Charter School Growth Fund - Tennessee
The Charter School Growth Fund Tennessee (CSGF-Tennessee) was founded in conjunction with the Charter School Growth Fund, the Tennessee Department of Education, and several private funders to create and expand high-performing Charter Management Organizations (CMOs) in Memphis and Nashville. We believe this represents a unique opportunity to transform the quality of education in Tennessee and provide a national "proof point" for the regional impact of expanding high-performing CMOs.
CSGF-Tennessee will invest $15 million to develop and expand four to six CMOs which, combined, plan to open 20 new schools in the next five years. To accomplish this goal, CSGF-Tennessee is seeking to identify high-performing charter schools and CMOs in Memphis and Nashville interested in significantly expanding their impact. Successful applicants will be eligible for assistance in business planning and access to multi-year funding to support replication.
CSGF-Tennessee Investment Approach
CSGF-Tennessee only invests in CMOs and stand-alone schools hoping to grow into CMOs with a track record of academic success. First, CSGF-Tennessee supports organizations through strategic planning, offering business planning grants and the guidance of the CSGF-Tennessee staff. Through the evaluation of strategic business plans and management teams, CSGF-Tennessee will use a staged and flexible approach to its investments - making larger commitments to the most proven models looking to rapidly scale and smaller commitments to younger organizations with great promise.
Although CSGF-Tennessee is a limited five year fund, we hope a selection of CMOs we invest in through CSGF-Tennessee will be strong candidates for our national fund after executing on the first stage of their growth plans.
Candidate Qualifications
CSGF-Tennessee's evaluation of candidates will revolve around our three investment pillars and our analysis of the management team's ability to execute the strategic plan:
- Academics: Strong candidates will demonstrate exceptional student outcomes
- Growth: Strong candidates will have a vision for increasing their impact through replication
- Sustainability: Strong candidates must be committed to operational efficiency and ultimate sustainability on public revenue
How to Apply
Applications are accepted online throughout the year and are evaluated on a rolling basis. All applications are considered in an objective and anonymous process. The application process entails two elements:
- Create a Profile: All applicants must establish a log-in and password for the Applicant Portal as well as upload basic entity data.
- Data submission: All applicants must upload National Norm Referenced Test Data and State Test Data for evaluation. Some basic operational data will also be requested. For more information on the data submission requirements, please see the Application Data Requirements page.
When an applicant passes through the academic data screen, CSGF-Tennessee conducts an initial interview and decides whether to enter into strategic planning and/or due diligence.
If you have any questions regarding the application process, please refer to the posted FAQs. If you still have questions after reviewing these materials, please email CSGFTN@chartergrowthfund.org or call (855) 290-3553.
