Q&A: How Facebook Money Is Used for Newark Schools

When Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and chief executive officer, announced from Oprah Winfrey's couch two years ago that he would donate $100 million to Newark, N.J., schools, there was little indication from the crowd's cheers and grins from Newark Mayor Cory Booker and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie just how complex the process of spending that money would be.

Mr. Zuckerberg's donation was a challenge grant, meaning Newark could only spend a dollar of his money once it received a dollar from someone else. And all the money is collected and allocated through the Foundation for Newark's Future , a nonprofit organization with a wide variety of stakeholders on its board of directors and only a five-year window for raising and spending the money. Plus, the money can be spent only on six focus areas determined by the foundation's board: early-childhood education, out-of-school youths, teacher quality, Common Core State Standards implementation, school options, and community engagement.

So far, about $50 million has been raised (and, thus, matched, putting $100 million at the foundation's disposal)...