NFF spotlights Ron Clark Academy after financing landmark Atlanta expansion

By AI, Created 4:00 AM UTC, May 21, 2026, /AGP/ – Nonprofit Finance Fund visited the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta to highlight how its New Markets Tax Credit program helped fund the school’s expansion, including a 42,000-square-foot performing arts center. The project is helping the nonprofit middle school grow enrollment, expand educator training and generate scholarship support.

Why it matters: - NFF’s financing helped a nationally known nonprofit school expand a facility that supports both student learning and educator training. - The project also helps RCA generate income for student scholarships, extending the impact beyond campus operations. - The visit underscores how New Markets Tax Credit financing can back community projects that traditional lenders may not fully support.

What happened: - Nonprofit Finance Fund staff visited The Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta during a staff retreat. - The visit highlighted the results of NFF’s financing programs at RCA. - NFF’s New Markets Tax Credit program supported RCA’s expansion in Southeast Atlanta. - RCA serves students in grades 4–8 from across the metro region. - RCA also welcomes more than 10,000 educators each year from the U.S. and around the world.

The details: - NFF’s support helped create the Ryan Marshall Performing Arts Center, a 42,000-square-foot multipurpose facility. - The center includes an auditorium, performance spaces and classrooms. - The expansion allowed RCA to increase enrollment and educator training programs. - The expansion also generates income that helps fund student scholarships. - NFF President and CEO Aisha Benson called RCA an example of how quality education can create a positive ripple effect beyond the school building. - RCA cofounder Ron Clark said the NMTC support helped bring a vision to life that will affect students and visiting educators for generations. - NFF has received $511 million in NMTC allocation to date. - NFF has invested in more than 50 organizations across the United States. - NFF’s work in the Atlanta region includes philanthropic partnerships, financial consulting and nonprofit lending.

Between the lines: - RCA is positioned as both a school and a professional development site for educators, which makes the facility expansion more than a campus upgrade. - The NMTC program appears to be a key tool for financing projects with community benefits that may struggle to secure conventional capital. - The Atlanta visit also signals how NFF uses local partnerships to showcase its broader lending and advisory work.

What’s next: - RCA will continue using the expanded campus to host more educators, grow programs and support scholarships. - NFF is likely to keep pointing to RCA as a model for NMTC-backed community investment. - NFF’s ongoing regional partnerships may continue to expand its Atlanta footprint and support other nonprofit projects.

The bottom line: - NFF’s investment helped turn RCA’s expansion into a facility that serves students, trains educators and strengthens the school’s long-term financial model. - More information