A functioning, comfortable building is essential for students to thrive. But at the Beatrice Mayes Institute charter school in Houston, the building was falling apart, and didn’t even have air conditioning to cool their students—a must in a muggy city.
In pursuit of desperately needed repairs to the building, they partnered with the Equitable Facilities Fund (EFF), a nonprofit social impact fund dedicated to supporting high-performing public charter schools across the United States.
“EFF enabled Beatrice Mayes to build a proper facility, a transformation that moved teachers who had devoted decades to the school to tears. This isn’t just about construction but about fairness and opportunity,” said founder and CEO of EFF Anand Kesavan in a recent conversation with Philanthropy Roundtable. “Philanthropists have the chance to turn their contributions into lasting, structural change—creating a future where facilities are no longer a bottleneck to opportunity.”
EFF is innovating charter school infrastructure support by providing public charter schools like Beatrice Mayes with low-cost, long-term financing options to help them establish sustainable facilities. This financial support allows schools to redirect funds typically spent on loan repayments back into educational resources, thereby enhancing teaching and learning outcomes.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: As we approach 2025, what is your perspective on the current state of the public charter school sector? What key challenges and opportunities should donors keep in mind when considering their support for charter schools?
Kesavan: Charter schools succeed when they balance autonomy with accountability. Over the past 30 years, this combination has proven effective, but there is room for growth. Schools need real independence to innovate while ensuring robust accountability to measure and ensure success. This includes identifying exemplary schools, supporting them and providing access to resources like facilities and equitable funding.
But challenges remain. We need to attract more passionate entrepreneurs to lead these schools and address systemic barriers like unfair funding and politicized environments. A top-down approach is necessary, creating comprehensive systems that support talent, infrastructure and accountability across the board.
Parental choice continues to drive demand, as parents trust these schools for safety, personalized attention and results—evident in the steadier enrollment growth in charter schools compared to traditional districts during the pandemic. Looking ahead, the focus should shift from just growing the sector to determining which schools are excelling and channeling resources toward them. Building an equitable, supportive system will ensure long-term success, benefiting children, empowering parents and sustaining quality education.
Q: Facilities financing often flies under the radar in education philanthropy. Why are facilities loans so critical to the success of charter schools? Can you share specific examples of how these loans have allowed schools to redirect resources toward improving student outcomes?
Kesavan: The biggest challenge to scaling from 7,000 charter schools to 15,000—or more—is a lack of affordable access to buildings. Starting or expanding a school is nearly impossible without facilities, as securing $20 to $30 million for a building is out of reach for most entrepreneurs. Philanthropists often address symptoms by funding programs or short-term needs. But the root issue—access to financing for facilities—is left unresolved.
Here’s the opportunity: create a sustainable solution by building a financial system similar to what Fannie Mae does for mortgages, only for schools. This model leverages private funds to create large-scale, low-interest loan systems, enabling schools to invest in long-term assets like buildings. By focusing on three core principles—scale, save and sustain—funds can be multiplied, borrowing costs reduced and investments recycled into perpetuity.
The impact is profound. Investing in this model could unlock exponential growth for charter schools, help meet demand (millions of students are currently on waitlists) and ensure entrepreneurs are competing on a level playing field. Instead of “throwing the ball against the wind,” we need to remove these systemic barriers and empower schools to flourish.
It’s not glamorous, but solving this foundational issue is what will truly transform education at scale.
Q: What are the latest developments or strategic priorities at the Equitable Facilities Fund? Are there any new initiatives or milestones you believe would resonate with philanthropists?
Kesavan: Over the past eight years, we’ve grown from testing the feasibility of our model to achieving remarkable success. This year, we’ve proven that we can provide charter schools with loans at rates equitable to those of nearby districts, fulfilling our mission for true financial equity in education. With a 0% default rate on $1.5 billion loaned and leveraging donor funds at six times (and aiming for 10 times), we’ve created unmatched impact.
Additionally, we’re forging new partnerships with major donors and philanthropists to expand our reach. These collaborations will enable us not only to lend directly to schools but also to empower other funds to do the same, revolutionizing the sector as a whole. Our model works, it scales to billions and it’s now positioned to transform education funding nationwide.
Q: Could you share any recent success stories of charter schools that have leveraged EFF’s funding to expand access to high-quality education, particularly in underserved communities?
Kesavan: Two poignant examples highlight the power of equitable support for education. First, the Beatrice Mayes Institute in Houston—a community-rooted charter school operating in a dilapidated building without air conditioning—thrived despite its challenges, thanks to its dedicated teachers. Recognizing the inequity of great schools lacking adequate facilities, while others with lower performance occupy pristine buildings, we provided a subsidized loan significantly below market rates. This enabled Beatrice Mayes to build a proper facility, a transformation that moved teachers who had devoted decades to the school to tears. This isn’t just about construction but about fairness and opportunity.
Another success story is Zeta Charter School in New York, one of the country’s top-performing schools. We offered them low-cost financing, saving them substantial funds compared to costly real estate developers. This allowed Zeta to focus on what matters—education—while scaling from 500 students to 10,000, demonstrating how facility funds can empower ambitious educators to create lasting change.
These stories underscore how investing in equitable facilities funding reshapes education, empowers entrepreneurs and influences policymakers. With major national funders committing $150 million to scale these models, this concept is proving not only impactful but replicable globally for underserved communities. It’s a model philanthropy that sustains, scales and changes generations.
Q: Looking ahead, what trends should donors pay attention to in the charter school sector? Are there specific shifts in infrastructure needs, enrollment patterns or public policies that could affect their giving strategies?
Kesavan: Charter schools must adapt to three critical trends to thrive in a rapidly changing educational landscape. First, facilities must evolve to integrate private funding as a tool for accountability. By leveraging donor-funded banks, effective schools can be incentivized to improve continuously, aligning philanthropic goals with student outcomes.
Second, enrollment trends are shifting. No longer can we assume that opening a building will guarantee enrollment. With people moving to new regions or away from urban centers, it’s crucial for charter schools and donors to strategically establish schools in areas with long-term demand. Flexibility to follow where the students are is a competitive advantage charter schools have, and it should be embraced.
Lastly, while policy advocacy is not our primary focus, it’s vital to approach discussions with transparency and data rather than divisive rhetoric. This means avoiding charter versus district politics and focusing on supporting good schools—whether they are charter-run or district-operated. Unified cooperation and clearer accountability metrics across organizations can amplify the positive impact of school choice.
By working together, integrating innovative funding strategies and staying responsive to trends, we can ensure that all schools remain focused on serving students and creating meaningful change.
If you are interested in learning more about how Philanthropy Roundtable supports k-12 education, please contact Pathways to Opportunity Program Director Stephen Allison here.
