Invest in Our Work
NewSchools Venture Fund is an intermediary that adds significant value to the capital we raise from individual investors and from institutions. In order to make a significant impact on public education, we:
- Aggregate resources for greater collective impact. Investments in NewSchools are leveraged by other funds, but also by the resources and expertise that our other investors – many of whom have extensive experience as entrepreneurs, philanthropists and educators – bring to bear on this work. In addition, financial gains from for-profit investments are returned to the fund and made available for future investments. This "recycled" investing is a unique feature of NewSchools' model.
- Select investments that produce extraordinarily high social returns. Our staff performs comprehensive analysis to identify the most promising entrepreneurs whose ideas are most likely to improve public education. This due diligence is done within the context of the broader education reform movement: we examine the trends and needs within public schooling and within our targeted districts in order to identify the greatest opportunities for impact and the most attractive areas for investment.
- Provide entrepreneurs with ongoing strategic guidance in addition to financial support. NewSchools team members participate actively on the board of each of our portfolio ventures, and also provide the hands-on management assistance these organizations need as they grow their organizations to scale. This ongoing venture support and guidance translates directly into a higher potential for our ventures to be successful.
- Focus relentlessly on outcomes. NewSchools regularly measures the impact of its portfolio ventures and its own activities - through both independent evaluations and internal assessments - and communicates the results to investors on a regular basis. Our goal is to provide clarity and transparency to you about the difference your investment is making in the lives of underserved children.
- Build an extensive network that supports and accelerates the impact of education entrepreneurs. Through our Network activities, NewSchools connects our portfolio ventures and our investors with a broad array of leaders within the public education and across the public, private and nonprofit sectors. This community helps extend the impact of our ventures, and also helps them gain further access to critical resources as they grow.
How to Donate: All donations to NewSchools Venture Fund are tax-deductible, as we are registered as a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Whether you are an individual or with a foundation, government agency or a bank with community redevelopment funds to invest, please call us to talk about how NewSchools can work with your organization. Whether you are looking to put grant funds to work through NewSchools, or are considering making a low-interest loan or a program-related investment, we will structure a partnership that works for you. To find out more about investing in NewSchools, please email us or call us at 415-615-6860.