Founder’s Fellowship is a multi-year grant opportunity open to proven education leaders looking to make an impact in North Carolina. Leaders should have a strong track record of delivering excellent outcomes for students and a vision for a new charter school that will serve students furthest from opportunity. This grant will support leaders as they design their school model and budget, submit their charter application, and interview with the Charter School Review Board.  Additional follow-on supports and funding opportunities are available after initial charter application approval.

To better understand the leaders and schools GSNC is seeking to partner with, review our Ideal Candidate Profile for a complete picture of the characteristics, experiences, and leadership capabilities we look for in strong candidates.

This application is intended for leader's looking to submit a charter application in April 2027 for a school opening of August 2029.

Qualifications

• Plans to open an independent non-profit school not affiliated with an EMO or CMO
• Plans to operate a brick and mortar school 
• Application submitted by the most senior full-time school leader (Executive Director, Founder, etc.) 
• Proven leadership record
• Strong connections to North Carolina (including being a current resident or planning to relocate to the state

Funding

• Up to $50,000 in indirect funding per school leader with the opportunity for follow-on funding upon charter application approval

Opportunity Overview

• Technical assistance to prepare charter application including school model design, budget & financials, and community engagement strategy
• Support navigating the state approval and interview process

Select the “i” icon in the top right corner of each page for technical assistance.

If you have questions about the application itself, please contact grants@greatschoolsnc.org.