A Legacy of Trust

Mission Statement

The Children’s Scholarship Fund (CSF) empowers families by providing children in need with scholarships and by supporting expanded educational opportunities for all children.

Key Numbers

• $1.23+ billion in scholarships awarded
• 224,000+ children served
• 25+ years of experience
• Network of 20 partner programs (and growing) nationwide

A Proven Track Record of Success

• CSF and its partner programs have awarded scholarships worth more than $1.23 billion, changing the lives of 224,252 children since 1998. During the 2025-26 school year alone, CSF and its 20 CSF partner organizations provided scholarships to 38,784 children.
• CSF has received four stars (the highest rating possible) from Charity Navigator for its high standards of cost effectiveness, accountability, and transparency.
• For three years running, CSF New Hampshire has been recognized by EdChoice for “most effective implementation” of a universal education choice program.

What We Do

• Expand educational opportunity for more than 38,000 children from low-income and working families.
• Deliver scholarship programs across multiple states with excellence, accountability, transparency, and fidelity.
• Partner with states, schools, and local partner organizations to implement sustainable scholarship programs.
• With the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit taking effect on January 1, 2027, CSF is helping schools, nonprofits, and other organizations prepare for this historic opportunity to expand educational opportunity and put power in the hands of parents. Rather than starting from scratch, organizations can draw on decades of experience operating scholarship programs, building scalable technology, developing compliance systems, serving families, and managing the day-to-day operations required for successful scholarship organizations.

Since its founding in 1998 by the late John Walton and Ted Forstmann, CSF and its national network of partner programs in 20 states (and growing) have invested more than $1.23 billion to provide scholarships to more than 224,000 children nationwide. In fact, the CSF model has been used over and over by states designing their own choice programs.

Throughout the twenty-eight years since our launch, CSF and its partners have continued to award scholarships that give “parents a choice and children a chance,” while supporting expanded educational opportunities for all children. To that end, several CSF partners now manage state education savings account (ESA) programs and raise scholarship funds through tax credit programs, and CSF has emerged as a connector and a catalyst within the school choice movement, regularly convening our partners and sharing what we have learned beyond our partner network to help other groups become more effective and, ultimately, provide more children with educational options that will help them thrive and flourish. 

For decades, CSF has worked alongside parents, schools, donors, and partners to help children gain access to better educational opportunities. We have built and refined scholarship management databases and established procedures for proper program oversight and compliance, while the stories and outcomes of the families and alumni who have benefited from CSF scholarships have served as proof points for the value of education freedom.

Now, as the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit moves toward implementation, we are working to make sure it reaches as many children as possible.

We realize this opportunity requires more than scholarship funding. It requires trusted leadership, operational excellence, innovative technology, strong partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to serving families with integrity.