Children's Scholarship Fund wouldn't exist today if not for the ambition and focus of our two founders. Take a moment to learn about their background and discover how they were able to bring CSF to life.

John T. Walton
CSF Co-Founder
In Memoriam, 1946-2005

John Walton, a business investor, was very active in education reform and school choice. He was also one of the most humble and compassionate people anyone has ever known.

John co-founded the Children's Scholarship Fund in 1998 with support from the Walton Family Foundation, which invests in programs that empower parents to choose the best education for their children. Since its inception, more than 111,000 low-income children have benefitted from the children's Scholarship Fund.

Outside of his CSF involvement, John was an active board member and supporter of California Charter School Alliance, EdVoice, the Jackson Hole-based Public Education Coalition and Alliance for School Choice, a national school choice advocacy group.

Theodore J. Forstmann
Chairman,
CSF Co-Founder

Ted Forstmann is Chairman and CEO of IMG and the senior founding partner of the pre-eminent leveraged buyout firm, Forstmann Little & Co.

Since acquiring IMG in 2004, Mr. Forstmann established a world-class management team and enabled growth by expanding its global footprint, acquiring new businesses and talent that complement its breadth of services, creating and owning content, and streamlining the organization and its cost structure. He has transitioned IMG from a company known primarily for its sports businesses to one that is now taking advantage of the strong synergies between sports, entertainment and media.

Forstmann Little & Co. has long been recognized as a pre-eminent acquirer and owner of businesses and has an unparalleled record of generating consistently superior returns for its investors. Under Mr. Forstmann's leadership, the firm has made 31 acquisitions, significant investments and returned more than $15 billion of profits to his investors. In addition to IMG, some of their best-known investments include Gulfstream Aerospace, Dr. Pepper, The Topps Co., Community Health Systems, Ziff Davis, Yankee Candle, General Instrument Corporation, Citadel Broadcasting and 24 Hour Fitness.

Along with being recognized as a prominent and successful business leader, Mr. Forstmann has long been committed to numerous philanthropic causes, particularly those helping children. In 1998, he co-founded the Children's Scholarship Fund (CSF), the country's largest charity helping parents send their children to the schools of their choice. CSF offered 40,000 K-12 scholarships worth $200 million to low-income families across America – parents of more than 1.25 million students applied for the original four-year scholarships. Since its inception, CSF has helped more than 111,000 children nationwide with scholarships worth more than $400 million.

Mr. Forstmann continues to work to improve the lives of children in the United States and overseas. As a director of the International Rescue Committee, he established a medical program for war-injured children. As the only non-African trustee of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, Mr. Forstmann has worked to relieve the plight of South African street children by helping to provide education, shelter and medical care. In the United States, Mr. Forstmann co-founded two camps for chronically ill children: the Benedict-Forstmann Silver Lining Ranch and the Boggy Creek Gang Camp. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Freedom House, Empower America, the CATO Institute and the Preventative Medicine Research Institute, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mr. Forstmann graduated from Yale University and received his law degree from Columbia University. He has received honorary doctorate degrees from Pepperdine University and Sienna College. Mr. Forstmann resides in New York and Los Angeles and is the sole guardian of two South African orphans that live with him.