Green Woods Charter School
Green Woods Charter School is a nonprofit public K-8 charter school in Northwest Philadelphia serving approximately 700 students with an environmental education focus, funded primarily through Pennsylvania per-pupil allocations, Annual Fund donations, and EITC tax credits.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Green Woods Charter School does
Green Woods Charter School (GWCS) is a nonprofit public charter school located at 468 Domino Lane in Northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving approximately 700 students in grades K-8. Founded in 2005, the school's stated mission is to nurture students as knowledgeable and conscientious investigators who understand their interdependence with the natural world, positioning environmental literacy and stewardship as the central organizing principle of its curriculum. Its academic program is delivered through a campus-based model featuring an Eco-Schools program, an on-site Arboretum @ GWCS, a newly completed greenhouse and science classroom (opened April 22, 2025), and field-based learning components, supplemented by an After-School Activities Program (arts, music, robotics, drama), an After-School Sports Program (MPAA athletics for grades 5-8), and a Summer Enrichment Program for grades 1-8.
The school's core technology stack is composed of third-party operational platforms rather than proprietary systems: PowerSchool Parent Portal for student grades and attendance, SchoolCafe for lunch pre-ordering and payments, and the Apply Philly Charter common-application platform for lottery-based admissions. GWCS makes money through a mix of per-pupil state and local government funding (its primary revenue stream as a Pennsylvania charter school), Annual Fund donations with tiered corporate matching sponsors (Baker Street Partners, Omnivest, Omega Security, MAC Renovations), Pennsylvania EITC-EIO Educational Improvement Tax Credit contributions from businesses (capped at $750,000 per business annually), food service revenue from $5.00-per-meal lunches operated by Whitsons, and minor one-time fees such as $100 for 8th-grade graduation dues. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees (chaired by Rebecca Smith as President) led by COO John Polk and a Director of Innovation/Development, Nicole Gofman, with a supporting 501(c)(3), Green Woods Foundation for Environmental Education, used for fundraising.
GTM is direct-to-consumer and lottery-mediated: prospective families apply through Apply Philly Charter between September 18 and January 15 for the following school year, with a random lottery on February 1 and a waitlist for unselected applicants. The school distributes its educational services exclusively within the Philadelphia metropolitan area (Northwest Philadelphia), with no current geographic expansion. Reported primary customer segments are Elementary (K-4) and Middle School (5-8) students, with families/guardians as a secondary segment engaged through PTA, volunteering, and fundraising activities.
Green Woods Charter School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Green Woods Charter School
- Legal name
- Green Woods Charter School
- Website
- https://greenwoodscharter.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Green Woods Charter School is a nonprofit public K-8 charter school in Northwest Philadelphia serving approximately 700 students with an environmental education focus, funded primarily through Pennsylvania per-pupil allocations, Annual Fund donations, and EITC tax credits.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Green Woods Charter School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-8 Charter School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)
Keywords
Where Green Woods Charter School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Green Woods Charter School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Per-Pupil Government Funding: As a public charter school, Green Woods receives per-pupil funding from Pennsylvania state and local sources based on enrollment.
- Annual Fund Donations: The school operates an Annual Fund that encompasses all fundraising efforts, supporting technology, field studies, extracurricular activities, and enrichment programming. The fund includes GW Day participation challenges with matching donations from sponsors.
- EITC-EIO Tax Credits: Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit program allows businesses to redirect tax liability to the school, with businesses receiving up to 90% credit against corporate state taxes. Maximum annual tax credits per business is $750,000.
- Food Service Revenue: Revenue from school lunch program managed by Whitsons Food Service Management. Lunches cost $5.00 each, with families pre-ordering through SchoolCafe.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | School lunch per meal |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 8th Grade Graduation Dues |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Green Woods Charter School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Green Woods Charter School is a public K-8 charter school in Northwest Philadelphia serving approximately 700 students with a distinctive environmental education focus. It delivers tuition-free, standards-aligned academic programming integrated with hands-on field studies, an Eco-Schools curriculum, an on-campus arboretum, greenhouse, and outdoor learning spaces, supplemented by after-school activities, competitive athletics, and a summer enrichment program. The school is funded through per-pupil public funding, donations, EITC tax credits, and food service fees.
Product overview
Green Woods Charter School is a public K-8 charter school in Northwest Philadelphia serving approximately 700 students with an environmental education focus. The school operates as a unified educational institution rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core offerings include the K-8 Environmental Charter Education program as the primary educational product, supplemented by After-School Activities Program (arts, music, STEM, and enrichment clubs), After-School Sports Program (MPAA athletics for grades 5-8), and Summer Enrichment Program. Supporting infrastructure includes the PowerSchool Parent Portal for grades/attendance access, the GWCS Building Expansion (new science classroom, greenhouse, collaborative spaces), and an Annual Fund program for fundraising. The school partners with third-party providers including Apply Philly Charter for admissions, SchoolCafe for lunch management, Whitsons for food services, Settlement Music School for music programs, and Philadelphia Ballet for dance education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- K-8 Environmental Charter Education Rigorous tuition-free K-8 public charter school education aligned with Pennsylvania standards that nurtures students as knowledgeable and conscientious investigators, fostering environmental stewardship and outdoor learning. Serves approximately 700 students with emphasis on hands-on field studies, an Eco-Schools program, an on-campus arboretum, greenhouse, and service learning.
- After-School Activities Program No-cost after-school enrichment activities for students in grades K-8 organized into three ten-week sessions, including arts and crafts, Battle of the Books, bird watching, choir, drama club, robotics club, sports clubs, Settlement Music School programs, and Philadelphia Ballet partnerships.
