Civic Builders
Civic Builders is a New York-based nonprofit founded in 2002 that develops and finances charter school facilities across 28 states, providing turnkey real estate development, below-market loans, and strategic advisory services to public charter schools and their philanthropic partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Civic Builders does
Civic Builders is a New York-based nonprofit founded in 2002 by David Umansky that operates as the nation's leading nonprofit developer and lender for public charter schools. The organization provides three integrated service lines to charter schools across 28 states: (1) Real Estate Development Services, which deliver turnkey facility development from site identification through construction, plus a cost-based purchase option enabling schools to own their facilities at construction cost rather than market value; (2) Financial Products, anchored by the Facilities Investment Fund (FIF) — a 5-year fixed-rate loan program of up to $25 million per project established in 2017 with the Walton Family Foundation — alongside a recently launched Predevelopment Fund and utilization of federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocations totaling $433 million since 2013; and (3) Strategic Advisory Services for charter networks, municipalities, and philanthropic partners on citywide and system-wide facilities planning.
The organization's business model rests on four revenue streams: philanthropic donations and grants (notably from the Walton Family Foundation), developer fees on real estate projects, interest and fees from loan products, and fees tied to NMTC program deployment. Capital is sourced and blended from foundation commitments, federal NMTC and U.S. DOE Credit Enhancement subsidies, and commercial partners, with Goldman Sachs serving as the CDE member entity. The go-to-market is relationship-driven and mission-led — schools and networks engage via a formal website inquiry and the team structures financing and development solutions directly with school leadership, supported by referrals through board and philanthropic networks rather than traditional sales channels.
Operationally, Civic Builders has cumulatively deployed more than $2.1 billion in capital across 100+ schools, 1.6 million square feet of facilities, and 72 loans totaling $1.3 billion (through 2024), and supported 37 projects delivering 16,500 student seats at $867 million of real estate investment. The 2025 deployment alone added 13 schools in 11 states with 5,100 new student seats and $258 million in capital. Outcomes are anchored in the 93% high-school graduation rate observed among students in partner schools, with 79% of those students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
Civic Builders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Civic Builders
- Legal name
- Civic Builders
- Website
- https://civicbuilders.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Civic Builders is a New York-based nonprofit founded in 2002 that develops and finances charter school facilities across 28 states, providing turnkey real estate development, below-market loans, and strategic advisory services to public charter schools and their philanthropic partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Civic Builders industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Charter School Real Estate Development and Financing
- NAICS
- Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)
- SIC
- Operative Builders (1531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- New School Construction (Greenfield Builds) (EDAEABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Government & Civic Building Construction (Courthouses, City Halls, Public Safety) (IMAFACAF), Public Housing & Social Housing Development/Modernization Programs (FSALAKAH)
Keywords
Where Civic Builders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Civic Builders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Support and Donations: Civic Builders relies on charitable donations and grant funding to support operations and maximize benefits for partner schools. The organization has received recognition from foundations including the Walton Family Foundation, which co-launched the Facilities Investment Fund.
- Real Estate Development Services: The organization develops charter school facilities from start to finish, including site identification, financing, development through construction and school occupancy. Services are provided to support school building ownership through affordable, cost-based purchase options.
- Loan Financing Programs: Civic Builders provides loan products including the Facilities Investment Fund (FIF) and Predevelopment Fund, offering 5-year fixed-rate loans up to $25 million for new construction, acquisition, and facility renovation. Interest and fees from these loan programs support organizational operations.
- New Markets Tax Credit Program: Civic Builders has been awarded $433 million in NMTC allocation authority since 2013, utilizing these credits to provide flexible, below-market financing to high-performing charter schools.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Facilities Investment Fund (FIF) - 5-year fixed-rate loans for new construction, acquisition, and facility renovation |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Predevelopment Fund - Early-stage charter school predevelopment expenses |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | School Building Purchase Option - Cost-based purchase for schools |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Civic Builders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Civic Builders is a nonprofit developer and lender that provides full-spectrum charter school facilities development and financing services. It delivers turnkey real estate development (site identification through construction and occupancy), affordable fixed-rate loans through the Facilities Investment Fund (up to $25 million), New Markets Tax Credit financing, predevelopment loans, cost-based school building purchase options, and strategic advisory services for charter school networks, cities, and philanthropic partners.
Product overview
Civic Builders is a nonprofit developer and lender offering a integrated suite of services for charter schools comprising three core areas: Real Estate Development Services (Turnkey Development, Purchase Option, Owner's Representative), Financial Products (Facilities Investment Fund, FIF Predevelopment Fund, New Markets Tax Credits), and Strategic Advisory Services. The organization also runs an Education Finance Analyst (EFA) Program for talent development. These offerings work together to provide charter schools with end-to-end support from site identification and financing through construction and long-term facility ownership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Facilities Investment Fund (FIF): A loan fund providing five-year fixed-rate loans for new construction, acquisition, and facility renovation for charter schools.
- Predevelopment Fund
- New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC)
Products and services
- Real Estate Development Services Full-spectrum facilities development for charter schools including turnkey development (site identification through construction and occupancy), cost-based purchase options for school building ownership, and owner's representative services for projects. Designed for public charter schools seeking to develop, finance, or acquire facilities without the cost and complexity of working with for-profit developers.
- Facilities Investment Fund (FIF) Five-year fixed-rate loan program providing below-market financing for new construction, acquisition, and facility renovation for charter schools. Loan sizes up to $25 million that can fund up to 100% of project costs. Co-founded by Civic Builders and the Walton Family Foundation.
