Today, we’re thrilled to announce an anonymous donor from the ICONIQ Impact community has contributed an additional $10 million to the Stronger Democracy Award, bringing its total to $22 million! Two finalists will receive a $10 million grant, the first from Additional Ventures and the second from the anonymous donor. A third finalist will receive a $2 million grant from philanthropists Cipora and Vlado Herman.

Four Finalist Projects Receive Additional Funding to Improve the Quality of Life of Texans

Since the inception of Lever for Change in 2019, we have developed and managed nine large-scale challenges to change the world. Working tirelessly toward our goal to unlock $1 billion in philanthropic giving by 2023, we have partnered with dozens of donors and amplified the work of hundreds of people and organizations with bold solutions to address the most intractable problems of our time.

Time flies. It’s been just over a year since our team at Lever for Change launched the Bold Solutions Network. Born of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s 100&Change competition for $100 million, Lever for Change unlocks capital that might otherwise remain on the sidelines. We embolden donors to make larger grants than are typical in philanthropy—$10 million or more—through customized competitions, which provide the opportunity for donors, nonprofits, and social entrepreneurs to connect and solve global challenges together. We then amplify the top-ranked solutions in our Bold Solutions Network to catalyze investments in outstanding teams and accelerate large-scale social change.

Lever for Change is excited to launch Swift Grants – a new funding opportunity for Bold Solutions Network members offering small grants of up to $25,000 for collaborative projects.

At Lever for Change, we prioritize ensuring that our processes and approaches provide value and raise the visibility of bold solutions. While we continued to learn, evolve, and improve over the past year, we have seen strong evidence that being a member of the Bold Solutions Network proves valuable not only for teams who ultimately receive an award, but for all members.

Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative Selected as $10M Award Recipient by Sponsors Chris Larsen and Lyna Lam.

The Stronger Democracy Award Seeks to Fund Bold Solutions to Improve Political Representation and Increase Citizen Participation

Creating a world where women finally experience true equality, in every way