Overview
We are excited to launch our first Racial Equity funding opportunity. Through this new effort, we will invest up to $1.5 million in innovators of color with bold ideas to advance racial equity in education. We believe that the freedom to thrive is every person’s fundamental right, and that access to a great education, regardless of race or ethnicity, is essential to that freedom. And yet, despite important areas of progress, the promise of an equitable educational opportunity remains unfulfilled. NewSchools is committed to being part of the necessary change and we recognize the need to work on racial equity in a deeper way. Through this funding opportunity, our goal is to help you bring powerful, imaginative ideas to life that reach toward a racially equitable education system. We are accepting submissions through June 4, 2021 at 11:59pm PDT.
We believe there are brilliant solutions born from the lived experiences of people of color. This funding opportunity is exclusively focused on supporting leaders of color with bold new ideas. Additionally, given the prevalence of anti-Black racism in our society, and its impact on outcomes for Black students, we plan to allocate at least 50% of this fund to Black leaders.
Instead of a traditional grantmaking approach, the process for choosing ventures in this investment area will cede power to parents, students, and education innovators. They will decide how to allocate our Racial Equity funds through a participatory grantmaking process. Grantees will receive funding as well as management assistance, such as access to experts and a community of practice, to support the development of your idea.
Join our webinar to learn more! We’ll share details on the grantmaking process, walk through the application and answer your questions on May 7, 2021 at 12pm-1:30pm PT (register here).
NewSchools Venture Fund
Racial Equity Application - NewSchools Venture Fund
Overview We are excited to launch our first Racial Equity funding opportunity. Through this new effort, we will invest up to $1.5 million in innovators of color with bold ideas to advance racial equity in education.
Read this on www.newschools.org »What We’re Looking For
You are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity, if you:
- Identify as a person of color. Given the prevalence of anti-Black racism in our country, we plan to allocate at least 50% of this fund to Black leaders.
- Have an idea focused on advancing racial equity in PreK-12 education and your idea does not fall into one of our three existing investment areas (Innovative Schools, Learning Solutions and Diverse Leaders).
- Lead an organization that is in the early stage of development. This might mean that you have an idea and need to create your strategy or implementation plan, have been operating an organization for less than two years or that you’ve founded an organization more than two years ago but you haven’t been able to launch your programs, hire staff or access the necessary funding to get started. Note that we do not fund policy efforts or university-based programs.
Timeline
Apply by June 4, 2021. We will invite select teams to the finalist round by July 30, 2021 and finalize decisions by October 29, 2021.
Key Dates
- Application opens April 21
- Application supports:
- Webinar: Friday, May 7 at 12pm-1:30pm PT (register here)
- Office Hours
- Wednesday, May 19 at 10am-11am PT
- Tuesday, June 1 at 2pm-3pm PT
- We will post registration details here in the coming weeks
- Application closes June 4 at 11:59 pm PT
- Applicants are notified if they are moving to the finalist round by July 30
- Additional touchpoints with the selection committee for finalists in August – September
- Supports and guidance will be provided to applicants who are invited to this stage
- Notification of final funding decision by October 29