- FIF Predevelopment Fund Predevelopment loan product for early-stage charter schools covering costs such as appraisals, market studies, legal costs, and project management fees. Offers up to 36-month loan terms at below-market interest rates with the first 24 months capitalized.
- New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) Financing Federally-funded program accessed through Civic Builders' Community Development Entity providing flexible and below-market financing to charter schools. Civic Builders has been awarded $433 million in NMTC allocation since 2013 and uses its Goldman Sachs NMTC CDE membership to deploy these credits for charter school facilities.
- Strategic Advisory Services Comprehensive facilities planning including city-wide real estate planning, fund development, and technical assistance for charter school networks, municipalities, and philanthropic partners. Includes acting as project manager on strategic facilities projects or investments to maximize efficient use of capital and resources.
- Cost-Based School Building Purchase Option Path to school building ownership enabling charter schools to acquire the facilities Civic Builders developed at cost-based pricing (below market value), based on actual construction costs rather than for-profit developer pricing. Saves schools millions compared to market-rate developer alternatives.
Quantifiable outcome
- 93% high school graduation rate among students in Civic Builders-supported schools
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Civic Builders
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Civic Builders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Civic Builders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Afton PartnerscoreCollaborative partner in the Education Finance Analyst (EFA) Program, a two-year program recruiting and training diverse early-stage professionals for mission-driven financial services roles in education.
- Charter Schools Development Corporation (CSDC)corePartner in the Education Finance Analyst (EFA) Program developing high-potential professionals for mission-driven roles in education finance.
- Self-Help Credit UnioncorePartner in the Education Finance Analyst (EFA) Program, contributing to the development of diverse talent in mission-driven financial services roles.
- Equitable Facilities FundcorePartner in the Education Finance Analyst (EFA) Program and co-development partner in education finance professional development.
- Level Field PartnersminorPartner in the second cohort of the Education Finance Analyst (EFA) Program, recruiting and training diverse professionals for education finance roles.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Civic Builders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Building Hope: Nonprofit charter school facility developer and lender operating nationally; provides real estate development, financing, and predevelopment services to charter schools comparable to Civic Builders' core offerings.
- Charter Schools Development Corporation (CSDC): Mission-driven nonprofit that develops and finances charter school facilities nationwide; directly comparable to Civic Builders' development and lending model and is a partner in the Education Finance Analyst program.
- Equitable Facilities Fund: Nonprofit charter school facility lender that deploys affordable capital to high-performing charter schools; directly competes with Civic Builders' FIF lending product and is an EFA program partner.
- Raza Development Fund: NMTC allocatee and CDFI providing below-market financing and facility development for charter schools and community facilities; directly comparable to Civic Builders' NMTC-driven financing model.
- Afton Partners: Mission-driven education finance advisory firm that collaborates with Civic Builders through the EFA program and supports charter school facilities strategy; comparable on the strategic advisory and analytical services side.
Broad incumbents
- Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF): Established CDFI providing financing and technical assistance to charter schools and other community facilities; comparable lending infrastructure with a broader social-purpose portfolio than Civic Builders.
- Reinvestment Fund: National CDFI that deploys NMTC capital and other financing into charter school facilities and community development projects; overlaps with Civic Builders' lending stack but operates across multiple impact sectors.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Large national CDFI providing NMTC allocations and facility financing for charter schools alongside broader community development work; comparable in scale of capital deployment but with much broader mandate.
- Self-Help Credit Union: Mission-driven credit union providing facility lending to charter schools and other community borrowers; an EFA program partner and comparable lending institution in the charter school space.
Emerging players
- CSH (Corporation for Supportive Housing): Nonprofit CDFI providing NMTC financing and real estate development for supportive housing and community facilities; comparable capital stack and development model but focuses on housing rather than schools.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Civic Builders social profiles
Digital presenceCivic Builders compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Civic Builders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Civic Builders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles27 records
Civic Builders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Civic Builders M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Civic Builders
What does Civic Builders do?
Civic Builders is a nonprofit developer and lender that provides full-spectrum charter school facilities development and financing services. It delivers turnkey real estate development (site identification through construction and occupancy), affordable fixed-rate loans through the Facilities Investment Fund (up to $25 million), New Markets Tax Credit financing, predevelopment loans, cost-based school building purchase options, and strategic advisory services for charter school networks, cities, and philanthropic partners.
Is Civic Builders a public or private company?
Civic Builders is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Civic Builders founded?
Civic Builders was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Civic Builders based?
Civic Builders is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Civic Builders make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Support and Donations are the primary driver. The others are real Estate Development Services, loan Financing Programs and new Markets Tax Credit Program.
Who are Civic Builders's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Building Hope, Charter Schools Development Corporation (CSDC), Equitable Facilities Fund, Raza Development Fund and Afton Partners. Broad incumbents are Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), Reinvestment Fund, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Self-Help Credit Union. CSH (Corporation for Supportive Housing) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Civic Builders have an API?
No public API is recorded for Civic Builders.
What industry is Civic Builders in?
Civic Builders's product category is Nonprofit Charter School Real Estate Development and Financing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEABAA, New School Construction (Greenfield Builds), with a secondary code of IMAFACAF, Government & Civic Building Construction (Courthouses, City Halls, Public Safety). Its NAICS code is 23622 and its SIC code is 1531.