Washington State Charter Schools Association

What Washington State Charter Schools Association does

Washington State Charter Schools Association (WA Charters) is a Seattle-based nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 2013 following Washington voter approval of Initiative 1240, which authorized public charter schools in the state. The organization advocates for policies enabling growth of student-centered, community-rooted charter public schools, representing a sector of approximately 15 operating charter schools serving more than 4,000 students across counties including King, Pierce, Spokane, Clark, Kitsap, Chelan, and Whatcom. Its primary constituents are charter school operators and the families and communities they serve, particularly historically underserved students of color.

WA Charters delivers its mission through three operational pillars. First, it conducts direct legislative advocacy, running an annual Lobby Day in Olympia, a Policy and Advocacy Conference in SeaTac, and ongoing engagement with Washington State Legislature and the Washington State Charter School Commission on funding equity and authorization policy. Second, it administers federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant funding — nearly $20M awarded in September 2019, with the majority sub-granted to charter schools for planning, implementation, and expansion. Third, it operates programmatic support infrastructure including the WA Charters Student Advisory Group, a family and community engagement function staffed in Seattle and Spokane, and a Learning Library of educational resources. The organization is supported by a coalition of 11 partner organizations including League of Education Voters, Stand for Children Washington, and Graduate Tacoma.

Revenue derives from individual donations, foundation support, and federal grant administration. The organization has roughly 15–20 staff (Executive Director, Directors of Government Relations, Communications, and Finance, plus coordinators and managers), operates from a Seattle headquarters with remote staff across Washington including Spokane, and is governed by an independent Board of Directors. No proprietary technology products, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the technical surface area consists of a website, social channels, and donation platform. Executive Director Chris Korsmo has announced she will step down at the end of 2026.

Name

Washington State Charter Schools Association

Legal name

Washington State Charter Schools Association

Website

https://wacharters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Washington State Charter Schools Association (WA Charters) is a Seattle-based nonprofit founded in 2013 that advocates for Washington state's charter public schools, representing approximately 15 schools serving 4,000+ students through legislative advocacy, federal grant administration, and a coalition of partner organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Advocacy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter School Authorizers & Oversight Boards (EDADABAB)

Keywords

• Charter school advocacy
• Education policy advocacy
• Charter school funding
• Nonprofit education coalition
• Public school choice

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization accepts individual donations through its 'Give Online' platform to support advocacy efforts and charter public schools.
2. Federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant: In September 2019, WA Charters was awarded nearly $20M through the federal CSP Grant. Ninety percent is distributed as sub-grants to charter public schools for opening and expansion. Remaining funds support sector quality and grant administration.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Washington State Charter Schools Association (WA Charters) is a statewide nonprofit advocacy organization that advocates for policies enabling a healthy, growing sector of student-centered, community-rooted charter public schools in Washington state. The organization administers federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) sub-grants to charter schools, mobilizes families and students for legislative advocacy through Lobby Day and coalition partners, and publishes educational resources for families and communities.

