Bloomberg to donate $20 million to Alabama HBCU charter schools

City Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a fund to support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and the public charter schools that feed into them. City Fund and Bloomberg Philanthropies have pledged $10 million each.

The donation marks “one of the largest coordinated efforts to foster K-12 and higher education partnerships with HBCUs,” wrote Bloomberg Philanthropies in a statement released Thursday.

Alabama communities impacted

Schools across Alabama will be positively impacted by the generous donations, but two are already reaping the benefits. Tuscaloosa’s first tuition-free charter school, I Dream Big Academy, opened its doors in August 2025. Working with nearby Stillman College, the school now serves students in grades 6 through 8.

D.C. Wolfe Charter School in Shorter, formerly known as D.C. Wolfe Elementary School, will open next fall as a conversion charter school in partnership with Tuskegee University. While it will remain public and tuition free, the school will gain more freedom in building curriculum + budget, as well as choosing staff.

The mission of both I Dream Big Academy and D.C. Wolfe Charter School is to “equip students with the academic rigor, skills and support” required of higher education and today’s professional climate.

City Fund in Alabama

City Fund is a national non-profit that works with local organizations to revitalize public school systems. By funding charter schools, school choice initiatives and systemic improvements, the organization invests in schools + local leaders countrywide to ensure a better future for students. The non-profit works with multiple organizations in Birmingham to support success:

• New Schools for Alabama boosts quality public education statewide, especially in underserved areas. Through hiring great leaders, advocating for pro-charter policies and providing crucial funding and loans for new facilities, the non-profit aims to produce stellar Alabama students.
• Founded in 2022, Alabama Families for Great Schools is a networking vein for approximately 7,500 public charter school stakeholders and policymakers.
• Black Alabamians for Education was founded in 2013 as a non-profit rooted in advocacy, parent engagement and positive K-12 education experiences for Black students in Alabama.

Bloomberg Philanthropies in Alabama

Bloomberg Philanthropies serves as an umbrella for businessman Michael Bloomberg’s wide range of charitable giving endeavors, from improving public health to fostering education and arts + culture. In the last five years, Bloomberg has made significant contributions to the state of Alabama:

• In January 2024, $26.4 million was pledged to a high school specializing in health care careers in Demopolis with plans to open in 2026.
• In August 2024, $175 million was gifted Tuscaloosa’s Morehouse College. The donation was granted in response to rising costs in training future doctors of America.

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