Grants for Schools
Wildflower has raised and issued $7 million grant to date across over 60 schools in our national network. Current grant programs and funding partners that support Wildflower schools include:
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Regional Growth Initiative partners
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National grant partners
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The total amount of grant funding available to a school depends on the overlap between the school’s work and the priorities of funding partners. Schools that have limited overlap with partner priorities are likely to need to raise more startup funding on their own. Some schools have been able to raise money from members of their local community.
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The Wildflower Foundation helps guide Teacher Leaders to identify and secure sources of funding throughout the Wildflower School Startup Journey. Wildflower schools may also be eligible for grants after they have opened.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are my startup costs determined?
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The total cost to start a Wildflower school varies across geographies, whether the school will be a non-profit independent school or a charter school, age range of children served, and school size. For example, in a city with a moderate cost of living like Minneapolis, a typical one-room independent school serving 3-6 year olds might cost $250,000 to start and a multi-classroom school in San Francisco requiring construction may cost over $1,400,000.
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Teacher Leaders will decide on their startup budget, supported by a series of exercises they will complete during the planning phase of the startup journey. They will reflect on several key factors which include anticipated enrollment, tuition, cost of rent and renovations, staff composition, and compensation.
Do you have to have savings to be able to afford opening schools?
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We work in partnership with Emerging Teacher Leaders to anticipate their startup costs and determine a fundraising plan to meet those costs. Because Wildflower Schools are nonprofits, we highly discourage Teacher Leaders from investing their personal savings into the startup costs of the program.