What is the role of the intermediary partners and/or school developers?
Increasingly, foundations look to “intermediary organizations” as partners in order to jumpstart new ventures, conduct feasibility studies, create due diligence processes, engage outside experts, and provide professional development for the schools and communities they serve. An intermediary organization acts as a grant manager, and it selects and supports school sites, especially during the planning and start-up phases. Current early college high school partners run the gamut from organizations experienced in creating or redesigning schools, to national constituency-based organizations, to community foundations, to higher education institutions and organizations. The 13 partners work directly with selected early college high schools, school districts, and postsecondary institutions. They provide start-up and ongoing technical support, guidance, and professional development for their networks of schools. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initially selected a diverse group of intermed
