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In 2019, we launched Lever for Change with the goal of unlocking significant philanthropic capital for transformative social change. We hoped our services would address the gap between wealthy donors' aspirations and their actual grantmaking.
We designed the Bold Solutions Network as a vital component of our mission to catalyze funding opportunities and accelerate social change. With more than 110 active nonprofits and social enterprises, the work being done by Bold Solutions Network members currently spans 12 broad interest areas and is conducted on every continent except Antarctica.
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Since its founding in 2019, Lever for Change has partnered with donors to launch nine competitions, ranging from racial and gender equity to economic development and climate change.
We designed the Bold Solutions Network as a vital component of our mission to catalyze funding opportunities and accelerate social change. With more than 110 active nonprofits and social enterprises, the work being done by Bold Solutions Network members currently spans 12 broad interest areas and is conducted on every continent except Antarctica.
When we speak of resilience, we think about people’s ability to withstand hard times and “bounce back.” The year 2020 has been a continuous source of unexpected shocks.
We are undeniably in an era of rapid change. During these uncertain, complex times, when many are peacefully disrupting the status quo, we need to move forward differently, to be more innovative, more inclusive. We need to transform our thinking and acting in ways that will lead to justice and equity for all.
Progress is possible, if our society is willing to make big investments that tackle inequity at scale and remove the impediments that systematically erode the gains we achieve. Our mission at Lever for Change is aligned with these goals.
Last week, MacKenzie Scott announced $1.67 billion in grants to 116 organizations, following up on her Giving Pledge commitment to give away her personal fortune during her lifetime.
Launched in February, the Bold Solutions Network is a searchable online collection of summaries of highly-rated, rigorously evaluated proposals, or “bold solutions,” that emerge from the competitions Lever for Change manages. The Bold Solutions Network helps donors find and fund highly-rated, vetted proposals on topics they care about.
Highly-ranked applicants in the competitions Lever for Change manages are eligible to become Bold Solutions Network (BSN) members. BSN members have access to ongoing learning opportunities offered through Lever for Change. These opportunities are designed to continue to help strengthen members' project design and plans, as well as to increase the impact of their work.
Six bold solutions to critical social challenges were named finalists today in 100&Change, a global competition for a single $100 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The proposals address diverse and systemic problems, such as ocean health, homelessness, oxygen therapy, health disparities, news deserts, and mosquito-borne disease.
On June 29, 2020, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot joined Maurice Cox, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, to announce the recipients of $11 million in grant funding to support key INVEST South/West projects. The funding will help to close capital stack gaps for two critical developments in the Auburn Gresham and North Lawndale neighborhoods.