Our Funds

Fund I

Over the past five years, a group of respected national foundations contributed $86M to CSGF's first fund ("Fund I"). Through Fund I, CSGF is invested in over 20 non-profit charter school operators that will serve more than 105,000 additional students by 2015. Members of CSGF's portfolio were selected from nearly 350 applicants and are among the highest performing school operators in the nation, measured in terms of their relative performance on standardized tests, their ability to close achievement gaps and the college matriculation rates of their students. Portfolio members include innovative and accomplished charter school networks from across the country, such as Achievement First, YES Prep, KIPP Delta, KIPP DC, Rocketship Education and IDEA Public Schools. Since 2005, the members of CSGF's portfolio have quadrupled the number of students they serve while simultaneously sustaining outstanding academic performance.

Fund II

Based on the success of its portfolio and investment track record, CSGF is seeking to secure $160 million in new multi-year commitments for its second fund ("Fund II"). CSGF is using Fund II to make investments in new and existing CMOs over the next five years. These investments will create capacity for an additional 225,000 students. With the success of these CMOS, we believe that our education sector can be restructured to be performance focused, responsive to parents and equitable for all students.

CSGF Capital

Three specific pools of capital which are available to CSGF portfolio members:

1. CSGF Primary Fund. The Primary Fund supports financing packages that help CMOs develop multi-site networks serving thousands of students. These financing packages consist of grants and low-interest loans and help address the central operating deficit between when a CMO undertakes an expansion campaign and when the central office breaks even on management fees generated from schools in the network.  Specifically, these funds support people, systems and structures required to enable rapid CMO growth to serve more students.
2. CSGF Facility Fund. Access to cost-effective school facilities is one of the biggest inhibitors of growth for many CMOs.  To address the shortage of facilities funding, CSGF offers its portfolio members access to a Facilities Loan Fund.  Using low-interest Program Related Investments from a few of CSGF's investors, CSGF provides funds to be used in the form of short-term credit enhancement and subordinated, low-interest rate loans.  This structure enables CSGF to help operators finance facilities at more attractive rates and terms.
3. CSGF School Start-up Fund. As CMOs develop new schools, most incur significant start-up costs for each school as they grow to a full-sized school.  These costs include planning, leadership development and facilities acquisition, as well as the purchase of furniture, technology, equipment and instructional materials.  CSGF provides school start-up grants for portfolio members through a partnership with the Walton Family Foundation.