Excellent Schools Washington
Excellent Schools Washington (ESWA) is a Seattle, Washington-based public charity that supports high-quality public schools and school leaders. Its work includes investments in schools and new school models, capacity-building for school leaders, and efforts to help families access information about public school options.
Excellent Schools Washington at a glance
In short: Excellent Schools Washington gave $6.4M across 34 grants in 2026 (avg $189K), mostly in Washington. 62% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $6,410,361
- +353.7% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 34
- +126.7% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $188,540
- +100.2% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $81,013
- Total assets
- $9,504,532
- -21.3% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (21 of 34, 2026)
- Primary geography
- Washington (87% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2026; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Excellent Schools Washington
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 Excellent Schools Grant application is closed.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 application period ran from May 1 through June 13, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
- Deadline
- The 2025 application period ran from May 1 through June 13, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 117 Nw 82Nd Street, Seattle, WA 98117
Phone: (917) 617-2724
Website: https://excellentschoolswa.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Excellent Schools Washington funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Impact Public Schools ($1.6M). Together the top 10 received $4.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 23 grants of 61 (38%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
ESWA’s stated school and family focus is Washington. Its 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states: Washington (40%), New York (19%), Virginia (18%), Texas (9%), and Massachusetts (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Excellent Schools Washington open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 21 of 34 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $133K; repeat grants $279K. How we count
Medians: $59K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 26% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024–2026). 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 2024 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2025) to $6.4M (2026). In 2026 it made 34 grants totaling $6.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Impact Public Schools Tukwilla, WA | Growth Capacity & Academic Quality | $1,553,500 |
| Why Not You Academy Des Moines, WA | Growth Capacity | $818,000 |
| Spokane International Academy Spokane, WA | Growth Capacity & Academic Quality | $612,000 |
| Schoolops LLC Seattle, WA | Operational Quality Support | $467,406 |
| Bridge Public Schools Selah, WA | New School Incubation | $307,334 |
| Turnerdev LLC Mica, WA | Academic Quality Support | $279,389 |
| Catalyst Public Schools Bremerton, WA | Academic Quality Support | $250,500 |
| Cedar Grove Public Schools Spokane, WA | New School Incubation | $250,000 |
| Cambiar Education San Diego, CA | Academic Quality Support | $228,000 |
| Rainier Prep Seattle, WA | Academic Quality Support | $179,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Excellent Schools Washington?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $9,504,532 | $7,077,619 | $9,526,059 | $6,410,361 | 34 | $98,950 |
| 2025 | $12,075,101 | $11,472,946 | $2,218,932 | $1,412,939 | 15 | $36,899 |
| 2024 | $2,815,217 | $4,512,580 | $1,715,140 | $1,420,132 | 12 | $13,845 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
ESWA stated its mission as accelerating the growth and sustainability of high-quality schools in Washington that foster equitable access and innovation for families and students who have been systematically underserved. Its 2024 filing says it invested to help grow several schools and prepare new schools to launch.
ESWA’s website describes support for schools with strong academic results, positive school culture, family demand, and sound operations. Its portfolio includes public schools, and its website also describes community grants intended to help local nonprofits support families navigating public K–12 options and using the Washington School Finder.
In its 2025 filing, ESWA listed grants for operational quality, academic quality, growth, and growth capacity. One recipient, Teach For America Inc., describes its own mission as finding, developing, and supporting leaders to teach students in underserved communities.
Grantmaking
ESWA reported 15 grants totaling $1,412,939 in filing year 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $9,800 to $435,800, with a median of $50,000. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 34 grants totaling $6.4 million.
The largest listed 2025 grants were $435,800 to SchoolOps LLC for operational quality support, $261,000 to Always Be Learning Inc. for academic quality support, and $250,000 to Teach For America Inc. for growth support. Other listed recipients included Mariposa Consulting Group LLC ($128,200), LDOR Strategy LLC ($75,000), and HMH Education Company ($55,325).
ESWA’s website describes a separate Excellent Schools Grant opportunity offering a one-year, unrestricted $200,000 grant for pre-launch efforts, along with one-on-one support and access to functional experts. The stated eligibility criteria were that applicants be current Washington residents or willing to relocate, plan to launch a new public school model in Fall 2026 or Fall 2027, and align with ESWA’s mission. The 2025 application required a written component and a brief video interview.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Travis Franklin as chairman; Chris Korsmo, Sam Goessling, and Ana Martinez Shropshire as directors; and Julie Kennedy as executive director. ESWA’s website also identifies Elise Hill as chief operating officer and Jeannette Vaughn as director of special projects.
Excellent Schools Washington is led by Julie Kennedy, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; 2 of 7 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Julie Kennedy
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
60 hrs/week
$158K (2024) → $274K (2026)
Travis Franklin
Chairman
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ana Martinez Shropshire
Director
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Korsmo
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Kerscher
Director
New on the 2026 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Akhtar
Director
New on the 2026 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elise Hill
Chief Operating Officer
New on the 2026 filing
40 hrs/week
$62K (2026)
Former officers (3)
- Former: Sam Goessling (2024–2025) — Director
- Former: Amanda Gardner (2024) — Director
- Former: Karen Lobos (2024) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2024–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $274K, to Julie Kennedy (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Excellent Schools Washington
How much does Excellent Schools Washington give each year?
Excellent Schools Washington gave $6.4M across 34 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. In 2025 it gave $1.4M across 15 grants.
What is Excellent Schools Washington's typical grant size?
Excellent Schools Washington's median grant in 2026 was $81,013, and its average grant was $188,540, across 34 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Excellent Schools Washington that year got $133K on average.
Where does Excellent Schools Washington give grants?
Excellent Schools Washington gives mostly in Washington: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (7 grants) and Spokane, WA (5 grants).
Does Excellent Schools Washington give general operating support?
Occasionally: 9% of Excellent Schools Washington's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Growth Capacity" (8 grants), "Academic Quality Support" (8 grants) and "Strategy-Aligned Support" (5 grants).
Who are Excellent Schools Washington's largest grantees?
Excellent Schools Washington's largest 2026 grantees include Impact Public Schools ($1,553,500), Why Not You Academy ($818,000) and Spokane International Academy ($612,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Excellent Schools Washington?
Excellent Schools Washington reported $9.5M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.1M.
What does Excellent Schools Washington fund?
ESWA stated its mission as accelerating the growth and sustainability of high-quality schools in Washington that foster equitable access and innovation for families and students who have been systematically underserved. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Excellent Schools Washington?
The 2025 Excellent Schools Grant application is closed. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Excellent Schools Washington's EIN?
Excellent Schools Washington's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 99-2170547. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2024–2026.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS September 20, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2024–2025
Other open foundation grants in Washington
Washington Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Total Given
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Excellent Schools Washington funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/excellent-schools-washington-morg_80b01f6d7d0b4e11a3d96da1bf73fd1e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_992170547_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Excellent Schools Washington funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/excellent-schools-washington-morg_80b01f6d7d0b4e11a3d96da1bf73fd1e},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-06. 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 Excellent Schools Washington'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.
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