Bluum.org

What Bluum.org does

Bluum.org is a Boise, Idaho-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that functions as a funding intermediary, leadership developer, and technical assistance provider for Idaho's public charter school sector. The organization operates a portfolio of three core service programs: the Idaho New School Fellowship, a paid one-to-two year talent pipeline that has invested $4.37M in 35 fellows who have opened or are opening 28 schools; federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant administration, where Bluum serves as the sole designated state-level lead for two consecutive U.S. Department of Education awards ($22M Communities of Excellence in 2018 and $25M Building on Success in 2023); and Partner School Technical Assistance, providing finance, academics, special education, governance, and operations support to 30+ Idaho charter schools. Since inception Bluum reports creating 21,690 new school seats and supporting 54 schools, with $42M+ in federal CSP investment directed and $132M+ in total philanthropic investment mobilized statewide.

The organization is anchored by a long-standing core partnership with the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, which launched the '20 in 10' campaign in 2013 to create 20,000 new charter school seats and recruited CEO Terry Ryan from Ohio to lead the effort. Bluum operates without proprietary technology products and generates no commercial revenue; instead, it is funded through federal CSP grant allocations and philanthropic contributions, and provides all services to schools free of charge. Its primary technology footprint is a research and content publishing operation producing annual reports (Idaho Education by the Numbers), policy briefs co-authored with ExcelinEd, and a bilingual Parents Guide to school choice, supported by an e-newsletter, blog, and social media presence.

Bluum is governed by a board including representatives from national charter sector organizations (Charter School Growth Fund, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools) and Idaho state partners (Idaho Public Charter School Commission, Idaho State Board of Education). It manages an approximately $8.63M annual budget across a team of roughly 15 staff led by CEO Terry Ryan, CFO Marc Carignan, and Chief Strategy Officer Duncan Robb, with specialized directors overseeing federal grants, school strategy, special education, and outreach. The organization has no parent company, subsidiaries, or private equity ownership.

Name

Bluum.org

Legal name

BLUUM INC.

Website

https://bluum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bluum is a Boise-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that serves as the sole federal Charter Schools Program administrator for Idaho, providing grant funding, paid fellowships, and technical assistance to 30+ partner charter schools statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Charter school support
• Education nonprofit services
• School leadership fellowships
• Federal grant administration
• K12 technical assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants: Bluum serves as the state-level administrator and local champion for federal CSP grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. The organization receives the primary grant award and then distributes subgrants to Idaho public charter schools. This represents the largest single revenue stream, with $22-25 million grants managed across two grant cycles (Communities of Excellence 2018-2023 at $22M, Building on Success 2023 onward at $25M).
2. Philanthropic / Foundation Funding: Bluum receives significant philanthropic support, primarily from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. The foundation has been a key financial backer since the organization's founding, funding the '20 in 10' campaign to create 20,000 new charter school seats. Additional philanthropic support comes from national organizations including the Walton Family Foundation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bluum is a nonprofit education intermediary that administers federal Charter Schools Program grants (most recently $25M Building on Success), runs the Idaho New School Fellowship for aspiring charter school leaders, and provides direct technical assistance to partner schools. It also produces research publications and a bilingual Parents Guide to school choice. All services are provided free of charge to Idaho's public charter school ecosystem.

