Bold Solutions
take flight

Lever for Change is a john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation affiliate, whose mission is to unlock philanthropic capital and accelerate positive social change around the world’s biggest challenges.

Competitions

Lever for Change matches philanthropists with powerful solutions and problem solvers to accelerate social change. Our approach enables philanthropists to achieve their ambitions by providing them with the tools and resources to maximize their giving. We give social change organizations the opportunity to think big while preparing them to achieve more impactful results at a deeper scale. Together, we can help solve society’s greatest challenges. Are you ready to place a big bet on a solution to a critical challenge?

Competitions

Economic Opportunity Challenge

Launched on October 15, 2019, the Economic Opportunity Challenge will award $10 million to scale a game-changing solution aimed to improve the economic health of low-income families in the U.S.

100&Change

Launched on April 30, 2019, the second round of the MacArthur Foundation’s $100 million global competition will fund a single proposal that will make measurable progress toward solving a significant problem. The application period is closed.

Chicago Prize

The Pritzker Traubert Foundation launched the Chicago Prize to award $10 million to a community-led, investment-ready initiative that will create a better economic future for residents on Chicago’s South and/or West Side.

ICONIQ Impact

In 2020, in partnership with Lever for Change, ICONIQ Impact will launch two global competitions funded by their client-base — a $12 million ICONIQ Impact Award focused on securing a durable future for refugees and a separate $10+ million ICONIQ Impact Award with the topic to be announced in 2020.

Increasing Women's Power and Influence

In February 2020, Lever for Change will partner with an organization to launch a $10 million competition focused on increasing women’s power and influence in the U.S.

Lyda Hill Philanthropies

In March 2020, Lyda Hill Philanthropies will launch a $10+ million competition focused on improving the lives of Texans in the areas of health, the environment, and workforce development.

U.S. Emissions Reduction

In April 2020, a donor who wishes to remain anonymous will launch a $10 million competition focused on emissions reduction in the transportation, buildings, and/or industrial sectors in the U.S.

Earth's Call Fund

In May 2020, Earth’s Call Fund will launch a $20 million global competition to find and fund innovative solutions to the climate crisis.

Our Approach

Building off the success of 100&Change, the MacArthur Foundation’s breakthrough $100 million competition, Lever for Change helps philanthropists source vetted, high-impact philanthropic opportunities and connects nonprofits and problem solvers to significant amounts of philanthropic capital. Lever for Change does this through either managing customized competitions or by matching philanthropists with the top vetted proposals from such competitions.

Through a rigorous, open, and transparent approach, Lever for Change inspires philanthropists to dramatically increase their giving by helping them source and identify the most promising ideas that will significantly impact the issues they care about most.

Lever for Change is a charitable organization created and supported by the MacArthur Foundation. Lever for Change is not a program of the MacArthur Foundation and does not set, impact or influence MacArthur’s big bets, enduring commitments or field support programs. Under a contract with MacArthur, Lever helps to manage MacArthur’s 100&Change competition.

Three African girls giggle in a cornfield.

Lever for Change Solutions Bank

Together, this is what we can accomplish

See Solutions →

Photo Credit: HarvestPlus

Bold Solutions take flight

Lever for Change is a john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation affiliate, whose mission is to unlock philanthropic capital and accelerate positive social change around the world’s biggest challenges.

Competitions

Our Approach

Bold Solutions
take flight