About New Schools Fund
TO IMPROVE PUBLIC EDUCATION BY IDENTIFYING AND SUPPORTING THE MOST PROMISING EDUCATION VENTURES IN THE COUNTRY, AND CREATING A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF EDUCATION ENTREPRENEURS COMMITTED TO CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP.
Focus Areas
Innovative public schoolsDiverse leadership developmentLearning solutions (K-12)Racial equity in education
Who They Fund
K–12 students (general)students with learning differences / special education needsschool leaders and principals (particularly from underrepresented backgrounds)teachers and instructional staffracially marginalized students and communities
Funding Style
capacity building (leadership development)
About New Schools Fund
New Schools Fund backs public-education ventures and school models, with a clear pattern of large grants to organizations building new approaches inside K-12 systems. Among its recent awards, the fund gave $822,500 and $701,250 to Fund for Public Schools in New York for innovative schools, and $750,000 to Diversity in Leadership Institute in Los Angeles for diverse leaders. Its portfolio also includes grants to school operators, school boards, education nonprofits, and leadership groups working on classroom practice, equity, and school design. The fund’s stated purpose is to improve public education by identifying and supporting promising education ventures and building a nationwide network of education entrepreneurs committed to closing the achievement gap. That mission shows up across several grant categories, including innovative public schools, diverse leadership development, learning solutions for K-12, and racial equity in education. Recent awards range from district partnerships to independent school models and teacher-facing learning work. The foundation also makes program-related investments and is classified as a regular funder. With annual grants of $91,811,130 and total assets of $70,939,482, it operates at a scale that supports both large institutional grants and a broad national reach.
What New Schools Fund Funds
In innovative school models, New Schools Fund has supported district and charter efforts as well as school-network infrastructure. Recent examples include $471,250 to Purdue Polytechnical High School in Indianapolis for innovative schools, $405,000 to Dallas Independent School District for innovative schools, and $322,500 to Central Queens Academy in Elmhurst for innovative schools. Its learning-solutions grants point to instructional tools and school-based practice. The fund gave $400,000 to Array Education in New York for learning solutions, $350,000 to Fishtank Learning in Brighton for learning solutions, and $350,000 to the Academy for Urban School Leadership (ausl) in Chicago for learning solutions. Racial equity and diverse leadership are also recurring themes. Grants include $520,000 to Black Men Teach in Hopkins for diverse leaders and racial equity, $350,000 to The Calculus Project in Randolph for racial equity, and $500,000 to Cambiar Education in San Diego for diverse leaders.
How New Schools Fund Gives
Typical grants cluster in the mid-six-figure range: p25 is $160,000, median is $200,000, and p75 is $250,000. Recent awards show a willingness to go well above that range for larger initiatives, including multiple $500,000 grants. The grant list also suggests repeat support to some recipients across years, such as Fund for Public Schools in 2023, 2024, and 2025. New Schools Fund is a regular funder and also makes program-related investments. The data does not show an open application process; the recent grants pattern points to invited, relationship-based grantmaking rather than a public application model.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$19.4M
Total Assets
$70.9M
Total Revenue
$41.8M
Total Expenses
$36.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $160K and $250K, with a median of $200K.
25th Percentile
$160K
Median
$200K
75th Percentile
$250K
Geographic Reach
National41 states funded
About 14% of grants go to recipients in MD.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
CHRIS LOZIER
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where New Schools Fund Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for New Schools Fund.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 440 | $91M | 99.1% |
| 2 | Puerto Rico | 4 | $799K |
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