As facilities costs climb and per-pupil funding tightens, charter school leaders are looking beyond traditional revenue streams to fund the capital projects, technology upgrades, and workforce pathways their students need. Federal earmarks—known as Community Project Funding in the House and Congressionally Directed Spending in the Senate—represent roughly $17 billion in annual, one-time, project-based investments that nonprofit charter schools, authorizers, and their public agency partners are eligible to pursue. This session demystifies the earmark process from prospecting to award, walking attendees through eligibility rules, the appropriations subcommittees most relevant to charter schools, the multi-stage timeline that begins more than a year before funding arrives, and the advocacy work required to secure a Congressional champion. Presenters will share recent funded examples and close with a working framework participants can take home to identify, scope, and submit a competitive request in the FY28 cycle.

Presenters

Lambros Syrmos

The WayFinder Group

Jamie Thompson

National Alliance For Public Charter Schools