Product overview

Washington State Charter Schools Association (WA Charters) is a statewide nonprofit organization that advocates for policies enabling a healthy, growing sector of student-centered, community-rooted, antiracist public schools. Rather than offering a technology product, the organization provides advocacy services, the Student Advisory Group (WCSAG) program, Federal Charter Schools Program Grant administration, and educational resources including a Learning Library and Family Resources. These services support charter public schools, students, families, and communities across Washington state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advocacy Services Policy advocacy services for charter public schools in Washington state, including legislative priorities, funding equity campaigns, and community engagement, delivered to charter school operators, policymakers, and families.
• WA Charters Student Advisory Group (WCSAG) A program for high school students attending charter public schools to gain experience in policy, advocacy, and communications through work with WA Charters' Government Relations, Communications, and Advocacy leaders.
• Federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant Support WA Charters administers sub-grants to Washington state charter public schools through the federal CSP Grant, providing funding for planning, implementation, and expansion of high-quality charter public schools.
• Learning Library Educational resources organized by topics including learning tools, history and context, issue awareness, mental health, BIPOC communities, LGBTQ+ communities, educators, neurodiverse community, and children.
• Family Resources Resources for families including advocacy guides, understanding charter schools, high school and college preparation, navigating K-12 education, and summer learning support.
• Research Publications Research reports and publications on academic performance, enrollment, special education, teacher wellbeing, and community engagement related to Washington charter public schools.
• Contact and Communication Services Media inquiries handling, general information requests, and community engagement through various communication channels for charter public schools, families, and community members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of charter alumni pursued postsecondary education compared to 86% of district alumni
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ACE AcademyminorOthersAcademy for Creating Excellence (ACE) is a coalition member working to prepare men of color for excellence through core values of FAMILY, ACADEMICS, MOTIVATION, and ENVIRONMENT (FAME).
• ArtsEd WashingtonminorOthersArts education advocacy organization and coalition member supporting arts education in charter public schools.
• BESRminorOthersCoalition member organization focused on educational equity and supporting students in Washington state.
• CCER (Center for Education Effectiveness Results)minorOthersCoalition member focused on education effectiveness research and outcomes.
• Graduate TacomaminorOthersCoalition member focused on increasing college and career readiness in Tacoma area.
• League of Education VotersminorOthersLeading education advocacy organization in Washington state and coalition member. WA Charters co-founder Chris Korsmo previously led League of Education Voters.
• SESEC (South East Seattle Education Coalition)minorOthersCoalition member focused on education equity in South Seattle.
• Stand for Children WashingtonminorOthersEducation advocacy nonprofit and coalition member focused on parent engagement and educational equity.
• FAB (Washington Foundation for Academic Excellence)minorOthersFoundation coalition member supporting academic excellence in Washington schools.
• Washington State Charter School CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic agency serving as authorizer of charter public schools in Washington state. WA Charters works with the Commission on policy and oversight matters.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas Charter Schools Association: Statewide membership organization advocating for Texas charter public schools. Provides similar advocacy, member services, and policy work to WA Charters, scaled to a much larger state sector.
• National Charter Schools Institute: National organization providing charter school authorization, oversight, and capacity-building services. Comparable in its charter-sector focus, though with a stronger authorizer/oversight angle than WA Charters' pure advocacy role.
• National Alliance for Public Charter Schools: National membership and advocacy organization for the charter public school sector. Comparable mission of advancing charter school policy at the federal level and supporting state-level associations, with research, advocacy, and coalition building functions similar to WA Charters.
• Colorado League of Charter Schools: State-level charter school membership and advocacy organization in Colorado. Direct parallel in mission and member services for the charter sector within a single state.
• Massachusetts Charter Public School Association: Statewide advocacy association for Massachusetts charter public schools. Engages in legislative advocacy, member support, and public awareness on charter issues in a manner closely paralleling WA Charters.
• New York Charter Schools Association: Statewide advocacy organization for New York charter public schools. Operates in a comparable state-level policy and advocacy role, representing member schools and engaging in legislative advocacy similar to WA Charters.
• Florida Charter School Alliance: State-level charter school advocacy organization serving Florida. Mirrors WA Charters' model of state-level policy advocacy, member support, and coalition building for the charter sector.
• California Charter Schools Association: State-level charter school advocacy and support organization in California. The most direct peer: it represents the largest state charter sector, provides policy advocacy, and offers member services parallel to WA Charters' role in Washington.

Emerging players

• Stand for Children Washington: Washington state chapter of a national education advocacy nonprofit. Coalition partner of WA Charters, focused on parent engagement and education equity, with overlapping but not directly competitive advocacy work.
• League of Education Voters (Washington): Washington-based education advocacy organization and WA Charters coalition member. Operates in a related but broader K-12 policy advocacy space, including traditional public schools, making it more of a coalition partner than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wacharters
• Facebookfacebook.com/WaCharters
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-state-charter-schools-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/wa_charters
• Xx.com/wa_charters

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Washington State Charter Schools Association