Celebrating Black History Month

Announcing our newest Diverse Leaders ventures

By Tiffany Cheng Nyaggah, Partner, NewSchools Venture Fund

This February, as I commemorate Black History Month, I am feeling both sober and hopeful.

A few weeks ago, as part of our internal diversity, equity and inclusion work, I joined my colleagues from NewSchools on a deep dive into the history of racial inequity in America. I was struck by the persistent of role of education in the struggle for equality. It was a powerful reminder that the work we do to support leaders of color and help create innovative learning environments for all students is intrinsically intertwined with the nation’s civil rights history.

I’m hopeful when I think of our newest cohort of Diverse Leaders ventures — an inspiring group of leaders who are working to advance leaders of color in education, with the ultimate goal of creating better outcomes for all students. I also realize how much more work is still needed to reach that goal. With that in mind I want to celebrate our new cohort, and also take this moment to share information that might be helpful to others who are looking to apply for funding in the future.

First, in keeping with our tradition to announce new investments in our Diverse Leaders portfolio during February, here are the newest organizations working to advance diverse leadership in public education:

• Capitol Region Education Council — Teacher Residency Program
• Chicago Public Schools — Lead with CPS
• Concourse Education — Educator Pathway
• Diversity in Leadership Institute
• Innovate Public Schools — Black Educator Advocates Network
• PAVE (Parents Amplifying Voices in Education) — Community Change Fellowship
• School Board Partners
• School Board School
• The Positive Schools Center — Evolving the Superwoman Syndrome

At the core, we believe each new set of investments is a renewal of hope. Our team is incredibly excited to walk with each of these organizations over the next year to help them create enduring impact.

In that spirit, I feel it’s important to share what we learned from the investment process — insights that are often unspoken by funders. We want to help the next group of innovators who apply to NewSchools or other funders to be successful. My team and I reviewed more than 140 ideas from across the country that illustrate a variety of motivations and approaches, and ultimately reflect a wonderful energy and yearning for change.

Why weren’t more of them selected? It’s true that we don’t have a limitless budget for funding. However, we noticed some common challenges that made applicants less likely to move forward in our process. We also acknowledge that the funding process can seem mysterious and complex. Many of our applicants encouraged us to help demystify our process, so here are our tips:

1. Keep it simple and make it plain. Funders genuinely want to learn more about your mission and vision, as well as how your initiative or organization aligns with their strategic focus. Tell us more about the unique contextual factors affecting the problem you wish to solve, your lived experience, and how you intend to create sustainable impact. Avoid jargon and use plain language. If your grandma wouldn’t be able to understand your concept, you may want to consider using clearer language.
2. Dream big! We need your boldest ideas because no one has yet figured out how to solve racial inequity and diversity gaps in the field. Early-stage organizations and initiatives won’t always have a fleshed-out strategy or logic model but we want to understand your long-term vision and how it will contribute to our broader strategy. When we ask: “How will you know if you’ve been successful? What outputs and outcomes are you tracking?” we aren’t trying to trick you. Help us understand the steps you’ll take to achieve your vision. We know it may change once you get to work, but we want to hear how you are making connections between what you do and the ultimate impact you aim to have.
3. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. Tell us who you really are and why you’re doing this. Help us understand why you’re the right person to lead the work. Tell us how your experiences, training and skills will help build a sustainable organization. We value all types of leadership experience.
4. Be honest about what you don’t know. Self-awareness and vulnerability are strengths in the entrepreneurial journey. You might have emerging thoughts about the skills and capabilities you need to acquire or people you might recruit onto your team. We don’t expect entrepreneurs to have all the answers. Instead, we are looking for evidence that you’ve considered your strengths and areas of growth. We want to help you, but can only do so if we understand where you are today.

As funders focused on reimagining public education, we are grateful to be able to support innovators who share our passion for finding, funding and supporting bold ideas that advance diverse teachers and leaders in public education.