About Silicon Schools Fund
Silicon Schools Fund is a non-profit philanthropic fund that invests in innovative schools and solutions that make teaching and learning better for all students.
Focus Areas
K-12 educationInnovative schoolsCharter schoolsDistrict schoolsIndependent schoolsEducation technologyPersonalized learningTeacher developmentAcademic improvementMathematics educationEnglish language arts education
Who They Fund
K-12 schoolsschool leaders and administrators
About Silicon Schools Fund
Silicon Schools Fund Inc backs the launch and expansion of innovative K-12 schools, with recent grantmaking centered on operating support for charter, district, and independent school models in California. The foundation’s largest recent grant in the data is $591,061 to Summit Public Schools in Redwood City for school operations, and it also gave $500,000 to Kipp Bay Area in Oakland for the same purpose. Those awards fit a broader pattern of substantial support for schools already in operation, alongside funding for education service providers and tech-enabled learning tools. The funder’s own summary describes it as a philanthropic fund that invests in innovative schools and solutions intended to improve teaching and learning for all students. Recent grants show repeated support for established school networks such as Aspire Public Schools, Fortune School, Rocketship Education, and Magnolia Public Schools, as well as individual campuses and school launches. The foundation’s program language also points to work with education entrepreneurs, outstanding educator programs, and classroom technology, indicating an interest in both school models and the support systems around them. Leadership is listed as Caitrin Wright, and the organization makes program-related investments.
What Silicon Schools Fund Funds
A major theme in the foundation’s recent giving is school operational support. In 2024, it awarded $441,639 to Aspire Public Schools in Oakland to support operations, and in 2023 it gave $430,000 to Fortune School in Sacramento for the same purpose. Another thread is school expansion: Rocketship Education in Redwood City received $190,000 in 2023 to support the expansion of the innovation program and school operations. The funder also supports launch and development work, including $400,000 to Yu Ming #2 in Oakland and $200,000 to Design Tech High School #2 in Redwood City, both tied to school operations in the recent grants list. Its program descriptions also include education service providers, teacher and principal training, coaching, and tech-enabled tools for teaching and learning, which places capacity-building around schools within the center of the portfolio.
How Silicon Schools Fund Gives
Typical grants cluster at the middle six figures: the 25th percentile is $50,000, the median is $100,000, and the 75th percentile is $150,000. Recent awards also include much larger operating grants, with multiple gifts in the $200,000 to $500,000 range and a top recent grant above $590,000. The grant list shows repeated awards to the same organizations across years, including Aspire Public Schools, Fortune School, American River Collegiate Academy, and Rocketship Education, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. Silicon Schools Fund Inc is a regular funder and also makes program-related investments. It accepts unsolicited proposals through its active grant programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6M
Total Assets
$26.7M
Total Revenue
$8.2M
Total Expenses
$8.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $50K and $150K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$150K
Geographic Reach
Local7 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
CAITRIN WRIGHT
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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