“The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends.”

• Ego the critic from the movie Ratatouille

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What If Every Microschool Founder Had What Wildflower Has?

When my son was in pre-K, he attended a microschool that is part of the Wildflower Schools network. It was a beautiful, nurturing environment led by an incredible teacher who created a space where children could thrive. That school—and the opportunity it gave my son—was only possible because of the Sunlight Loan Fund, a startup loan program developed by the Wildflower Schools network to support their founders.

That experience stayed with me. It made me ask a simple but powerful question:

What would it look like if every microschool founder had access to the kind of capital and resources that Wildflower provides for its educators?

That question was the seed of what I’m excited to share today.

Introducing the Microschool Loan Program

In partnership with Building Hope, today we're launching the Microschool Loan Program— a $675,000 loan fund fueled by philanthropic support from Stand Together Trust and the Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation. This initiative supports early-stage microschools with flexible, affordable capital. Building Hope will lead program implementation and lending.

Microschools are small, community-centered learning spaces that are revolutionizing education by offering an affordable pathway to launching innovative learning environments. These spaces empower educators to experiment with fresh ideas to better meet the needs of families, adapt based on outcomes, and decide whether to refine, expand, or pivot their approach.

But like any small business entrepreneur, they need startup capital to get off the ground. This fund is about giving them the same kind of financial tools that have helped millions of small businesses thrive.

Why This Matters

Since the pandemic, microschools have seen remarkable growth, transforming the educational landscape by serving a diverse range of families across the nation. According to the newest report from the National Microschooling Center, these innovative learning models now serve over 750,000 students and are addressing a broad spectrum of educational needs, providing personalized, community-driven education that resonates with families seeking alternatives to traditional schooling.

• The proliferation of education savings accounts, tax credits, and other forms of choice funding is empowering families to take charge of their children's education like never before, with 45% of all children now eligible to participate in private school choice programs.

• This increase in demand underscores the urgent need to expand educational options in order to meet the diverse and evolving needs of families.

We stand at the dawn of a new era of community-driven innovation in K-12 education with microschools at the center. Microschool founders represent a broad range of values and instructional approaches, and many have been inspired to launch their schools to provide alternatives to traditional educational models. Our goal with this program is to help each of these entrepreneurs achieve their vision, while also demonstrating that microschools – despite their size – can be sustainable ventures, worthy of investment. Much like small business loans have helped fuel economic growth, a robust ecosystem of support for microschools is essential to ensure this sustainability and accessibility, particularly in communities that may lack existing educational options for families. It’s time to rise to the challenges posed by this growing demand and build a foundation that supports families and founders in creating educational experiences they want and deserve.

Three Core Ideas Behind the Loan Fund

We built the loan fund to directly support founders, but we see this project as part of something much larger.

Affordable Startup Capital for Early-Stage Founders

Many microschool founders are educators, parents, or community leaders—not traditional entrepreneurs. They have the vision and the passion, but not always the capital. This fund provides accessible, flexible loans to help them launch and grow.

Professionalizing the Microschool Sector

As microschools serve more families and participate in public funding streams like ESAs, vouchers, and tax credits, they must operate with the same rigor and responsibility as other businesses. That means adopting sound business practices, financial systems, and operational standards. This fund is a step toward building that infrastructure.

A Call to Action

We hope this fund is just the beginning. Our vision is to inspire others—foundations, investors, and community leaders— to join us. Organizations like the Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation are already leading the way in supporting educational innovation. We invite more partners to help build a financial ecosystem that supports microschools the way we already support other kinds of small businesses.

Loan Fund Logistics: What You Need to Know

Timeline

• Interest Form Opens: June 2

• Office Hours: June 5, 3-4pm ET (every Tuesday & Thursday thereafter through July)

• Webinar: June 17 (for those who submit an interest form)

• Early Access to Application: July 1 (for those who submit an interest form)

• Public Application Launch: July 7

• Rolling Awards: Loans will be awarded on a rolling basis until funds are fully committed

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Loan Details

• Loan Amounts: $5,000–$50,000

• Eligible Uses: Facilities, curriculum, training, licensing, staffing, marketing

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Loan Terms:

• Year 1: Interest-only payment

• Year 2: Gradual amortization

• Years 3–5: Full amortization

• Payment Schedule: Quarterly

• Term Lengths:

• $5K–$10K: 3 years

• $15K–$25K: 4 years

• $30K–$50K: 5 years

Eligibility Criteria

We see you, whatever you call yourself. We understand that you may describe your learning environment as a co-op, academy, learning center, hybrid school, or another model that doesn't necessarily use the term "microschool." That’s great! We celebrate the diversity and creativity in this space and are launching this lending program to help you achieve your vision. That said, to simplify communications for this lending pilot, we are using "microschool" as a catchall term for schools that meet the application criteria:

• Launch Timeline: Your school must be operating or scheduled to launch by Fall 2025

• Legal Entity: Registered as a for-profit or nonprofit business

• Banking: Have an active business bank account

• Financial Planning: Submit a five-year financial model

• Legal Standing: No pending litigation involving the school or founder

• Enrollment Plan: Intend to enroll 10–100 students for the 2025–26 school year

• Enrollment Verification:

• Required for Year 0 and Year 1 schools

• Submit a $25 deposit per projected student to confirm enrollment

• Insurance Requirement: Submit proof of general liability insurance before loan closing

• Facility Readiness: Submit a signed commercial lease before loan closing

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🔗 To express interest and receive early access to the application, visit:
https://buildinghope.org/microloanprogram

Let’s Build the Future of Education—Together

If you're a microschool founder looking for capital, or a funder interested in supporting this work, we want to hear from you. Together, we can build a future where every great educational idea has the chance to take root and grow.