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Great Schools NC Archives - North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools

Great Schools NC launches school quality grant for charters

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We’re sharing an important upcoming grant opportunity for existing charter schools from Great Schools North Carolina (GSNC). In addition to providing direct funding, the grant includes coaching as well as partnerships to enhance school quality.

The grant application for GSNC’s School Quality Cohort opens soon–on August 19!

Who should apply? According to GSNC, the School Quality Cohort is for “leaders of existing charter schools looking to identify and implement specific levers of change to improve their school’s outcomes. This 18-month award provides established schools the opportunity to engage with other school leaders around shared needs in tandem with school-specific coaching and partnerships.”

Here’s more of what you need to know from GSNC:

Great Schools North Carolina’s School Quality Cohort grant application opens soon! This 18-month opportunity is for leaders of existing charter schools to strengthen what’s working, tackle persistent challenges, and implement meaningful, lasting improvements. The experience combines collaborative learning with individualized support, giving school leaders dedicated time and expert guidance to turn ambitious goals into measurable results.

Applications will be open August 19-September 8

Register for the Information Session on August 18, 4pm

Sign up for Office Hours, August 26-28, 10-11am

Selected school leaders will receive:

  • Up to $150,000 in funding to support school improvement efforts.

  • Personalized coaching aligned to their school’s unique goals and needs.

  • Access to expert partners and technical assistance.

  • A community of charter school leaders learning alongside one another.

  • Support to develop and implement a strategic action plan that leads to stronger student outcomes.

Access GSNC’s flyer here or by clicking on the image below.

Above top: Shutterstock photo.

Deep Dives with Summit Speakers addressing Charter Funding, Facility Funding

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Are you wondering what you can expect to learn at the Coalition’s 2025 Charter Advocacy Summit on February 6? As the Summit draws closer, we are featuring “deep dives” with some of our Summit speakers. Here are two important speakers you won’t want to miss.

Deep Dive with Madeline Hannigan of Great Schools NC: Hear insights about alleviating barriers to charter facility financing–and more!

Facilities can be a significant barrier to charter school growth, especially to new schools opening for the first time – hear insights and updates from Madeline Hannigan, who launched Great Schools NC as a grantmaking organization with the mission of bringing scale and quality to the charter sector by investing in forward-thinking education leaders.

Over the next decade, Great Schools NC plans to help create over 25,000 new high-quality seats in public charter schools by investing significant financial resources, alleviating major barriers to success such as access to and financing for facilities, and building community among education leaders.

Register soon to hear about charter facility funding at the Summit! The Summit early bird discount and hotel group rate end on Wednesday, January 15! View our new Summit invite.

Deep Dive with Aaron Beaulieu of School Operations Specialists: Learn the latest information about state and local funding for charter schools!

At the 2025 Advocacy Summit, Aaron Beaulieu will provide an important and timely update for charter leaders on state and local funding for charter schools.  An expert in financial and operational management, Aaron has more than 30 years of experience working in the public education and accounting realm. He worked closely with the Department of Public Instruction and the Coalition team to implement legislation addressing timely local payments to charter schools. In addition, he has served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Durham Public Schools and in leadership roles for Pitt County Schools. More recently, he has worked with numerous charter schools on local payment issues.

You won’t want to miss this comprehensive and important update on funding–with impacts for your charter school! In addition, your charter school’s CFO would greatly appreciate this session to learn more about state and local funding.

Madeline Hannigan photo: Great Schools NC.

Aaron Beaulieu photo: School Operations Specialists.

Webinar highlighting new charter grant opportunities

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On Tuesday, August 27, at 5 p.m., Great Schools NC will host a webinar highlighting exciting new grant opportunities for charter operators.  Mark your calendars for this webinar, as you will not want to miss it! You can register for the webinar here.

Here’s the webinar description from GSNC:

This hour-long session will give potential applicants the chance to meet the GSNC Program Team, learn more about our three grant opportunities, determine eligibility and fit, and get details about the application process.

GSNC is awarding three kinds of grants* in this cycle:

  • Start-up grants of up to $250,000 over two years
  • School quality grants of up to $150,000 in total resources
  • Founder’s fellowship grants of up to $50,000 (these grants are invite-only)

Founded in 2023, GSNC seeks to “bring scale and quality to the charter sector by investing in forward-thinking education leaders.”

Applications open on Monday, September 9, and close on Friday, September 20! GSNC will release award decisions on December 15.

*Eligible schools are those with a nonprofit operator and a brick-and-mortar building.