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Sean Clifford

Sean Clifford

President, AFC Scholarship Fund

Sean Clifford is President of the AFC Scholarship Fund — the national Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) built to deploy the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC), the first federal K–12 school choice tax credit in U.S. history, beginning January 1, 2027.  

Sean leads the organization’s launch, operations, institutional partnerships, and donor growth strategy as it scales toward serving families across all 50 states. 

Sean brings two decades of leadership at the intersection of education, technology, and public policy. Most recently, he served as Chief Strategy Officer at The Tikvah Fund a leading Jewish ideas institution, where he directed efforts to advance classical liberal arts education through national programming, partnerships, and institutional investment. 

Before Tikvah, Sean founded and served as CEO of Canopy, a technology company designed to help families navigate online content, demonstrating his commitment to building practical, family-centered tools for the digital age.  

Sean began his career at Baron Public Affairs, LLC in Washington, D.C., rising to Vice President and advising Fortune 500 companies, major technology platforms, and national nonprofits on federal public affairs strategy. Sean also served as an intern at the White House Council of Economic Advisers (2005–2006). 

Sean is a co-founder of the David Fund and the Hadar Jewish Classical Academy, reflecting a lifelong commitment to institution-building in Jewish education and civic life. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (Marketing & Operations Management), an MA in Liberal Arts (Great Books) from St. John’s College, and a BA in Political Economy from Williams College. 

Professional Background

Career History

  1. 2026 – Present

    President, AFC Scholarship Fund

    American Federation for Children

    Leads the organization's launch, operations, institutional partnerships, and donor growth strategy as it scales toward serving families across all 50 states.

  2. 2023-2025

    Chief Strategy Officer

    The Tikvah Fund

    Directed efforts to advance classical liberal arts education through national programming, partnerships, and institutional investment.

  3. 2018-2022

    Founder & CEO

    Canopy

    Founded Canopy, a technology company designed to help families navigate online content, demonstrating commitment to building practical, family-centered tools for the digital age.

  4. 2007-2014

    Vice President

    Baron Public Affairs, LLC

    Advised Fortune 500 companies, major technology platforms, and national nonprofits on federal public affairs strategy.

  5. 2005-2006

    Intern — Council of Economic Advisers

    The White House

Academic Formation

Education

  • MBA, Marketing & Operations Management – The Wharton School

    University of Pennsylvania

  • Master of Arts in Liberal Arts (The Great Books)

    St. John’s College

  • Bachelor of Arts, Political Economy

    Williams College

Areas of Focus

Expertise

  • School Choice

    Works broadly across the movement to expand K–12 educational options for families, spanning policy design, advocacy, and program implementation.

  • Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC)

    Specializes in the federal donor-side tax credit established under IRC §25F, including its mechanics, implementation timeline, and role in expanding scholarship access nationwide.

  • Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGO)

    Focuses on the nonprofit entities that receive donor contributions and award scholarships to eligible students, including their regulatory obligations and operational best practices.

  • Classical Education

    Brings expertise in the classical education model, which emphasizes a liberal arts curriculum, the Socratic method, and the cultivation of virtue alongside academic rigor.

  • EdTech

    Studies the tools and platforms used to support teaching, learning, and school operations, including how technology adoption affects educational access and outcomes.

  • Nonprofit Leadership

    Brings experience guiding mission-driven organizations, including strategy, governance, and organizational growth in the nonprofit sector.

  • Philanthropy

    Focuses on charitable giving strategy, including donor motivation, major gift cultivation, and the structures that connect philanthropic capital to impact.

  • Institution Building

    Specializes in establishing and scaling durable organizations, including the systems, governance, and culture needed to sustain long-term mission impact.

  • SGO Operations

    Focuses on the day-to-day functioning of scholarship granting organizations, including donor processing, scholarship disbursement, compliance, and reporting.

  • Strategic Partnerships

    Works on identifying and structuring alliances between organizations to advance shared goals, including partner recruitment, negotiation, and relationship management.

  • Public Affairs

    Specializes in the intersection of policy, communications, and government relations, shaping how organizations engage with lawmakers, media, and the public.

  • Venture Strategy

    Brings experience applying venture-style thinking — rapid iteration, risk assessment, and growth planning — to new organizational or programmatic initiatives.

  • Family Technology

    Focuses on the tools and platforms families use to navigate educational choices, including how technology can simplify enrollment, eligibility, and decision-making.