If you are a bold problem solver with an inspiring idea to tackle the world’s biggest problems, we encourage you to explore our current challenges, recruit potential partners, and submit a proposal.

If you are selected as a finalist, we will work with you to build your case for support and share your work with donors in our network beyond challenge sponsors for the next couple of years.

Inclusive:

The goal of our high-profile challenges is to surface bold solutions from around the world. We work to ensure that all communities apply, including those who are often overlooked because they are led by historically marginalized and under-represented people, or their leadership does not have an established network of relationships with funders.

Transparent:

Our challenges are transparent to ensure that applicants fully understand all our requirements and processes upfront, and to set mutual expectations between participants, challenge sponsors, and Lever for Change. We offer tips and tools to help you plan to work at scale and strengthen your application.

Value:

Added value is built into our entire challenge process. It starts with your decision to apply and flows throughout our application and review processes—we provide transparent eligibility requirements and a “Smart Application” that supports all participants; we also share reviewer feedback with you to strengthen your case for support and future fundraising efforts.

Our challenges aim to strike a balance between the level of rigor necessary for expert reviewers and donors, and the burden this process places on you. Our goal is to help you strengthen your appeal to donors and to deepen the impact of your work.

Vetting:

All applications are rigorously vetted, not only by Lever for Change’s team of experts, but also by sector experts. The process allows teams to understand how others are positioning their work and how to refine their messaging. This feedback is designed to be both evaluative and instructive, as well as to provide you with concrete ways to strengthen your proposals. Because our goal is to help maximize impact, we provide constructive feedback, even to those participants not selected to move forward.

Bold Solutions Network:

All Lever for Change challenge finalists become members of our Bold Solutions Network, a public resource for philanthropists interested in funding an inclusive network of problem solvers with inspiring ideas.

We offer both awardees and finalists in our Bold Solutions Network ongoing learning and networking opportunities to strengthen the impact of their work, raise their visibility, and increase their potential for future funding at scale to accelerate social change. We also work to promote Bold Solutions Network members as a powerful community of influence. Our goal is to help elevate your proposal, bring it to the attention of ambitious philanthropists, and catalyze giving to your work.