Product overview

Bluum.org is a Boise-based education nonprofit that operates as a portfolio of service programs supporting Idaho's charter school ecosystem, rather than a traditional SaaS product company. The core offerings include the Idaho New School Fellowship (a talent pipeline program placing educational leaders in new charter schools), Federal CSP Grant administration (managing Idaho's Building on Success $25M federal grant), and Partner School Technical Assistance (providing schools with financial, academic, special education, and governance support). These programs are complemented by Publications and Research resources and a Parents Guide for school selection. The organization functions as a funding intermediary and local champion for entrepreneurial education ventures, in partnership with the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, working to create high-quality school seats across Idaho.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Idaho New School Fellowship A one- or two-year paid fellowship program that recruits top education talent to become leaders of new public charter schools in Idaho, providing time, mentorship, and access to expertise to create and execute plans for opening high-performing schools.
• Federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant Management Administering Idaho's Building on Success federal CSP grant, a competitive grant program where public charter schools receive funding to start, expand, or replicate high-quality schools, especially for rural and educationally disadvantaged students. Bluum serves as state-level administrator and distributes subgrants to Idaho charter schools.
• Partner School Technical Assistance Provides partner schools with additional services including reviewing financial infrastructure, strategy planning, academics support, special education program development, governance guidance, and communication support to help school leaders focus on their mission.
• Publications and Research Produces and distributes research publications including Idaho Education by the Numbers, enrollment landscape analyses, CSP grant evaluations, policy briefs on charter school facilities, and studies on educational opportunity in Idaho.
• Parents Guide: Tips for Choosing a School A comprehensive guide helping Idaho parents understand their school and learning options, including public charter schools, district magnets, private schools, and online programs, with versions available in English and Spanish.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21,690 new school seats created since 2015
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• Idaho Public Charter School CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Part of of Idaho's Communities of Excellence CSP grant consortium alongside Bluum, the Idaho State Board of Education, and philanthropic partners. The commission serves as an authorizer and regulator of charter schools in Idaho.
• Idaho State Board of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Part of the Idaho Communities of Excellence CSP grant consortium led by Bluum. The State Board oversees K-12 education policy in Idaho.
• National Alliance for Public Charter SchoolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a national partner and board member organization. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is a leading advocacy organization for public charter schools nationwide.
• Excel in EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcel in Education (ExcelinEd) partnered with Bluum to produce the 'Earned Autonomy for Idaho Charter Schools' report and the 'Building for Success in Idaho' policy brief on charter school facility financing. ExcelinEd provides policy expertise and research support.
• National Charter Schools InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a national partner providing resources and support to Idaho's charter school sector.
• PIE NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a national partner — a network of education policy organizations supporting public charter school growth across the U.S.
• Thomas B. Fordham InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Bluum on the Idaho Education Earnings Gap report in 2020, authored by John V. Winters, PhD. Fordham Institute is a national education policy think tank.
• Hillsdale College Barney Charter School Initiative (BCSI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple Idaho charter schools are affiliated with BCSI including Treasure Valley Classical Academy, Idaho Novus Classical Academy, and North Idaho Classical Academy. BCSI provides classical education curriculum and support to charter schools, and Bluum has supported the founding of several BCSI-affiliated schools through its fellowship program.
• Eschbacher Consulting, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver-based education research firm engaged by Bluum to conduct the 2026 Idaho Enrollment Landscape Analysis, providing data-driven market analyses to inform new school growth and expansion efforts.
• Redfish MetricsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged by Bluum to compile the Idaho Education by the Numbers annual report, aggregating data from the Idaho State Board of Education, Idaho Department of Education, and national sources.
• Idaho Policy Institute (Boise State University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrepared the Year 5 (2023) and Year 3 evaluation reports for Idaho's Communities of Excellence CSP Grant, evaluating student achievement, growth data, and stakeholder engagement across grant recipient schools.
• Civil Rights SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Bluum to create an FAQ document helping Idaho LEAs understand significant disproportionality under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Alliance for Public Charter Schools: National advocacy and policy organization for the public charter school sector. Directly comparable to Bluum as a charter-sector intermediary and is itself a Bluum national partner, sharing the same charter-support mission at the federal rather than state level.
• Charter School Growth Fund: Philanthropic fund that identifies, invests in, and supports high-performing charter management organizations. Closely comparable to Bluum because it channels philanthropic and federal-style capital into charter school growth, with overlapping national partner lists and a similar leadership pipeline orientation.
• Building Hope: Nonprofit that provides facility financing, real estate services, and operational support to charter schools. Directly comparable to Bluum as a charter intermediary; Building Hope is a named Bluum partner specifically on facility financing for Idaho charters.
• National Charter Schools Institute: Nonprofit that provides charter school authorizer services, training, and technical assistance to charter operators and authorizers. Closely comparable as a charter-sector intermediary providing authorizer and operational support, and is a named Bluum national partner.

Regional players

• Idaho Charter School Network: State-level advocacy organization supporting Idaho public charter schools. Direct regional peer operating in the same Idaho charter ecosystem; Bluum's CEO chairs its board, making the two organizations structurally intertwined.

Emerging players

• Excel in Education (ExcelinEd): National education policy organization that partners with states on K-12 reform and authored the Earned Autonomy policy brief with Bluum. Comparable as a charter and education choice intermediary operating at the state policy layer rather than the funding-distribution layer.
• Hillsdale College Barney Charter School Initiative: Initiative that supports the founding and operation of classical charter schools, including multiple Bluum-supported Idaho schools. Comparable as a charter school incubation and curriculum-support organization with overlapping portfolio schools in Idaho.

Others

• Walton Family Foundation: Major national philanthropy that funds charter school and education choice initiatives, including support to Bluum and many of the same networks. Comparable as a funder peer — its grantmaking decisions directly shape the funding environment Bluum operates in.
• The City Fund: Philanthropy focused on expanding great public schools, especially charter schools, in U.S. cities. A named Bluum national partner and adjacent peer in the school-choice funding ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: Largest nonprofit charter management organization in the U.S., operating a national network of K-12 charter schools. Broad incumbent in the same charter school sector Bluum supports, though KIPP runs schools directly while Bluum is an intermediary.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bluumorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnKcJjvdx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bluum-org
• Facebookfacebook.com/BluumOrg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bluum.org