- After-School Sports Program Athletic opportunities for middle school students in grades 5-8 including co-ed soccer, volleyball, cross country, basketball (JV and Varsity), baseball, softball, and golf, with participation in the MPAA league and Students Run Philly Style.
- Summer Enrichment Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Students completing summer enrichment work receive 2 points extra credit on trimester 1 report cards
Companies that use Green Woods Charter School
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Green Woods Charter School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Green Woods Charter School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Apply Philly ChartercoreApply Philly Charter manages the common application and lottery process for Green Woods Charter School. Families apply through this platform for admission, with the lottery determining acceptance.
- Whitsons Food Service ManagementcoreWhitsons manages the school lunch program as part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), providing nutritious meals to students.
- Metropolitan Philadelphia Athletic Association (MPAA)coreMPAA provides the athletic league for middle school sports including co-ed soccer, co-ed volleyball, basketball, baseball, and softball competitions.
- First Tee at Walnut Lane Golf ClubminorPartnership providing golf instruction and on-course playing opportunities for students in grades 5-8 through the GWCS Golf Club.
- Settlement Music SchoolminorProvides drum program for grades 3-4 and 5, and beginner piano program for grades 6-8 as after-school enrichment activities.
- Philadelphia BalletminorPhiladelphia Ballet's after-school program offers dance instruction in ballet, jazz, Latin, African dance, and hip-hop for middle school students.
- Roxborough Food PantryminorCommunity partner providing additional support for students experiencing homelessness in accordance with McKinney-Vento Act requirements.
- Cradles to CrayonsminorCommunity partner providing support services for students and families in need, including homeless/displaced students.
- Roxborough YMCAminorCommunity partner collaborating with the school to support students experiencing homelessness or displacement.
- Northern Children ServicesminorCommunity partner providing additional support services for students experiencing homelessness under McKinney-Vento guidelines.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Green Woods Charter School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mastery Charter Schools: Mastery is the largest charter management organization in Philadelphia running multiple campuses; it is a broad incumbent that shares the per-pupil funding model and lottery-based admissions but operates at network scale rather than single-site.
- KIPP Philadelphia Schools: KIPP Philadelphia runs a network of public charter schools with a college-prep mission spanning elementary and middle school grades, comparable in funding model and grade band though broader in footprint.
Direct peers
- Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School: Mariana Bracetti Academy is a Philadelphia K-12 charter school sharing the per-pupil funding model and lottery-based enrollment with GWCS, operating as another single-network peer in the city.
- Universal Charter School: Universal Charter School is a Philadelphia K-8 public charter comparable in size and grade band, using the same lottery-based admission funnel and per-pupil revenue model.
- Wissahickon Charter School: Wissahickon Charter School operates as a K-8 Philadelphia public charter serving a similar Northwest Philadelphia demographic, with comparable lottery admissions and per-pupil funding mechanics.
- Independence Charter School: Independence Charter School is a Philadelphia K-8 public charter school with a similar enrollment scale and lottery-based admission process, making it the closest direct peer in the same city and grade band.
- People for People Charter School: People for People is a Philadelphia K-8 public charter serving a comparable urban population with similar per-pupil funding mechanics, providing another direct single-site peer.
- Philadelphia Academy Charter School: Philadelphia Academy Charter School is a K-12 public charter in the same city serving similar families through lottery admissions, providing a like-for-like comparator on per-pupil economics and program design.
Emerging players
- Waldorf School of Philadelphia: The Waldorf School of Philadelphia is a private K-8 school with a strong nature- and experiential-learning orientation, making it comparable to GWCS on environmental/stewardship curriculum but differing in funding model (private tuition vs. per-pupil).
Others
- Apply Philly Charter: Apply Philly Charter is the common-application platform through which GWCS (and most other Philadelphia charters) recruit and lottery students; it is an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Green Woods Charter School social profiles
Digital presenceGreen Woods Charter School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Green Woods Charter School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Green Woods Charter School subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Green Woods Charter School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Green Woods Charter School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Green Woods Charter School
What does Green Woods Charter School do?
Green Woods Charter School is a public K-8 charter school in Northwest Philadelphia serving approximately 700 students with a distinctive environmental education focus. It delivers tuition-free, standards-aligned academic programming integrated with hands-on field studies, an Eco-Schools curriculum, an on-campus arboretum, greenhouse, and outdoor learning spaces, supplemented by after-school activities, competitive athletics, and a summer enrichment program. The school is funded through per-pupil public funding, donations, EITC tax credits, and food service fees.
Is Green Woods Charter School a public or private company?
Green Woods Charter School is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Green Woods Charter School founded?
Green Woods Charter School was founded in 2005. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Green Woods Charter School based?
Green Woods Charter School is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Green Woods Charter School make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Per-Pupil Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are annual Fund Donations, EITC-EIO Tax Credits and food Service Revenue.
Who are Green Woods Charter School's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mastery Charter Schools and KIPP Philadelphia Schools. Direct peers are Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School, Universal Charter School, Wissahickon Charter School, Independence Charter School, People for People Charter School and Philadelphia Academy Charter School. Waldorf School of Philadelphia is listed as an emerging player. Apply Philly Charter is listed as an others.
Does Green Woods Charter School have an API?
No public API is recorded for Green Woods Charter School.
What industry is Green Woods Charter School in?
Green Woods Charter School's product category is K-8 Charter School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJACAB, Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site), with a secondary code of THAAAOAA, Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning). Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.