MacArthur Foundation Announces $100M Grant Competition

By Sean Norris

MacArthur Foundation, best known for its "Genius" grants, on Thursday announced a competition that will award $100 million to a single proposal that helps solve a "critical problem affecting people, places or the planet."

Called 100&Change, the competition will be held once every three years and is open to nonprofit and for-profit organizations in the U.S. and internationally. According to a MacArthur Foundation press release, a panel of judges will review proposals based on criteria that favors those that "maximize measurable impact in their chosen areas."

In the release, the foundation laid out entry guidelines:

To participate, applicants must first register on the website by Sept. 2, 2016. Then they must complete a substantive online application, detailing the problem, solution and budget, along with posting a video pitch. Proposals will be accepted through Oct. 3, 2016. Semifinalists will be announced in December. Each semifinalist will receive assistance from an expert team to identify and address questions about technical and organizational capacity required to implement each proposed solution, including specific plans to monitor, evaluate and learn during implementation.

Each semifinalist will also be asked to show significant, authentic engagement with affected communities. MacArthur Foundation's board of directors will select finalists in the summer of 2017. Finalists will present their solutions during a live event in the fall of 2017, after which the board will make the final decision about the $100 million grant recipient.

On the 100&Change website, MacArthur Foundation said it chose $100 million because it would allow an organization to "focus on a serious problem and its solution in a meaningful and lasting way." It also noted that the average foundation grant is $138,000, according to 2012 data compiled by Foundation Center.

"By funding at a level far above what's typical in philanthropy, we can address problems and support solutions that are radically different in scale, scope and complexity," MacArthur Foundation said.

Additional information, including full entry details, is available here. Video is below: