Washington State Charter Schools Association
WASHINGTON STATE CHARTER SCHOOLS is a Seattle-based public charity that supports Washington’s charter public school sector through education, communications, policy development, and advocacy. Its grantmaking includes pass-through grants to charter public schools.
Washington State Charter Schools Association at a glance
In short: Washington State Charter Schools Association gave $5.6M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $429K). 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,579,319
- -19.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -23.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $429,178
- +5.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $373,592
- Total assets
- $6,508,478
- -41.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- 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 Washington State Charter Schools Association
- Review Cycle
- The 2023 expansion subgrant application deadline was September 11, 2023; this was a past cycle.
- Deadline
- The 2023 expansion subgrant application deadline was September 11, 2023; this was a past cycle.
- Contact
Mailing address: 210 S Hudson St 302, Seattle, WA 98134
Phone: (206) 424-2780
Website: https://wacharters.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Washington State Charter Schools Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Impact Public Schools ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $5.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
75 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $500K–1M range: 23 grants of 75 (31%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization’s website describes its advocacy and school support as focused on Washington state. Its Federal Charter Schools Program page says subgrants are distributed to Washington state charter public schools.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Is Washington State Charter Schools Association open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $519K; repeat grants $413K. How we count
Medians: $519K first-time, $200K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.7M (2019) to $8.1M (2021). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $5.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Impact Public Schools | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $1,526,034 |
| Catalyst | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $1,086,890 |
| Rooted School Washington | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $639,940 |
| Pullman Community Montessori | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $457,625 |
| Pinnacles Prep | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $407,962 |
| Whatcom Intergenerational High School CSP | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $397,289 |
| Rainier Valley Leadership Academy | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $373,592 |
| Wa Charters Action | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $200,000 |
| Lumen Public School | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $196,161 |
| Why Not You Academy | Pass-Through Grants to Schools | $180,792 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,508,478 | $7,233,904 | $11,414,870 | $5,579,319 | 13 | $221,363 |
| 2023 | $11,203,954 | $6,751,813 | $13,458,452 | $6,898,180 | 17 | $220,237 |
| 2022 | $18,056,641 | $16,830,336 | $11,149,478 | $6,096,865 | 15 | $9,858 |
| 2021 | $13,158,502 | $7,768,416 | $12,169,882 | $8,058,610 | 14 | $3,680 |
| 2020 | $18,168,562 | $20,845,048 | $10,099,227 | $6,455,146 | 16 | $5,432 |
| 2019 | $6,130,619 | $6,093,727 | $6,222,170 | $2,702,827 | 9 | $29,713 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to ensure, through advocacy and policy, a strong, vibrant, and growing community of charter public schools that deliver excellent educational opportunities to all families, especially those historically underserved.
Its 2024 filing describes support for the charter public school sector through education, communications, policy development, and advocacy. The listed 2024 grants were described as pass-through grants to schools. The organization’s website says its federal Charter Schools Program funds are distributed primarily as subgrants to Washington state charter public schools to support opening new schools and expanding existing ones.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the organization reported 13 grants totaling $5,579,319. The median grant was $373,592; individual grants ranged from $23,812 to $1,526,034. Listed recipients included IMPACT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ($1,526,034), CATALYST ($1,086,890), ROOTED SCHOOL WASHINGTON ($639,940), PULLMAN COMMUNITY MONTESSORI ($457,625), and PINNACLES PREP ($407,962). The filing describes these grants as pass-through grants to schools.
The website states that there will be no more subgrant competitions. Its 2023 Federal CSP Expansion Subgrant application cycle is past: applications were due September 11, 2023, with award notices scheduled for October 13, 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists DR JOEL DOMINGO as board chair; JAMES HEUGAS as vice chair; CAROLYN CHUONG HOLGATE as treasurer; and OMAR VASQUEZ as secretary. It also lists JUAN COTTO, TODD ZIEBARTH, CHRIS GIBBONS, and STEVE SMITH as directors, and MORGEN FLOWERS-WASHINGTON and ANTHONY CLARKE as member council representatives.
