NewSchools Venture Fund

NewSchools Venture Fund
Name	NewSchools Venture Fund
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	1998
Founder	[Not linked per instructions]
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Focus	Education innovation, charter schools, edtech
Website	[omitted]

NewSchools Venture Fund NewSchools Venture Fund is a nonprofit organization that supports education entrepreneurs, charter school networks, and education technology startups. The organization mobilizes philanthropic capital, strategic grants, and venture investments to scale models associated with charter school movement, Teach For America, and KIPP-style initiatives. It operates at the intersection of philanthropic funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, policy actors like the U.S. Department of Education, and advocacy groups such as the American Federation for Children.

History

Founded in 1998 amid waves of reform influenced by leaders connected to the Charter Schools movement, the organization emerged during debates involving figures like Michelle Rhee, Randi Weingarten, and policymakers from the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. Early cohorts engaged networks tied to Teach For America, KIPP Foundation, and the Education Endowment Foundation while responding to reports from entities such as the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future and the Brookings Institution. Over time its trajectory intersected with major moments including federal initiatives championed under the No Child Left Behind Act and later policy shifts under the Every Student Succeeds Act, aligning with private philanthropy trends traceable to families like the Waltons and foundations like the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Mission and Funding Model

The stated mission emphasizes scaling promising education models through philanthropic capital and investment strategies similar to those used by the Rockefeller Foundation and Ford Foundation. Its funding model blends grantmaking with program-related investments and venture-style equity approaches resembling practices at Omidyar Network and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Funders have included institutional philanthropies such as the Gates Foundation, individual donors connected to the Walton Family Foundation, and impact investors associated with Acumen Fund and NewSchools Venture Fund-aligned consortia. Partnerships have extended to municipal actors including offices in San Francisco and collaborative projects with organizations like New Profit and EdSurge.

Investments and Grantees

Grantee portfolios have included charter operators such as KIPP, Achievement First, and Uncommon Schools, alongside edtech companies like Khan Academy, Coursera, and startups similar to AltSchool. Investments have supported teacher development organizations including Teach For America and assessment innovators connected to ETS (Educational Testing Service), while research partnerships linked to the RAND Corporation and American Institutes for Research informed scaling strategies. The fund’s grants have also gone to advocacy groups and policy shops such as the Education Trust and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

Programs and Initiatives

Programmatic work has spanned accelerator efforts comparable to Y Combinator for education, fellowship models reminiscent of Teach For America, and research-practice partnerships akin to initiatives at Harvard Graduate School of Education and the University of Chicago. Initiatives have targeted areas like teacher preparation reform, school leadership development paralleling programs at Relay Graduate School of Education, and technology integration models evaluated alongside projects from Stanford University's education labs. Collaborative efforts have included cohort-based support similar to accelerators run by Imagine K12 and partnerships with media outlets such as EdSurge and research centers like the Brookings Institution.

Governance and Leadership

The organization’s board and executive leadership have comprised individuals with backgrounds in philanthropy, venture capital, and nonprofit management linked to institutions like the Gates Foundation, Omidyar Network, Morgan Stanley, and McKinsey & Company. Leaders have previously held roles at charter networks including KIPP and policy organizations such as the American Enterprise Institute and the Urban Institute. Board members and advisors have included figures from universities and foundations such as Stanford University, Harvard University, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have focused on the organization’s role in promoting charter school expansion and supporting market-based reforms, drawing scrutiny from labor unions including the American Federation of Teachers and progressive organizations like the Center for American Progress. Controversies have invoked debates similar to those around the Walton Family Foundation and Broad Foundation influence, accusations of prioritizing privatization reminiscent of critiques levied against the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and pushback from community coalitions in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Academic critics from institutions like Teachers College, Columbia University and research organizations such as Injustice Studies have raised concerns about equity, accountability, and impacts on district-run schools.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in California