The mission of the non-profit KIPP Foundation is to build a network of public schools that prepares students with the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to succeed at all levels of K-12 education, college, and the competitive world beyond.

Since 2000, the KIPP Foundation has recruited and trained more than 50 KIPP school leaders and currently provides support to 66 schools across the country and over 1,000 KIPP alumni who are currently in high schools and colleges.

Goals – The Five Imperatives

In December, 2005, the KIPP Foundation named Richard Barth as CEO. In the spring of 2006, the Foundation began to focus its efforts on five organizational goals, or imperatives:

• Leveraging the power of the KIPP “Team & Family” to deliver on the promises we have made to children and families;
• Executing a smart growth strategy to achieve geographic density;
• Explicitly defining the decision-making process and roles of the KIPP Foundation, clusters of schools, and individual schools with respect to governance, expansion, and evaluation of schools;
• Building a world-class organization and operating model that are equal to the scope of our aspiration;
• Maximizing the influence of the KIPP network by sharing our results, insights, and lessons learned.

For a list of the Foundation’s board of directors, go to Our board of directors
For a list of the Foundation’s operating committee, go to Our leadership team

Growth plans

In the next four years, KIPP hopes to increase the size of the network from 66 to 100 schools and triple the number of students served by KIPP schools. To achieve this goal, KIPP plans to grow in clusters (or regions) of schools in locations where KIPP schools already exist and in areas that are fertile ground for expansion.

The KIPP Foundation has made recruiting school leaders a priority in the following existing KIPP clusters: Washington, DC; Newark, NJ; and Houston, TX. KIPP is also recruiting school leaders in emerging regions, including: Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Denver, CO; Helena, AR; Los Angeles, CA; and Philadelphia, PA. We are also recruiting in communities that are potential new sites for 2009, such as St. Louis, MO.

In August, 2006, the KIPP Foundation unveiled a national competition for new site expansion in 2008. This process, in which coalitions apply to bring KIPP schools to their community, allows the KIPP Foundation to be strategic by establishing new schools in places where there are already ample local resources and community support. In November, 2006, KIPP selected two communities for growth in 2008: Columbus, OH; and the Twin Cities, MN.

To learn more about our New Site Development, go to go to Bring KIPP to your area