Charter Fund: Seed Funding Grant

The Charter Fund: Seed Funding program supports nonprofit organizations operating high-performing public charter schools that aim to expand their reach by serving 250 to 1,000 additional students within two years. Eligible applicants must demonstrate proven leadership, strong academic performance, and a commitment to underserved communities. The fund offers general operating grants ranging from $250,000 to $750,000 to assist leaders in opening new schools, providing vital resources and cohort-based learning opportunities to foster growth and innovation.

Who We’re Looking For
We support nonprofit organizations that run some of the top public charter schools in their communities and are redefining what is possible in America’s public schools.

• Academic Excellence

They have had strong academic performance for multiple years, as demonstrated by measures such as student academic growth, achievement on state tests relative to peers, sub-group performance and, when available, long-term student outcome data.
Commitment to Financial Stability
They are committed to operating their schools on public funding and will not require significant philanthropy when they finish growing their networks of schools.
Ambition to Grow
They typically have waiting lists and want to expand their impact by opening more schools. The “Seed” organizations we support seek to open 1-2 more schools within the next two years, while our “Scale” strategy supports leaders who plan to launch 3+ more schools over a five-year period.
Strong Leadership Committed to Underserved Students
School leadership teams have the capacity to build the skills and expertise needed to accomplish their ambitious goals. They share a commitment to serving students who have limited access to high-quality public schools in their communities.
We are looking for leaders who want to expand their high-performing public charter schools by serving 250 to 1,000 additional students in the next two years.
We award general operating grants of between $250,000 and $600,000 to help promising leaders open their next one to three schools. Once awarded, these grants are disbursed over a two- to three-year period.
Early-Stage Support
We support charter leaders in overcoming the common challenges facing schools and networks that are beginning to grow.
Cohort-Based Learning
Selected Seed leaders will join a cohort of their peers who lead public charter school networks in the early stages of growth. As a community, they participate in annual events including the Portfolio Retreat and smaller convenings.
Leaders of Color
We seek to significantly expand the impact of public charter schools led by entrepreneurs who have backgrounds similar to those of the students and families they serve. Within each cohort, there are unique learning, support and community-building opportunities, specifically for leaders of color.

Eligibility

Applicants Should Demonstrate:Proven LeadershipA track record of three-to-five years of demonstrated success in a leadership role at a charter school or early-stage charter school network.Academic PerformanceA record of operating schools that outperform the local school district on state-administered assessments and perform well compared to the average school in their state.Commitment to Underserved StudentsA commitment to serving students from underserved backgrounds and working in communities with few high-quality public-school options. This includes, but is not limited to, low-income students, overage, under credited students, students with special needs, foster youth, and homeless youth.Vision for GrowthA desire to grow and serve 250-1,000 additional students, typically by adding between one and three schools in the next two years.