Abstract: This article profiles the Charter School Growth Fund, which is focused on boosting the supply of high-quality public charter schools. In the past several months, the Fund has awarded funding packages to six charter operators (out of over 90 applicants) in various regions of the country averaging approximately $1.7 million over four years and totaling nearly $10 million. Collectively, they plan to open over 40 new schools in the next five years and create new seats for over 14,000 additional students. Grantees receive a mix of grants and loans, with funding spread out over three to five years. If a grantee does not attain a stipulated benchmark, it can lose some or all of the funding. The article celebrates the Charter School Growth Fund's willingness to finance the aspects of charter schools that other funders have been less willing to support: the additional staff positions necessary to manage an expanding enterprise.
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