Charter School Growth Fund: Helping Great Schools Grow to Reach More Children

Every family wants a school where their children can learn, grow, and be ready for what comes next. For many, especially in low-income communities, that kind of school can be hard to find. That’s why we partnered with Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF) in 2007: to identify promising charter networks early and help them build the leadership, financial strength, and governance needed to grow and succeed.

Nearly 20 years later, that early commitment has helped 725,000 children across 30 states attend schools where stronger academics lead to college degrees and better career paths. These schools raise the bar, proving what’s possible when students have access to schools that deliver results.

CSGF strengthens and expands high-performing charter networks — not just launching new schools but scaling the ones already making a measurable difference. Their portfolio now includes more than 1,100 schools. These schools consistently outperform their peers, so every new seat expands access to high-quality education, providing students with the resources and opportunities to succeed long term.

In 2024, we deepened our partnership with CSGF to expand access and improve school quality by:

• Supporting the launch of the Dell Catalyst Fund to unlock $300 million in facilities savings, allowing schools to invest more in teachers, classrooms, and children’s learning.
• Investing $20 million in CSGF to open 30,000 new charter seats in Texas, where students in charter schools score higher in reading and math.

Together, these efforts deliver real results for students, families, and communities.

More than 75% of students in Charter School Growth Fund-supported schools outperform their peers in reading, and 66% do so in math. That strong foundation contributes to long-term results, like at YES Prep Public Schools, where students graduate from college at four times the rate of their peers.

This success comes from backing strong leaders, proven models, and measurable outcomes, and from expanding access to schools that prepare children for long-term success. It shows what’s possible when successful schools get the support to grow, which is that more students benefit and have the chance to succeed in college, career, and life.