Civic Builders Inc.

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Civic Builders Inc.

Every student deserves an excellent school today. Our team removes real estate as a barrier to an excellent public education.

Civic Builders is the nation's leading nonprofit developer and lender supporting the creation and growth of high-quality public charter schools. Across the country, these schools empower students within and beyond the classroom, and revitalize neighborhoods from one generation to the next. Our team’s extensive expertise in both real estate and lending enables us to provide support to the charter s

chool sector through three categories:

- Real Estate Development Services
- Financial Products
- Strategic Advisory Services

Civic Builders’ mission is to create paths for affordable access to permanent facilities for high-performing charter schools that deliver excellent educations to students in communities where the need is greatest.

08/11/2026

“GALA represents dreams coming true for so many children, families, teachers, and community members.”
Meran Rogers, Founder and Executive Director, Global Ambassadors Language Academy - GALA

Learn how the investment in GALA’s new facility is shaping futures in Cleveland, Ohio. ⬇️

Thank you to those who helped make this impact possible, including Civic Builders’ Jenny Heumann and Monique Floyd, and our mission-aligned partners: Shelly Crowder with United Fund Advisors; Thomas Nelson, Dan Budihardjo, and Angella Kinder with Nelson & Nelson PLLC; Brendan Beier with Navigator Capital Consulting; BakerHostetler; U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance; Leverage Law Group, LLC; Low Income Investment Fund; IFF (CDFI).

07/13/2026

Two Colorado schools are showing what's possible when great schools get the resources they need.

In Denver's Montbello neighborhood, Monarch Montessori Of Denver is beating the odds on chronic absenteeism through a dual-language Montessori model. Students show up at rates well above the neighborhood average.

In Colorado Springs, Colorado International Language Academy offers dual-language immersion in German, Mandarin, and Spanish, outscoring its local district by 14 percentage points on the State Performance Framework.

Both schools were ready to grow from K–5 to K–8. Through the , Civic Builders helped make it possible.

Read more in our 2025 Annual Report: https://www.civicbuilders.org/annual-report/

06/30/2026

At Civic, we Get to Yes for our partners. We know that when schools wait to open, students can miss out on an excellent education. So we move quickly, maintain momentum, and unlock solutions, all to fuel opportunity for generations to come.

At our recent All-Staff Week, our team visited The Squadron NYC, where we sharpened adaptability, teamwork, and problem-solving through flight simulator missions. Through this experience, we strengthened the same skills we rely on every day to keep school projects moving forward.

06/18/2026

Haven Charter High School is offering more than diplomas; they’re building a stronger future for the Bronx.

The Bronx has long faced a healthcare access crisis. But pathways into healthcare careers have been equally out of reach for the students who grow up there.

Civic Builders partnered with Haven and East Side House Settlement to change that, opening the Bronx’s first healthcare-focused CTE charter high school. Students graduate with industry-recognized certifications and career experience through internships and job placements with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, BronxCare Health System, and Lehman College.

A school isn’t just a building. For these students, it's a pathway for what’s possible.

Read more in our 2025 Annual Report:https://www.civicbuilders.org/annual-report/

06/10/2026

Students can't wait, and neither will we.

In 2025, that belief drove everything we did:

🏫 Supported 13 schools
🎓 Unlocked 5,100 student seats
📍 Expanded access to high-quality charter schools across 11 states

Today, we're proud to share Civic Builders' 2025 Annual Report — Built for What's Possible. Because we don't wait for change, we build it.

Read the full report here: https://www.civicbuilders.org/annual-report/

06/08/2026

Every scholar deserves a seat at an excellent school. Now, hundreds more will have one.

Civic Builders closed on a $7.7 million Facilities Investment Fund loan to Ambition Prep in Jackson, Mississippi, supporting the renovation of 32,000 square feet of unused space at the school's facility. The project will add 12 classrooms, growing student seats from 640 to 999 across grades K–8.

Ambition Prep serves one of Mississippi's most economically disadvantaged student populations, with 99% of scholars qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite these challenges, the school consistently outperforms the local district and comparable schools on state performance indicators. This investment will help even more students access the educational opportunities they deserve.

Congratulations to the Ambition Prep team, our partners — Gabe Balzano-Brookes and Matt O’Malley — and our team — Robert Ross, Kathryn McHugh, Avery Hogue, and Nick Alexander — for contributing to this impactful milestone.

06/01/2026

📣 TEAM SPOTLIGHT: Amber Cavallo, Director of Marketing & Communications

With over 20 years of experience developing and executing integrated communication strategies, Amber orchestrates Civic's marketing and partnerships, leveraging data, storytelling, and creativity to share our story with the public charter school sector nationwide.

As someone who understands the power of words and imagery to communicate impact, it's no surprise that her answer on what makes a school environment truly successful reflected that same thinking.

"It shows up in how the space feels welcoming and safe. Maybe it has great natural light, and the student can imagine what their future is beyond their current reality."

Thank you for bringing that same eye for storytelling to Civic's mission, Amber.

05/15/2026

As we close out , we're inspired by the more than 250,000 charter school teachers showing up every day with this confidence:

"We believe that through education and our community, we can change the trajectory of our students' lives and get them to a level where they go on to do great things."- Linda Marszalek, Co-Founder, REACH Academy Charter School

We partner with visionary charter school leaders like Linda — sharing their mission, urgency, and drive to build the spaces where opportunity takes root. Because students can't wait, so neither will we.

05/13/2026

A school is more than walls and windows; it's belonging and pride made visible.

"I've never had an attachment to a place, a building, as much as I do with New Heights Academy Charter School. The school is a strong reminder of all the communities, stories, and fun days. The building brings out the best in me intellectually and creatively." - Katie, Student at New Heights Academy Charter School

When a great school opens, it transforms a community and creates the foundations for building the workforce of tomorrow. Today, more than 3.7 million students attend charter schools nationwide, and demand continues to grow. That's why Civic Builders works to bring charter schools to life, creating spaces where students can belong, excel, and thrive.

04/30/2026

📣 TEAM SPOTLIGHT: Olivia Sonnefeld, Director of Growth Strategy and Development

As a former teacher, Olivia knows what's possible in a classroom. That personal connection drives her work at Civic Builders.

Focused on building relationships with mission-aligned partners and crafting fundraising strategies that work, Olivia connects our supporters to the work that matters – excellent schools for all students. She shared, “I saw firsthand how important a learning environment can be to a student's success.” Now, she channels that experience to communicate the importance of our work and the difference the right partners can make.

Thank you, Olivia, for the heart and commitment you bring to advancing our mission!

Address

180 Varick Street, Suite 1414
New York, NY
10014

Telephone

+12125717260

Website

http://www.civicbuilders.org/

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