Washington State Charter Schools Association is led by Natalie Hester, Co-President & External Affairs since 2022 (on filings since 2019); 9 of 23 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Natalie Hester
Co-President & External Affairs
Director → Senior Vice President Policy, 2021
Senior Vice President Policy → Co-President & External Affairs, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$173K (2021) → $241K (2024)
Rekha Bhatt
Co-President & Innovative School
Senior Vice President Programs → Co-President & Innovative Schools, 2022
Co-President & Innovative Schools → Co-President & Innovative School, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$174K (2019) → $245K (2024)
Elizabeth Haid Bloxham
Co-President, Finance & Ops
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$188K (2022) → $239K (2024)
Christine Korsmo
Executive Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$241K (2024)
Joel Domingo
Board Chair
Director → Board Chair, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeanette Vaughn
Csp Project Director & School Implementation Coach
Csp Director & School Implementation → Csp Project Director, 2022
Csp Project Director → Csp Project Director & School Implementation Coach, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$126K (2020) → $142K (2024)
Margaret Meyers
Communications Director
Vice President Communications → Communications Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$130K (2021) → $155K (2024)
Adan Juarez Cordova
Human Resources Director
Director, Talent & Culture → Human Resources Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$131K (2023) → $122K (2024)
Barbara Gilchrist
Director of Coalition & Govt. Relations
Director, Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement → Director of Coalition & Govt. Relations, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$134K (2023) → $132K (2024)
Steve Smith
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Juan Cotto
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Gibbons
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dan Effland
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Debbie Veney
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Pettigrew
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Kennedy
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Todd Ziebarth
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Diana Marker
Vice President of Innovative Schools
Director of School Services → Vice President Innovative School, 2022
Vice President Innovative School → Vice President of Innovative Schools, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$113K (2019) → $131K (2024)
James Heugas
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Chuong Holgate
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Omar Vasquez
Secretary
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anthony Clarke
Member Council Representative
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Morgen Flowers-Washington
Member Council Representative
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Jim Spady (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Bely Luu (2023) — Director & Innovative Schools
- Former: Patrick D'amelio (2019–2022) — President
- Former: Sarah Okun (2020–2022) — Tmc Executive Director
- Former: Rodrigo Villavicencio (2022) — Director of Finance & Ops
- Former: Haid Bloxham (2019–2021) — Senior Vice President Finance & Administration
- Former: Steve Mullin (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: John Scott (2021) — Senior Vice President Equity
- Former: Gillia Bakie (2019–2020) — Director of Fund Development
- Former: Lisa Macfarlane (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Mark Klebanoff (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Mitchell Price (2019–2020) — Director of Policy & Gov't Relations
- Former: Bing Howell (2019) — Chief Ext Affairs
- Former: Chris Korsmo (2019) — Director
- Former: Kathy Binder (2019) — Director
- Former: Lindsay Hill (2019) — Vice President & President-Elect
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $245K, to Rekha Bhatt (Co-President, Innovative School). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Washington State Charter Schools Association
How much does Washington State Charter Schools Association give each year?
Washington State Charter Schools Association gave $5.6M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $6.9M across 17 grants.
What is Washington State Charter Schools Association's typical grant size?
Washington State Charter Schools Association's median grant in 2024 was $373,592, and its average grant was $429,178, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Washington State Charter Schools Association that year got $519K on average.
Does Washington State Charter Schools Association give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Washington State Charter Schools Association's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Pass-Through Grants to Schools" (13 grants).
Who are Washington State Charter Schools Association's largest grantees?
Washington State Charter Schools Association's largest 2024 grantees include Impact Public Schools ($1,526,034), Catalyst ($1,086,890) and Rooted School Washington ($639,940), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Washington State Charter Schools Association?
Washington State Charter Schools Association reported $6.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.2M.
What does Washington State Charter Schools Association fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to ensure, through advocacy and policy, a strong, vibrant, and growing community of charter public schools that deliver excellent educational opportunities to all families, especially those historically underserved. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Washington State Charter Schools Association?
Washington State Charter Schools Association has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check wacharters.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
Where does Washington State Charter Schools Association make grants?
The organization’s website describes its advocacy and school support as focused on Washington state. Its Federal Charter Schools Program page says subgrants are distributed to Washington state charter public schools.
What is Washington State Charter Schools Association's EIN?
Washington State Charter Schools Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-3224248. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 30, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 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 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Washington State Charter Schools Association funds
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