools Association reported $34.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.3M.
What does California Charter Schools Association fund?
CCSA’s stated mission is “to meet parent, educator, and community need for great public school options by supporting and advocating for high quality non-profit charter schools and sharing their success throughout California’s public schools.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from California Charter Schools Association?
California Charter Schools Association has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check ccsa.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is California Charter Schools Association's EIN?
California Charter Schools Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0465703. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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