Bringing great private schools to underserved communities
Investing in schools, school networks and education entrepreneurs
Since 2015, we have raised over $60 million from purpose-driven donors and invested it to support the creation and scaling of 122 schools and 29,000 seats in 21 states.
Neither income nor zip code should be barriers to educational opportunity.
The Drexel Fund believes all children should have access to great schools. Our mission is to support entrepreneurs to launch and scale pioneering private schools focused on underserved communities.
The Drexel Fund is a nonprofit venture philanthropy fund that fuels the creation of diverse and innovative private schools for low-income students and children with learning differences. We seed the creation of new schools, invest to scale networks of existing schools with a track record of academic and operational excellence, and strengthen educational ecosystems to ensure the conditions are present for private schools enrolling underserved students to thrive.
Making an Impact
- 122 new schools and 29,000 new seats (2015-2025)
- 72% students from low-income households
- Portfolio students draw $135 million annually in state-enabled scholarships
- Portfolio of grantee schools outperforms national norms for student academic growth in math and reading
- Target States
- Opportunity States
What We Do
The Drexel Fund provides grants to support the creation, expansion and replication of private, K-12 schools that serve low- and middle-income students. Grant purposes include new school startup, network expansion, strategic growth planning and early-stage research and development.
Who We Fund
We invest in schools that are pioneering approaches and filling educational gaps in their communities.
Where We Fund
The Drexel Fund invests in new, financially sustainable schools serving low-income students in any state with publicly funded private school choice.