The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta’s impact investment fund, the GoATL Fund, recently closed a new $1 million investment for the Low Income Investment Fund, according to a press release. The fund will launch a new program to finance high-potential, early-stage charter schools in metro Atlanta’s lower-income communities. Together with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, GoATL’s investment will allow LIIF to create a financing vehicle designed for earlier stage, promising charter schools. This flexible, long term capital will support the buildout of new seats for emerging charter schools with proven leadership and validated community support that are located in our underperforming educational markets.
Since 2018, the GoATL Fund, the first impact investment fund of its kind in Georgia, has invested $4.25 million in loans that seek to generate a measurable social outcome along with a financial return. GoATL’s impact investments are structured as flexible, cost-effective loans that are expected to be paid back, providing the ability to recycle the dollars and fund new initiatives into the future.
LIIF is a national leader in charter school financing and worked in partnership with several organizations to provide the financing for Atlanta’s Charles R. Drew Junior and Senior Academy, which helped double the school’s student population. As of December 2018, LIIF has invested $680 million into schools across the U.S., providing nearly 100,000 students better educational opportunities. GoATL’s investment provides LIIF with both flexible capital to continue their work as well as a connection to a valuable local partner with deep roots in the community.
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