NewSchools is excited to launch the $10M funding opportunity for visionary educators and innovators looking to transform public education.
Donor Name: NewSchools
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/10/2024
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
With a focus on reimagining what’s possible, NewSchools is committed to supporting leaders who are dedicated to creating new opportunities for students to thrive.
NewSchools Venture Fund invests in the ideas and energy of education leaders and entrepreneurs who are advancing innovative solutions that expand the definition of what works.
NewSchools Venture Fund supports early-stage organizations and new initiatives within existing organizations in the following areas:
- Innovative Schools
- New innovative, public schools that support students to develop a strong academic foundation and skills needed for success in life
- Learning Solutions
- K-8 reading and math solutions that build foundational skills and personalize learning to support student success
- Teaching Reimagined
- Solutions that evolve how educators work, engage caregivers & community experts, and leverage genAI to make the role more sustainable and effective
- Learning Differences
- Enhance teaching and learning for students with diagnosed and undiagnosed learning disabilities within and beyond the three main focus areas.
What NewSchools Venture Fund Offers?
- Funding
- Direct financial support to advance your work. One-year, general operating support grants range from $150,000 to $250,000.
- Expert Support
- One-on-one coaching and access to national experts.
- Community
- Connection with peer organizations across the country.
Investment Criteria
- Alignment
- NewSchools Venture Fund invests in visionary, early-stage education leaders and entrepreneurs with bold ideas that expand the definition of what works. The focus is on creating new possibilities and a just future for all students, especially those furthest from opportunity — including students of color, students experiencing poverty, and students with learning differences. Ideas must align with at least one of the investment areas: Innovative Schools, Learning Solutions, Teaching Reimagined, or Learning Differences.
- Idea
- NewSchools Venture Fund seeks bold ideas that combine new approaches with proven practices to improve student learning and advance equitable outcomes for all. They believe equipping students with a strong academic foundation, as well as essential habits, mindsets and skills within a positive learning environment, is key to this goal. (They call this an expanded definition of student success). They aim to have a catalytic impact on student success nationally, so they invest in ventures that seek to expand their impact significantly over time by growing their organizations, codifying and sharing best practices, or influencing the work of others.
- Community Engagement
- NewSchools Venture Fund expects innovators to engage their stakeholders – students, families, and educators – early and often to inform solution design and implementation. By understanding the needs, interests and aspirations of those they aim to serve, innovators can not only design better solutions but also build the relationships necessary to grow their impact over time.
- Team
- They seek mission-driven innovators who demonstrate passion, integrity, and the ability to execute their vision. Innovators should build diverse and capable teams with the right mix of skills and backgrounds to drive impact. Leaders should be open to collaboration, committed to building high-functioning teams, and be excited to participate in the communities of practice, which foster learning and growth.
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- NewSchools Venture Fund supports teams committed to equity that work to break the predictability of who succeeds in this nation. They believe – and research demonstrates – that teams committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are better equipped to meet the needs of the students they serve. They seek teams that implement comprehensive strategies with measurable goals to embed DEI across their program models and organization, including recruiting diverse leadership and staff.
- Financial Sustainability
- NewSchools Venture Fund looks for organizations with long-term plans for achieving Financial Sustainability through a mix of revenue sources, such as philanthropy, earned revenue, and government grants. The focus is on supporting ventures that can secure the revenue they need to grow their impact over time.
Criteria
- NewSchools invests in the ideas and energy of education leaders and entrepreneurs who are advancing innovative solutions and creating new possibilities for all students. The investments are focused on reimagining U.S. PK-12 public education.
- NewSchools funds work that is based in the U.S.
For more information, visit NewSchools Venture Fund.
